Ethics, Culture, and Psychiatry: International Perspectives

To facilitate the exploration of this territory, 15 experts from a variety of cultures examine the most pressing ethical issues prevalent within the current practice of psychiatry. Many of the dilemmas probed in this book are routinely encountered by clinicians who work in increasingly multicultural societies. The text covers issues that are broadly relevant to clinical practice and research, including: An overview of ethics and societies around the world Discussions of ethical practices and dilemmas specific to various cultural regions Transcultural debate on overarching issues, such as incompetent patients, informed consent, and mental health law reform The complete copy of The Declaration of Madrid printed in the appendix

Readers will find that this is a textbook that stimulates and supports, rather than closes, the debate on ethical aspects of professional psychiatric behavior. Ethics, Culture, and Psychiatry: International Perspectives is much more than just a book on ethics -- it is a major contribution to understanding the impact of culture and history on the ethical practice of medicine around the world, and a continuous search for a consensus on how to live together and make contributions to the well-being of people with mental illness, their families, and the family of humans on our planet.