Ethics

The concept of “ethics” was introduced by Socrates, and defined as a philosophical discipline by Aristotle. Today this discipline tries to set up criteria for “good” and “bad” behavior/actions, and to evaluate the motives for these actions, and the consequences.

In all health care work, and particularly in work with persons exposed to injustice and human rights violations, a clear awareness of ethical codes, standards and principles is quite necessary. The knowledge and clarity about ethical and human rights principles will strengthen the involvement of health professionals in human rights violations, and fortify their actions to prevent such violations. It is in order to strengthen knowledge about these principles, that we include a thematic page on ethics.

Here we have collected some articles and reviews, highlighting some basic definition for ethics, in connection with different other topics.

• Health Ethics, Equity and Human Dignity
  This article (12 p.) discusses the necessity to review ethical principles in health, to ensure that human rights and dignity are fully respected. – Mamdouh Gabr, Cairo University.
  
• Medical ethics: four principles plus attention to scope
  The “four principles plus scope” approach provide a simple, accessible, and culturally neutral approach about ethical issues in health care. The principles: respect for autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice. The article discusses these topics, and the conclusion in personal decision making. - BMJ 1994, 309:184, R. Gillon.
  
• Applying the Four Principles
  The author reports to the article by Gillon from 1994, discussing the four principles on examples. – Journal of Medical Ethics, 2003;29, R. Macklin.
  
• Public Health Ethics articles
  This site provides lots of links to articles about the topic “ethics and public health”, published in the Journal of Public Health. Links to abstracts free of charge.
  
• Ethics of conducting research in conflict settings
  The article discusses the necessity of research in conflict areas to improve the quality of assistance, considering the ethic principles in doing research in a vulnerable population, and the harm-benefit ratio. – Conflict and Health 2009, 3:7.
  
• Ethics
  The online encyclopedia Wikipedia provides with this definition of “ethics” in general, from the historical origins to the present (partly philosophical) sub-categories.
  

Lots of organizations working with mental health and therapy, psychiatrists, psychologists and others, have framed some principles concerning ethics, ethical behavior etc while encountering people in need, crisis and illness. For sure there are many more codes to find, the general and underlying principles are very similar.

• The Principles of Medical Ethics
  The American Psychiatric Association has here defined Medical Ethics, with annotations especially applicable to psychiatry. – APA, 2010.
  
• Ethical Principles of Psychologist and Code of Conduct with the 2010 Amendments
  The American Psychological Association has set up in this long article the general principles, and specific ethical standards according which they are working. – APA, 2010.
  
• Ethical principles for Psychiatric Aministrators
  ”The ethical challenge of a psychiatric administrator is to help optimize the potential benefits and reduce the risks of treatment and/or rehabilitation, all the while considering the costs, likely outcome, and alternatives unique to psychiatry”. This is seen as an occasionally difficult task, the Ethic Principles should help to meet it. – AAPA, 2002.
  
• Code of Ethics of The Institute of Australasian Psychiatrists
  Also here find we ethical principles documented by a large psychiatrist organization, to provide guidelines. – IAP, 1997.
  
• The World Medical Association`s Ethics Manual
  The WMA has published its ethical guidelines in different languages, the English version (140 p.)will you find here.WMA, 2010.
  
• Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists
  Canadian Psychological Association, 2000.
  
• Meta-Codes of Ethics
  The European Federation of Psychologists` Association has published these meta-codes, referring otherwise to the ethical codes of their member associations.
  
• Principles for AMHCA code of ethics
  This represents the ethic code for the American Mental Health Counselors Association.
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It seems quite difficult to find (may be set up?) “guidelines” to follow, when it comes to “ethics” – ethical guided assistance, behavior, etc. Most of the (hopefully leaded by ethically based considerations) attempts to cope with disaster and catastrophes, mention in general guidelines some aspects of this topic. We found nevertheless some more specific.

• ”Do No Harm” – Training Materials
  The CDA has developed some training materials, aiming to sensitize helpers in “Do No Harm“. This training was the result of projects to learn more about assistance given in conflict settings (often used and misused to pursue political or military advantage).You can download hand- and workbooks, trainers package etc.
  

A variety of articles and links, chosen somewhat subjective. The field is quite broad, so there is a range from ethics in social work/field working up to ethics in more specific mental health and treatment within general medicine and psychiatry/psychology. These topics here include not in specific ethics in mental health in conflict times/zones.

• The Insider`s Guide To Law and Ethics in Mental Health
  This site aimes to collect articles and interviews (some as audio podcasts) with attorneys and clinicians to several topics around ethics and health.
  
• Journal of Ethics in Mental Health
  This is an “international, peer-reviewed, web-based journal, available free on-line, worldwide. It aims at providing a useful forum for sharing ideas and experiences among all who are committed to improving ethical standards, behaviours, and choices in mental health care giving”.
  
• Ethics in Mental Health Research
  This website aims to provide with resources for teaching, studying, investigating ethical issues in mental health research. Collaboration at Saint Louis Univ., Missouri Inst. of Mental Health, Nat. Inst. of Health, and the Nat. Inst. of Mental Health.
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• ‘Stop Stealing Our Stories’: The Ethics of Research with Vulnerable Groups
  Health professionals` ethic and human rights violations, revealed in may 2004, CIA inspector generals report. “Physicians for Human Rights” is discussing in this article (8 p.) the CIA report (released in 2009) about the role health professionals played in the CIA`s torture program, and the level of ethical misconduct. – Physicians for Human Rights, 2009.
  
  • Aiding torture
    Health professionals` ethic and human rights violations, revealed in may 2004, CIA inspector generals report. “Physicians for Human Rights” is discussing in this article (8 p.) the CIA report (released in 2009) about the role health professionals played in the CIA`s torture program, and the level of ethical misconduct. – Physicians for Human Rights, 2009.
    
  • Ethics, Human Rights and Globalization
    Second global ethic lecture, held by Mary Robinson, UN High Comm. For Human Rights at that time. – Univ. of Tübingen/Germany, jan 2002.
    
  • Compendium of United Nations standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice
    The United Nations released in this Compendium some basic principles, see here in particular article 16 – “Principles of Medical Ethics relevant to the role of health personnel....” – UN 2006
    
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  Ethics and Disaster

  In case of disaster – catastrophes, war, conflict etc – is has always been somewhat difficult to define ethic principles in providing aid, and to ensure that these principles are followed. Just basic questions (as: whom should you help first in case of disaster? And who makes the “ethical” decisions?) can be very difficult to decide.

  • Disaster Management Ethics
    The Disaster Management Ethics module (65 p.) “addresses some of the ethical issues and dilemmas faced by the humanitarian assistance community as it seeks to respond to human need in the context of natural and human-caused disasters. The format simulates a discussion which aims to foster conversation and interaction. It brings together the voices of fifteen practitioners and scholars to discuss five ethical issues in humanitarian assistance”. It works as a guideline, with case-studies, and questions to answer. – Disaster Management Training Programme DMTP, Dep. Humanitarian Affairs/UN.
    
  • Disaster Psychiatry Handbook
    The American Psychiatric Association has released this handbook (56 p.), concerning psychiatric dimensions of disaster. Especially chapter 5 – mediolegal and ethical issues in disaster psychiatry – discusses the ethic challenges in disaster situations. APA, nov 2004.
    
  • Making Hard Choices
    A release of the Journal of Practical Bioethics (you find the homepage of the Center for Practical Bioethics here), focusing in some articles on the topic ethics and disaster. – Pract. Bioethics, may 2007.
    
  • World Medical Association Statement on Medical Ethics in the Event of Disasters
    The WMA states here the medical ethics to be concerned in handling disasters and victims. – WMA, oct 2006.
    
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  Ethics and Cultural Aspects

  • Ethics, Competence, and Professional Issues in Cross-Cultural Counseling
    This paper discusses the relevance of multiculturalism to professional excellence in counseling. Focus also on multicultural awareness, multicultural counselors. – Paul B. Pedersen, 2007.
    

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  Ethics - organizations and sites

  • Ethics and Health at WHO
    The World Health Organization has in 2002 launched its Ethics and Health Initiative, now carried on by the Department of Ethics, Trade and Human Rights. On this website you will find also some links to this topic, as well as information on the work the WHO is involved here.
    
  • International Global Ethics Association
    It represents a “non-partisan, non-profit, global academic network, working within the new and emerging field of Global Ethics”.
    
  
  
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