The scope of psychiatric ethics

Ethical decision-making is no easy matter, as absolutes of right and wrong, good and bad, should and ought, and other evaluative terms are elusive. Both providing the best attainable care for the patient and conducting scientific research guided by lofty ethical principles are paramount. This chapter, an introduction to the fifth edition of Psychiatric Ethics, outlines how the book aims to promote the moral agency of psychiatrists and mental health professionals when relating to patients and their families, colleagues, professional associations, and other organizations, and the society in which they work. It summarizes theoretical frameworks used in ethical decision-making and the range of topics discussed in the other 24 chapters, and offers guidelines to mental health students and graduate clinicians about how to master the field of ethics in psychiatry.