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The publication of case studies and confidentiality – an ethical predicament

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Anne Patterson*
Affiliation:
Carswell House, 5 Oakley Terrace, Glasgow G31 2HX
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Writing about psychoanalysis or psychotherapy has traditionally included illustrative clinical material which helps to clarify and enliven complex theories. However, there is increasing interest in the ethical questions raised by the publication of confidential clinical material, informed by a post-modern culture emphasising individual rights and empowerment, increasingly supported in law, and equally, fascinated by celebrity and disclosure. It seems important for psychiatrists to engage in this debate which has implications for the future communication of clinical findings between psychotherapists and psychiatrists.

Type
Special Articles
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © 1999 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

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