[Theoretical foundations of clinical ethics consultation in psychiatry].

Abstract

Background: Clinical ethics consultants support mental health professionals in identifying and analyzing moral problems in clinical practice.

Objective: Presentation of key ethical concepts and normative theories that are relevant for clinical ethics consultation in mental healthcare.

Material and methods: Conceptual and ethical analyses.

Results: After distinguishing between morality, ethics and law, moral problems are differentiated from other types of problems encountered in clinical practice. Subsequently, key ethical concepts and the concept of moral distress are clarified. In relation to the normative framework a distinction is made between philosophical ethical theories and medical ethical theories, such as principlism and the ethics of care. Finally, justification tests for ethical decision-making in situations of danger to self or others based on the harm principle and soft paternalism are proposed.

Conclusion: Knowledge of key ethical concepts and normative theories is important for the identification and analysis of moral problems in mental healthcare and should be given greater weight in the training of clinical ethics consultants.