Ethical Issues in Treating Substance Use Disorders: Counselor Perspectives.

ABSTRACT: Ethical issues arise frequently in the treatment of substance use disorders (SUD). Counselors need guidance to navigate ethical dilemmas but receive limited training in resolving ethical issues. To narrow the gap between the ethical dilemmas counselors face and their training, this qualitative study assessed ethical issues that counselors encounter, how they resolve them, and desired training. We conducted qualitative individual interviews with 20 front-line counselors working in two SUD treatment programs, presenting brief vignettes that depicted the ethics code of the national organization representing SUD counselors. The interviews asked open-ended questions about how counselors dealt with issues and their ideas for future ethics training. All participants had encountered ethical dilemm

SUBMITTER: Sorensen JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11868449 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep-Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature