the potential benefit of the medication for the client’s mental health functioning? 2. What if, in your professional opinion, the client is in need of a medication evaluation but they refuse to consider it? Psychologists work toward helping their clients overcome life’s challenges to achieve a state of well-being— beneficence. Psychologists strive to do no harm— nonmaleficence. They attempt to resolve conflicts in a way that minimizes harm. They strive to achieve the best possible outcome for the client while minimizing harm through the use of thoughtful, respectful interactions. They are alert to personal, financial, social, organizational, and political factors that might lead to the misuse of their influence and opinions. They remain aware of the effect their own physical and mental health has on their ability to provide services. While these ideas may seem intuitive and straightforward, psychologists encounter many situations where they must weigh acts of potential harm (maleficence) against what is best for their client. Principle B: Fidelity and Responsibility Given the psychological and economic impact of COVID-19: 1. Is there an increased need to provide pro bono services or volunteer your time? 2. Are in-person or telehealth visits in the best interest of the client? Psychologists establish relationships of trust with those they work with. They remain aware of their professional responsibilities to clients and to society as a whole. They uphold standards of conduct, accept responsibility for their own behavior, and work to serve the best interests of those with whom they work. They manage conflicts of interest that could lead to exploitation or harm. They have a responsibility to help ensure others in their profession also uphold high ethical standards in scientific and professional conduct. They contribute a portion of their professional time on a pro bono basis for little or no compensation or Psychologists promote honesty and accuracy in science, research, teaching, and practice. They do not cheat, steal, engage in fraud, or intentionally misrepresent facts. They avoid unclear communications. In research, they do not manipulate or fabricate results to achieve a specific desired outcome. If deception in research is ethically justifiable to maximize benefit and minimize harm, the psychologist is responsible for correcting any mistrust or harmful effects that arise. Update to the General Principles of the Ethics Code The APA Ethics Code Task Force (ECTF) is currently in the personal advantage. Principle C: Integrity process of drafting an update to the Ethics Code. They state as their objective “While retaining those aspects of our Ethics Code that serve the public and our discipline and profession well, the charge of the ECTF is to create a Code that is visionary and transformational and that remains a leading practical resource regarding ethics for psychological science, education, and practice” (American Psychological Association, 2022). In 2021 they began to discuss comments received regarding eight draft Principles which had been posted for a 90- day comment period beginning on July 15, 2020. Based on these comments, at the most recent meeting, on May 19–20, 2022, the ECTF decided to divide the Principle of Beneficence and Nonmaleficence into two separate categories.
For example: 1. A research study recruits college students as participants but fails to discuss generalizability in the results. 2. Participants in a research study are actively discouraged from dropping out and verbally coerced into remaining in the study. Principle D: Justice Issues of justice are not uncommon with access to services. Psychologists serve as advocates for their clients to ensure fair access to treatment. Consider: 1. The client with depression you have been seeing has health insurance that will not authorize more psychotherapy sessions. 2. The client with a mild substance use disorder wants rehabilitative services but has no financial resources to support that treatment. Psychologists have a responsibility to be fair, to be impartial, and to treat people equally. They recognize that all persons are entitled to equal access and quality of resources, services, benefits, procedures, and opportunities. They remain aware of their personal potential biases, boundaries, and competence, as well as the limitations of their expertise, and they take precautions to ensure that these do not lead to unjust or unfair practices. Principle E: Respect for People’s Rights and Dignity 1. In the time of COVID-19, are you sensitive to biases and differences in opinion about the virus, vaccines, or treatment? 2. Do you respect your client’s resistance to a psychotropic medication evaluation when it is culturally based? Psychologists respect the dignity, worth, privacy, and confidentiality of all persons. They are aware of and respect individual, cultural, and role differences and consider them when working with clients. They are aware that special safeguards may be necessary to protect the rights of vulnerable persons. When working with clients, they are aware of and consider issues of diversity, including cultural, individual, and role differences based on age, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, language, and socioeconomic status. They strive to eliminate the effect of bias based on these factors in their work, and they do not knowingly participate in or accept the behavior of others based on prejudices. The working titles of the revised foundational and aspirational Principles are: 1. Beneficence. 2. Nonmaleficence. 3. Human and Civil Rights. 4. Integrity. 5. Interrelatedness of People, Systems, and the Environment. 6. Professionalism and Responsibility. 7. Respect for the Welfare of Person and People. 8. Scientific Mindedness. 9. Social Justice. The working draft document retains the 10 Standards sections. Future work will focus on developing paragraphs that link Principles to each Standard section and the development of a decision-making model.
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