Question 1

If a therapist has a client who is threatening to kill another person, the therapist must inform that other person because of the ethical principle of:

Accepted Answer

The ethical principle at play in this situation is the duty to protect, which means that the therapist has a responsibility to take steps to prevent harm to others. In this case, informing the potential victim is a necessary step to fulfill this duty. Confidentiality cannot be maintained when there is a risk of harm to others. The right to know and sunshine are not relevant ethical principles in this situation.

Question 2

In the workplace, psychological problems are estimated to contribute MOST to:

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the workplace, psychological problems are estimated...

Question 3

If you are the typical therapist, you:

Accepted Answer

According to ethical guidelines and professional standards, it is never appropriate for a therapist to engage in any kind of sexual activity with a client or act on any feelings of attraction towards a client. Therefore, the best choice is D, as it suggests that the therapist has appropriately managed their attraction and maintained appropriate boundaries with their clients.

Question 4

A therapist who is worried that her clients will receive short-term care rather than more promising long-term treatment, and that confidential treatment reports will be read by others, is concerned about:

Accepted Answer

The therapist's concerns are related to managed care programs, which often have limitations on the number of sessions a client can receive and involve sharing confidential treatment reports with a third-party insurance company or case manager.

Question 5

If you were an air traffic controller and your employer required you to attend a seminar on dealing in healthy ways with stress, you would be receiving:

Accepted Answer

The answer of If you were an air traffic controller...

Question 6

Which is the BEST example of mental health parity?

Accepted Answer

Mental health parity refers to the equal treatment of mental and physical health conditions. Option C states that insurance covers both medical and mental illnesses equally, which is the best example of mental health parity. Options A and D are not examples of mental health parity, and option B refers to a system of checks and balances within the clinical setting, but does not directly address mental health parity.

Question 7

Psychologists are ethically bound to keep material about their patients confidential EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

Psychologists have a duty to protect their patients' confidentiality, but if the patient poses a danger to themselves or others, the psychologist may need to break confidentiality to prevent harm. Choices B, C, and D do not meet the criteria for breaching confidentiality.

Question 8

The type of system that many health insurance companies have set up to try to curtail expenses associated with providing treatment is referred to as a(n):

Accepted Answer

A managed care system is designed to manage and limit healthcare costs by controlling access to medical treatment and services. This can include strategies such as pre-approving certain procedures, limiting the selection of providers, and negotiating lower rates with healthcare providers in exchange for increased patient volume. Private insurance companies and employee assistance programs are related to healthcare coverage but do not necessarily have the same cost-containment goals as managed care systems. Health maintenance organizations (HMOs) are a type of managed care system but do not encompass all strategies that can be employed in this approach to healthcare management.

Question 9

The American Psychological Association's code of ethics states that sexual relationships between a psychologist and client are:

Accepted Answer

The American Psychological Association's code of ethics states that sexual relationships between a psychologist and client are prohibited under almost all circumstances. The reason for this is to prevent exploitation or harm to the client and to maintain professional boundaries.

Question 10

Which is MOST likely to have an impact on job performance in terms of accidents, damage, and absenteeism?

Accepted Answer

Substance-related disorders can cause impairment in cognitive and motor functions, which increases the risk of accidents and damage in the workplace. Substance use disorders can also lead to absenteeism due to withdrawal symptoms or seeking drugs. Depression and anxiety disorders may affect work performance, but they are less likely to result in accidents and damage in the workplace compared to substance-related disorders. Psychotic disorders may impair cognitive functioning, but they are less common and less likely to affect job performance in general.

Question 11

A therapist who broke confidentiality with a patient without the patient's consent because of fears that the person would harm someone else was acting according to the ethical principle of:

Accepted Answer

The ethical principle of duty to protect mandates therapists to break confidentiality when they suspect that a client may harm themselves or others. This duty supersedes the principle of confidentiality, which states that therapists must keep client information private. Therefore, the therapist in this situation acted according to the duty to protect principle.

Question 12

A psychologist wanted to accept a client with whom he had previously had a sexual relationship. According to ethical guidelines, the psychologist:

Accepted Answer

According to ethical guidelines, psychologists should not engage in sexual relationships with current clients, former clients, or individuals closely associated with clients, due to the potential for harm to the client and the compromise of professional judgment. Therefore, the psychologist cannot accept the client with whom he had previously had a sexual relationship.

Question 13

Which principle is MOST likely to result in a conflict with the mental health professional's obligation to maintain confidentiality for the patient?

Accepted Answer

The duty to protect, which requires mental health professionals to break confidentiality in situations where their patient poses a threat to themselves or others, is the most likely principle to conflict with the mental health professional's obligation to maintain confidentiality for the patient.

Question 14

If Dr. Phil were a licensed psychologist, would he be ethically allowed to offer advice to people on television?

Accepted Answer

Psychologists are allowed to offer advice outside of therapy as long as it is based on appropriate psychological practice and does not create a therapist-client relationship. As long as Dr. Phil abides by ethical guidelines and provides helpful and accurate advice, he would be ethically allowed to offer advice on television.

Question 15

The current code of ethics declares that a therapist should break confidentiality even without the client's consent:

Accepted Answer

It is ethical for a therapist to break confidentiality when the client or another person is threatened. This is to ensure the safety and well-being of those involved. However, it is important for the therapist to carefully evaluate the situation and make sure that confidentiality is only breached to the extent necessary to prevent harm.

Question 16

If you were having marital problems that were affecting your work and your employer made mental health services available to you to deal with those problems, your employer would be providing you with:

Accepted Answer

The employer is providing an employee assistance program (EAP) which offers counseling and other support services to employees. EAPs are voluntary workplace programs designed to assist employees in dealing with personal problems that might adversely affect their work performance, health, and well-being. The services offered by EAPs are not mandated by law, nor are they a peer review system or a stock ownership plan.

Question 17

A man is having trouble coping with his financial problems and is getting depressed about them. He seeks out someone at his company who helps by counseling employees on such issues and tries to address problems before they get worse. He is seeking help from:

Accepted Answer

The man is seeking help from someone at his company who specifically helps employees with financial problems, which suggests that his company has an employee assistance program that offers counseling and support services. Option A, stress-reduction seminars, may be helpful in addressing the symptoms of stress and depression, but would not directly address the man's financial problems. Option B, problem-solving seminars, may provide some useful strategies, but may not offer the ongoing support and counseling the man needs to cope with his financial issues. Option D, an outpatient counseling center, may be a useful resource, but the fact that the man is seeking help from within his company suggests he is specifically looking for workplace-based support.

Question 18

Today, the cost of direct mental health services is mostly paid by:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Today, the cost of direct mental health...

Question 19

Which entity has the goal of reducing the cost of mental health services?

Accepted Answer

Managed care entities, such as insurance companies and health maintenance organizations (HMOs), have the goal of reducing the cost of mental health services by implementing cost-saving measures such as limiting the number of therapy sessions covered or requiring pre-authorization for certain treatments. Mental health parity laws ensure that mental health services are covered by insurance policies to the same extent as physical health services, but they do not necessarily reduce the cost of those services. Government funding of health care may include provisions for mental health services, but it is not a specific entity with the goal of reducing the cost of those services. Professional boundaries refer to ethical standards and guidelines for mental health professionals, and do not directly relate to the cost of mental health services.

Question 20

A landmark California court case, Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California, dramatically affected the right to confidentiality between client and therapist. This case led to the conclusion that:

Accepted Answer

The Tarasoff case established the duty to warn, which means that therapists have an obligation to break confidentiality and warn an identified individual if they believe their client poses a clear threat of serious harm to that person. This ruling made therapists responsible for protecting potential victims from their clients' actions. Therefore, Choice B is the correct answer.

Quiz 19: Law, Society, and the Mental Health Profession