Psychiatric research

Abstract

The ethical engagement of human volunteers is critical to advancing research on mental disorders. The symptoms and impairments commonly associated with psychiatric disorders nevertheless raise numerous issues about the ethical dimensions of research involving people at risk for, living with, and suffering from these disorders. A substantial body of literature now exists addressing both conceptual and empirical issues related to ethical dimensions of psychiatric research. While much of the discussion of ethical issues in research has focused on informed consent and decision-making capacity, additional relevant issues also warrant consideration. These include influences on participants’ decisions about enrolling in research, potential sources of vulnerability, and investigator integrity. This chapter provides an overview of these topics, describes two frameworks for analysing the ethical dimensions of research, and utilizes case illustrations to highlight some of these issues.