Ethical Challenges and Legal Issues for Mental Health Professionals Working With Family Caregivers of Individuals With Serious Mental Illness

Abstract

Mental health professionals frequently work with family caregivers in the provision of psychotherapy services to individuals with serious mental illness. To address the need for ethical guidelines for working with family caregivers, an analysis of relevant ethical and legal issues is provided within the context of dynamic mental health care and legal systems. When working with family caregivers, practitioners utilize the American Psychological Association’s Ethics Code (2010), legal codes, and a complex decision-making plan; identify and communicate ethical obligations to family caregivers; consider the unmet needs of this population; avoid harm resulting from multiple relationships; and balance ethical duties of beneficence and respect for autonomy.

Keywords:

• caregivers
• ethics
• psychotherapy
• serious mental illness

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I express gratitude to Nan R. Presser for providing education and training on the ethics of psychology, as well as for her invaluable feedback during the development of this article. I am also grateful to APA Ethics Committee members Brian Stagner and Linda Knauss for their time, insight, and guidance on revisions of this article.