Lecture 4 - ETHICAL ISSUES IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY Flashcards
is a fundamental ethical principle in psychology, ensuring that client information remains private.
Confidentiality
Implications: Duty to Warn vs. Duty to Protect
Clinicians must
directly notify the potential victim.
Duty to Warn
Implications: Duty to Warn vs. Duty to Protect
Can involve warning the victim, notifying law enforcement, or hospitalizing the client.
Duty to Protect
Required for research, assessment, therapy, and other professional activities
INFORMED CONSENT
For therapy, informed consent is __ rather than a one-time event
an ongoing process
For minor participants and persons with cognitive impairments.
INFORMED ASSENT
Sufficiently capable, skilled, experienced, and expert to complete the professional tasks they undertake
COMPETENCE
It can impair competence. __ can be minimized by efforts by the psychologist to keep job varied, keep life balanced, keep expectations reasonable, and keep oneself healthy
Burnout
ETHICS IN CLINICAL ASSESSMENT
Consider competence, culture, test’s reliability and validity
Test selection
ETHICS IN CLINICAL ASSESSMENT
Don’t allow test materials to enter
public domain.
Test security
Psychologists should know their limits and seek additional training or supervision when necessary
Boundaries of competence
A client discusses childhood trauma but does not want their parents to know. The psychologist agrees but must disclose if the information indicates harm or abuse. What principle is this?
Limits of confidentiality with minors
A therapist enters a business partnership with a former client, leading to potential conflicts of interest. What ethical issue is involved?
Dual/multiple relationships
A school counselor refuses to disclose a student’s therapy details to the student’s parents without consent, except when necessary for safety. What ethical principle is applied?
Confidentiality in child therapy
A psychologist provides therapy outside their field of expertise without proper training. What ethical principle is being violated?
Competence and boundaries of practice
A researcher fails to fully explain study risks to participants before obtaining their participation. What ethical principle is being violated?
Informed Consent
A therapist shares a client’s confidential information without permission, except in legal or safety-related circumstances. What ethical principle is violated?
Breach of confidentiality
A client with limited English proficiency is given an English-only psychological assessment, affecting accuracy. What ethical issue is involved?
Cultural competence in assessment
A therapist starts dating a former client shortly after terminating therapy. What ethical issue is this?
Boundary violation (dual relationships)
A therapist performs psychological assessments but fails to properly secure the test materials, leading to public access. What ethical concern arises?
Test security in clinical assessment
A client discusses past criminal activities in therapy, but there is no immediate threat to anyone’s safety. Should the psychologist break confidentiality?
No, unless required by law or public safety concerns
A therapist is aware of a client’s self-harm but determines that hospitalization is unnecessary. What ethical principle is being considered?
Duty to Protect
A researcher pressures participants to continue a study despite their discomfort. What ethical principle is being violated?
Voluntary participation (Informed Consent)
A therapist is legally required to report suspected child abuse, even if the client refuses disclosure. What ethical and legal obligation is being followed?
Mandatory reporting laws and limits of confidentiality
