Codes of ethics for psychiatrists: past, present and prospect.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Codes of ethics in medicine have an ancient tradition, extending back to the Oath of Hippocrates. Yet it was only in the early 1970s that the speciality of psychiatry developed a specific code to address the unique ethical dilemmas and complexities arising in psychiatric practice. As the 50th anniversary of the publication of psychiatry's first code of ethics approaches, it is timely to reflect on the progress, role, and impact of such codes.Our aim is to provide a historically informed review of codes of ethics in psychiatry - their origins and evolution, the current picture, and the possibilities for future development.

Methods

We conducted a selective review of relevant literature (including all codes of ethics accessible on the websites of World Psychiatric As

SUBMITTER: Bloch S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9157294 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature