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Patient's choice to suicide v. treater's duty to prevent suicide: Some changing clinical dilemmas
Author(s) -
Felthous Alan R.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
behavioral sciences and the law
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.649
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1099-0798
pISSN - 0735-3936
DOI - 10.1002/bsl.2370010412
Subject(s) - dilemma , duty , suicide prevention , suicidal behavior , poison control , human factors and ergonomics , psychology , injury prevention , process (computing) , social psychology , medical emergency , psychiatry , criminology , medicine , psychotherapist , law , political science , computer science , operating system , philosophy , epistemology
The evolution of civil commitment procedures is seen as reflecting changing social and ethical values regarding individual liberty versus protection of self and others. The dilemma of dealing with the modern suicidal patient places the psychiatrist at the interface of conflicting societal expectations. The legal aspects of civil commitment are seen as not necessarily compatible with the best clinical course for the suicidal patient. The relationship of the process of the civil commitment to the process of treatment is briefly explored.