Citation

Hunt M, Pal NE, Schwartz L, O'Mathúna D. Curr. Psychiatry Rep. 2018; 20(8): e60.

Affiliation

College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s11920-018-0917-8

PMID

30039282

Abstract

PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW: As mental health professionals assist individuals and communities affected by disaster, they are likely to encounter ethical issues. We conducted a review of academic and grey literature to identify ethical issues associated with the provision of mental health care during disasters, with particular attention to children and families. RECENT FINDINGS: We identified nine categories of ethical challenge: ensuring competent care; protecting confidentiality and privacy; obtaining informed consent and respecting autonomy; providing culturally sensitive care; avoiding harm; allocating limited resources; maintaining neutrality and avoiding bias; addressing issues of liability and employer responsibilities; and conducting research ethically. The organization and provision of mental health services during disasters presents ethical challenges for care providers-as well as for communities, coordinators, and policymakers. Mental health professionals need to navigate this ethical terrain in order to provide needed care to individuals and communities affected by crisis.

Language: en

Keywords

Children; Disasters; Ethics; Health services; Humanitarian crises; Mental health