Question 1

Keeping client information confidential is ____.

Accepted Answer

Keeping client information confidential is primarily an ethical responsibility of therapists, rather than a legal requirement. It is a fundamental part of establishing trust and ensure that clients feel safe and comfortable in disclosing sensitive personal information. While the law protects the client's right to confidentiality, there are exceptions where therapists may be required to breach confidentiality, such as mandatory reporting laws or when there is a risk of harm to the client or others. Therefore, therapists must always provide clear and informed consent to clients about the limits of confidentiality and the situations where they may need to disclose confidential information.

Question 2

Privileged communication is a(n) ____.

Accepted Answer

Privileged communication is a legal concept that protects certain communications between a professional (like a therapist) and their client from being disclosed without the client's permission, making it narrower in scope compared to the broader ethical principle of confidentiality, which encompasses a wider range of information protection.

Question 3

Monica, age 12, gives her therapist convincing evidence that she was sexually molested by her stepfather from the time she was 8 until she was 11. According to the principle of privileged communication, the therapist ____.

Accepted Answer

The principle of privileged communication does not apply in cases of suspected child abuse, where therapists are mandated reporters and must report the abuse to the proper authorities to protect the child and potentially other children from harm.

Question 4

"Protective privilege ends where public peril begins" summarizes ____.

Accepted Answer

This quote is often attributed to Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes and represents the duty-to-warn principle in mental health law. It means that a therapist's duty to maintain confidentiality ends when the client poses a serious threat to others, and the therapist must take steps to protect the potential victims.

Question 5

Mr. P. told his therapist that he intends to shoot his ex-wife's new husband, and the therapist kept this information confidential. Lawyers are now suing the therapist because Mr. P. did shoot the new husband, as well as his ex-wife. What legal precedents will the plaintiff's attorneys probably use in the case?

Accepted Answer

The Tarasoff ruling established the duty to protect, in which mental health professionals have a duty to warn a potential victim of harm and take other reasonable steps to prevent harm from occurring when a patient poses a serious threat of violence to another person. Therefore, the plaintiff's attorneys will likely argue that the therapist had a legal duty to warn the potential victim, and the failure to do so resulted in harm.

Question 6

What is the ethical standard that protects clients from disclosure of information without their consent?

Accepted Answer

Confidentiality is the ethical standard that mandates that a therapist keep the information shared by their clients confidential and not disclose it to anyone without their consent. This is essential in building trust between the client and therapist and creating a safe space for the client to share their personal and sensitive information. However, there are some exceptions to this rule in cases of harm to self or others, child or elder abuse, or court subpoenas.

Question 7

According to the Tarasoff case, a therapist who informs the police that a client intends to harm another person ____.

Accepted Answer

The Tarasoff case established that therapists have a duty to protect potential victims if a client poses a serious risk of harm. If a therapist believes that a client intends to harm another person, the therapist must take reasonable steps to warn the potential victim or others who can intervene to prevent harm. If the therapist fails to fulfill this duty, he or she can be sued for negligence or malpractice. While privileged communication is an important aspect of therapy, it is superseded in cases where the safety of potential victims is at stake. Therefore, option A is incorrect. Option C may not always be true as there could be other measures that the therapist could take, such as hospitalizing the client or obtaining a restraining order. Option D is incorrect as informing the police about the client's intentions does not necessarily mean that the therapist has intruded on their right to treatment.

Question 8

A therapist says to her client, "What is said in this room is kept in strict confidence unless there are legal or therapeutic reasons to reveal it. Under most circumstances, though, you have control over what gets disclosed. Unless you give me permission, I will not disclose any confidential information." The therapist is describing the ____.

Accepted Answer

The therapist is describing the concept of privileged communication, which means that anything said in the therapy session is confidential and cannot be disclosed without the client's permission, except in certain legal or therapeutic circumstances.

Question 9

Dr. Sheffield has found that forcing his patients to take medication has caused a problem with being able to treat them effectively. This problem is likely to be that ____.

Accepted Answer

Patients who are forced into treatment often resist it, which can negate the benefits of therapy, as they may not be fully engaged or cooperative.

Question 10

A psychologist says, "I believe that the therapeutic process involves such a deep personal association between therapist and patient that ethically it requires me to keep sensitive information secret from others." The psychologist is referring to ____.

Accepted Answer

The psychologist is referring to confidentiality, which is the ethical obligation to keep sensitive information shared in therapy sessions confidential and not share it with others without the patient's consent.

Question 11

Dr. Jenkins has a client who is violent. Dr. Jenkins is concerned that his client may engage in dangerous acts against others. If the client does become violent, Dr. Jenkins could be held accountable for ____.

Accepted Answer

Dr. Jenkins could be held accountable for not warning potential victims due to the duty to warn, which requires mental health professionals to inform potential victims if a client poses a serious risk of harm to them.

Question 12

Which statement about legal protection of therapists is accurate?

Accepted Answer

The therapist-client relationship has the same legal protection as the attorney-client relationship. Therapists are bound by confidentiality and privileged communication laws in most states, just like attorneys. However, there are limitations to this protection, such as mandatory reporting laws for abuse or danger to self or others. Overall, the therapist-client relationship is legally protected, but it is not absolute.

Question 13

Under which circumstance can a therapist divulge information about a client to a third party?

Accepted Answer

Therapists have a duty to maintain confidentiality with their clients, but they may break that confidentiality if they have reason to believe that the client presents a danger to themselves or others. This is done to protect the safety of both the client and others. The other options (A, B, and D) are not sufficient reasons to break confidentiality.

Question 14

Dr. Vera learns in the midst of a therapy session that his client has been committing a series of violent rapes. Can Dr. Vera divulge this information to the police?

Accepted Answer

Therapists are generally not mandated to report past crimes disclosed by clients, but they may have a duty to warn or protect if there is an imminent threat to others.

Question 15

Critics of deinstitutionalization argue that ____.

Accepted Answer

Critics of deinstitutionalization argue that this policy allows states to abdicate their responsibility to care for individuals with mental illness who are unable to care for themselves. They argue that without institutional care, these individuals may end up on the streets or in substandard living situations, which can exacerbate their mental health conditions and lead to other social problems. While there may be some who argue that too much money has been spent on resources for individuals on the street, this is not the main criticism of deinstitutionalization. Discharged patients may be able to make the transition to community living if they have adequate support, but this may not always be the case, especially for individuals with severe mental illness. Finally, there is no evidence to suggest that not enough people with mental illness have been discharged from psychiatric hospitals. Rather, the concern is about whether or not these individuals are receiving the care and support they need in the community.

Question 16

Homelessness is increasing at an alarming pace in the United States. Among the homeless, it is estimated that ____ to ____ suffer from a mental disorder.

Accepted Answer

Studies estimate that 30-70% of homeless individuals in the United States suffer from a mental disorder, with the most common disorders being schizophrenia, depression, and substance abuse disorders. This highlights the need for increased access to mental health services for homeless individuals.

Question 17

The duty-to-warn principle ____.

Accepted Answer

The duty-to-warn principle comes from the landmark 1976 Tarasoff ruling in California, which established that mental health professionals have a duty to warn potential victims if a client poses a credible threat of serious harm.

Question 18

Dr. Johnson's patient Lou was distraught and mentioned several times when he referred to his mother that he was "going to kill the bitch." Dr. Johnson is required by law to ____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Dr. Johnson's patient Lou was distraught and...

Question 19

Lillian is considering going to a psychotherapist but has a fear that a male therapist might engage in sexual behavior with her. Then she reads the ethical principles of the national psychiatry, psychology, and social work organizations and finds that ___.

Accepted Answer

According to the statement, Lillian read the ethical principles of the national psychiatry, psychology, and social work organizations and found that they condemn and prohibit sexual behavior between therapist and client. Therefore, the best choice is A.

Question 20

Which of the following is a primary legal, moral, or ethical issue affecting the therapist-client relationship?

Accepted Answer

The therapist's obligation to avoid sexual intimacies with clients is a primary legal, moral, and ethical issue affecting the therapist-client relationship. Such behavior is unacceptable and can lead to serious consequences for both the therapist and the client. It is considered a violation of professional boundaries and can cause harm to the client's emotional and psychological well-being. The therapist must maintain appropriate boundaries and adhere to ethical standards to ensure a safe and effective therapeutic relationship.

Quiz 16: Law and Ethics in Abnormal Psychology