Ethical issues associated with involuntary hospitalization do create a dilemma in dealing with patients with cognitive issues. In hospital settings there are qualified physicians are expected to conduct their duties as per the principles of medical ethics, these are nonmaleficence, beneficence, and respect for autonomy (Varkey, 2021). Out of the ethical principles, ethical issues result when there is a conflicting opinion on a patient’s medical condition. Psychiatrists like any other physician, are always faced with ethical dilemmas that are hard to solve. Some situations or ethical issues may result where a mentally sane psychiatric patient refuses a lifesaving medical process. In this case, conflict is created between two ethical principles, in which to come up with a solution, one has to be overridden. In such a situation, respect for autonomy and the principle of non-maleficence, one has to be ignored. However, ignoring respect for autonomy and administering the treatment will mean the be against the medical ethics as sworn in the Hippocratic oath (Testa & West, 2010). A sane and adult patient who is conscious should be treated upon consent to accept the treatment. On the other hand, failure to administer medication and respect the law of autonomy will lead to a violation of the principle of non-maleficence and as well as beneficence. In addition, sometimes, the mentally ill individual may refuse to be hospitalized upon doctors’ recommendation.
How to Be Cognizant of the Ethical Issues
As an assessment psychologist, there are several ways in which I can be cognizant of such ethical issues. Dealing with the mentally ill patient is challenging as the situation involves alteration in moods, cognitive and thoughts of various individuals (Zimmerman, Morgan & Stanton, 2018). Recognizing each category is a better step to start with, this will enable stipulation of the proper steps to take in caring for various individuals. A good instance is recognizing the requirement of an individual categorized as a Special Population and knowing that such patients are different from those who are having severe situations of mental illnesses such as dementia.
Additionally, it should be known that there is some mental illness that can be solved through counselling and without the administration of medicines while some are constantly reliant on medical treatment. Forcefully subjecting a mentally depressed special population who may be having mixed thoughts of suicide, to involuntary hospitalization is not a proper way to help the situation. The individuals may be subjected to counseling and close monitoring as an outpatient civil commitment. The unfavorable part of involuntary hospitalization is the forceful subjection under the long term that is determined by the court. This can result in further detrimental issues to psychiatric patients as it is against their Will.
How to Work Through Them
Concerning the various unfavourable conditions that psychiatric patients are exposed to by those who are inexperienced, as an assessment psychiatrist, I am aware of the right treatment to administer to patients with various mental illnesses. While attending to my patient, I must ensure that in whatever I do, the principle of ethics is not ignored as they are the guidance to proper and quality outcomes. Additionally, I also have to ensure that proper physical, laboratory and psychological evaluations are comprehensively carried out before considering further treatments. The results of the multiple predetermined evaluations on the three assessments will be strong and will determine the degree of the mental illness. In my opinion, consideration for involuntary hospitalization should be determined by the degree of mental illness and the influence of the resulting conditions. According to Van den Kieboom et al. (2020), those patients with severe cases of dementia for instance are to be considered for involuntary hospitalization as they may severely harm themselves and those around them.
Role of Ethics in Assessment of Special Population
In my opinion, the special population should not be subjected to involuntary hospitalization for a prolonged period of time without carryout proper medical and background history to determine the results of the mental situation. Determination of the cause of their situation is a great step to helping or lessening the condition to a reduced or insignificant percentage and with that, the individual can restore normalcy. Respect for the autonomy of the individual is a proper step to take to ensure the individual does not further disorient due to forceful subjection. Additionally, during the conduction of the assessment, the affected individuals should only be subjected to procedures that aim at achieving the principle of beneficence. Lastly, whatever the situation that results, patients’ health should always come first and during the assessment, they should not be subjected to more harm than good.
Thoughts in Singling out the Special Population
In my view, singling out special populations and criminalizing them, is not a proper approach because their unlawful actions have occurred due to alterations in their mental state. These individuals should instead be recommended for proper psychological care. Through that, the source of their condition can be identified and solved. With this knowledge, in my future assessment, before categorizing mentally ill individuals I would have to conduct a proper examination to find out the kind of medical state. Additionally, I will always consider all aspects of medical ethics when attending to any psychiatric patient.
References
Testa, M., & West, S. G. (2010). Civil commitment in the United States. Psychiatry (Edgmont), 7(10), 30–40.
Van den Kieboom, R., Snaphaan, L., Mark, R., & Bongers, I. (2020). The trajectory of caregiver burden and risk factors in dementia progression: A systematic review. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 77(3), 1107-1115. DOI: 10.3233/JAD-200647
Varkey, B. (2021). Principles of clinical ethics and their application to practice. Medical Principles and Practice, 30(1), 17-28. Web.
Zimmerman, M., Morgan, T. A., & Stanton, K. (2018). The severity of psychiatric disorders. World Psychiatry, 17(3), 258-275. Web.