The ethical issues inherent in psychiatric research and clinical practice are complex and multifaceted. Making well-founded ethical decisions is essential for effective patient management and promoting optimal patient care. Building on the positive reception of this book since its first publication in 1981, this long-awaited fifth edition offers psychiatrists and other mental health professionals a coherent guide to the diverse ethical issues that challenge them. This edition has been significantly updated to reflect the many changes that have occurred in the field over the past decade. Its 25 chapters are divided into three sections that cover: (1) clinical practice in child and adolescent psychiatry, psychogeriatrics, community psychiatry and forensic psychiatry; (2) relevant basic sciences, such as neuroethics and genetics; and (3) philosophical and social contexts, including the history of ethics in psychiatry and the nature of professionalism. General aspects of clinical practice, such as confidentiality, boundary violations and coercive treatment, are covered comprehensively, as is a new chapter on diagnosis.
