For this assessment, you will develop a solution to a specific ethical dilemma faced by a healthcare professional. Before you complete the instructions detailed in the courseroom, first select one of the ethical dilemmas below to be the focus of your assessment. After you have selected one of the ethical dilemmas from below, return to the detailed instructions in the courseroom to complete your assessment. Case Study: Confidentiality and Mental Health Dr. Laura Simmons, a licensed clinical psychologist, has been treating Mr. Alex Turner, a 35- 35-year-old software engineer, for symptoms of severe depression and anxiety over the past six months. Their sessions have been characterized by trust and open communication, with Alex often sharing his deepest fears and concerns. During a particularly intense session, Alex reveals to Dr. Simmons that he has been having recurring thoughts of harming a colleague due to a longstanding professional rivalry and recent personal conflicts. He descr
Effectiveness of the Communication Approaches Present in the Case Study
The communication between Dr. Simmons and Alex in the case study is characterized by trust and openness. Alex is comfortable sharing his deepest fears and concerns with Dr. Simmons, while Dr. Simons guarantees the confidentiality of all information shared during all sessions. Open and trustful communication is the first step towards the creation of a safe and open therapeutic environment, as well as a strong therapeutic relationship. Good communication is a big facilitator to the provision of patient-centered care (Kwame & Petrucka, 2021). However, the ethical dilemma Dr. Simmons faces after Alex tells her about his plans to harm his work colleague may indicate that there were gaps in their communication. In addition, this may mean that Dr. Simmons may have focused on communication that only focuses on creating a safe space for sharing but avoided telling Alex about the limits of their communication and confidentiality. Due to this failure to communicate effectively, she now risks either her client’s confidentiality or failure to adhere to her ethical and legal obligation to do no harm and duty to report.
Relating Dr. Simmons Approach to the Ethical Decision-Making Model
The three components of the ethical decision-making model are moral awareness, moral judgment, and moral action (Khursheed et al., 2019). In the case study, Dr. Simmons displays her moral awareness as she appreciates the existence of an ethical problem when Alex, her client, tells her about his plans to harm a colleague at work. On the other hand, her moral judgment is shown in how she considers the various ethical approaches and outcomes when choosing to report or not to report the case based on the information she has from Alex. She weighs between maintaining her patient confidentiality and deciding based on the principles of beneficence and maleficence. She does not display any moral action, as that would have been possible had she chosen a clear course of action. This will depend on the decision Dr. Simmons makes in her professional capacity.
Applying Ethical Principles to Provide a Solution to the Ethical Dilemma
Dr. Simmons openly shows that she adheres to the principle of confidentiality and understands her obligations to the safety of her patient and the people around him. The ethical dilemma in the case can be resolved by focusing on the provisions of the ethical principles as well as legal obligations. Notably, the ethical dilemma arises from the conflict between the principle of confidentiality and those of beneficence and non-maleficence. To resolve this dilemma, Dr. Simmons must weigh what is more beneficial. In this case, she must go by the principles of beneficence and non-maleficence, as it will be beneficial to Alex by protecting him from the legal consequences of harming a colleague and protecting the colleague from getting harmed.
Conclusion
In conclusion, ethical dilemmas, as observed from the case study on confidentiality and mental health, develop from the conflicts between the ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. The case study also highlights the complexity of ethical dilemmas in mental healthcare. It clearly shows the limits of confidentiality and how considerations of the weight of benefits of other ethical principles can help resolve complex ethical dilemmas in mental healthcare.
References
Capella University. (n.d.). Case study: Confidentiality and mental health. Capella.
Geiderman, J. M., & Marco, C. A. (2020). Mandatory and permissive reporting laws: obligations, challenges, moral dilemmas, and opportunities. Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians Open, 1(1), 38–45. https://doi.org/10.1002/EMP2.12011
For this assessment, you will develop a solution to a specific ethical dilemma faced by a healthcare professional. Before you complete the instructions detailed in the courseroom, first select one of the ethical dilemmas below to be the focus of your assessment. After you have selected one of the ethical dilemmas from below, return to the detailed instructions in the courseroom to complete your assessment. Case Study: Confidentiality and Mental Health Dr. Laura Simmons, a licensed clinical psychologist, has been treating Mr. Alex Turner, a 35- 35-year-old software engineer, for symptoms of severe depression and anxiety over the past six months. Their sessions have been characterized by trust and open communication, with Alex often sharing his deepest fears and concerns. During a particularly intense session, Alex reveals to Dr. Simmons that he has been having recurring thoughts of harming a colleague due to a longstanding professional rivalry and recent personal conflicts. He descr
Applying Ethical Principles Case Study – Confidentiality and Mental Health
Healthcare providers, especially mental health practitioners, are presented with cases that create complex ethical dilemmas. Mental healthcare providers are expected to apply the ethical decision-making model in their daily practice in order to navigate the complex ethical environment in their practice. This article provides an overview of a case study depicting an ethical dilemma in mental health practice, the ethical issues in the case study, the effectiveness of the communication approaches present in the case study, and the application of the ethical decision-making model and ethical principles to solve the ethical issues presented in the case study.
Overview of the Case Study
Case Study: Confidentiality and Mental Health
The selected case study explores the issue of confidentiality in mental health. The case study involves Dr. Laura Simmons, a licensed clinical psychologist, and her patient, Mr. Alex Turner, a 35- year-old software engineer. For the last six months, Dr. Laura Simmons has been helping Mr. Alex Turner manage his severe depression and anxiety (Capella University, n.d.). Dr. Laura and Mr. Alex have been able to establish a strong therapeutic relationship, as in each session, their communication is usually open and trustful. Mr. Alex usually shares his deepest fears and concerns with Dr. Laura.
In one particularly intense session, Alex openly revealed to Dr. Simmons the recurring thoughts he had been having of harming a colleague due to a longstanding professional rivalry and recent personal conflicts (Capella University, n.d.). Alex describes in detail the plans he has developed to harm his colleague and expresses a genuine intent to act on these thoughts. This revelation by Alex creates an ethical dilemma for Dr. Simmons. She values the principle of confidentiality, as it has created the foundation for the therapeutic relationship with Alex. Alex has always trusted her with his innermost thoughts. As Alex’s mental healthcare provider, Dr. Simmons understands that reporting Alex’s plans would break his trust in her and could potentially harm their current therapeutic relationship. At the same time, Dr. Simmons knows she is bound by the principles of beneficence and non-maleficence. Beneficence compels her to act in the best interest of her patient and those around him, while non-maleficence emphasizes the importance of “doing no harm.”
Ethical Issues in the Case Study
The ethical issue in the case study arises from the conflict between patient confidentiality and the ethical principles of beneficence and non-maleficence. In the case study, Dr. Simmons understands the importance of maintaining her client’s confidentiality. Care providers are ethically and legally required to keep private and safeguard the conversations they have with their clients as well as the information the clients entrust to them (Varkey, 2021). In this case, Dr. Simmons, despite her knowledge of Alex’s plan to harm his colleague, must ensure she maintains her client’s trust. At the same time, she has a duty and a legal obligation to report the information about Alex’s intentions to harm another individual to the relevant authorities. The law requires therapists to report cases to the right law enforcement authorities in which their clients might hurt themselves or someone else (Geiderman & Marco, 2020). Therefore, Dr. Simons must decide on whether to safeguard confidentiality with Alex and maintain their good therapeutic relationship or adhere to her ethical and legal obligation and report Alex’s intentions and protect both Alex and his colleague