Discussion
To have read all the required resources for this week. The use of mandated, or legally coerced, treatment is widespread. Yet research demonstrating the efficacy of this type of treatment is limited, and mandating mental health treatment is one of the most contested issues in the field of psychology. To justify the continued use of mandated treatment, policymakers, practitioners, and researchers are obligated to demonstrate the effectiveness and limitations of such treatment programs.
You have been called in to consult on cases that may require mandated treatment. After reviewing the PSY699 The ethics of mandated treatment scenarios, choose two to discuss in your initial post. Begin your research with the required resources for this week. Using the specific situations presented in each of the scenarios you have chosen, conduct further research to help inform your recommendations for each individual. A minimum of one resource per scenario, beyond those already required for the assignment, must be included in your initial post.
In your post, construct clear and concise arguments using evidence-based psychological concepts and theories to present your recommendations as to whether or not treatment should be mandated for the individuals in each of the scenarios. As you write your recommendations, be certain to provide insights into the following questions.
• What are the ethical principles and implications raised by legally mandating clients into treatment?
• What evidence exists regarding the effectiveness of treatment with and without coercion for this type of situation?
• What would be the challenges in evaluating the effectiveness of mandated treatment?
• How might mandated treatment impact your clinical decision making as the mental health professional assigned to these cases?
• What client factors might limit or augment the potential benefits of treatment if it were mandated?
Integrating concepts from your research and the required readings, offer insights across different content domains as to why you have reached these conclusions. Explain how you used the APA Ethical Code of Conduct to guide your decisions. Evaluate the generalizability of your specific research findings to the situations presented and provide a rationale as to why this research supports your recommendations.
Master of Arts in Psychology Capstone
The Ethics of Mandated Treatment Scenarios
Scenario 1:
A client with a well-established history of repeated dangerous behavior and inpatient commitment has been treated, stabilized, and discharged into the community. The treating psychiatrist believes that the client's success in the community is far more likely if treatment is continued. However, the client wishes to terminate treatment. A request for mandated treatment is filed by the psychiatrist with the court. During the hearing, the psychiatrist testifies that while the client is not imminently dangerous, he potentially could become dangerous again without treatment.
Scenario 2:
A long-term client appeared quite excited during a recent session with her therapist. Speaking rapidly, she told the therapist that she was planning a gambling trip that would win her millions of dollars. After some probing, the therapist learned the client had recently stopped taking the medication prescribed for her bipolar disorder because she had been feeling so happy. The client also indicated that she no longer saw a need for therapy and was planning to stop treatment.
Scenario 3:
An older, debilitated adult is living within two miles of her adult daughter. The daughter currently has control of her mother's finances and is aware that her mother is unable to leave home to purchase basic necessities. The mother wishes to be in psychotherapy, but the daughter claims that she can care for her mother on her own.