Ethical Considerations for Assessing Parent Mental Health during Child Assessment Services

Parents play an integral role in the mental health service provision of children and adolescents, and they can have significant effects on the outcomes of youth. A growing body of research has linked parents' own mental health status to numerous outcomes for their children, and recent guideline...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ethics & behavior 2019-02, Vol.29 (2), p.87-100
Main Authors: Molitor, Stephen J., Dvorsky, Melissa R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescents
assessment
Autonomy
Children
Clinical practice guidelines
Clinical standards
Codes of conduct
Confidentiality
Ethics
Evaluation
families
Health status
Medical personnel
Mental disorders
Mental health
Mental health professionals
Mental health services
Parents & parenting
Patients
pediatrics
Professional ethics
Psychopathology
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Summary:Parents play an integral role in the mental health service provision of children and adolescents, and they can have significant effects on the outcomes of youth. A growing body of research has linked parents' own mental health status to numerous outcomes for their children, and recent guidelines have emerged recommending the assessment of parent psychopathology when treating child patients. However, these recommendations present a range of ethical considerations. Mental health professionals must determine if the assessment of a parent is empirically supported and that an assessment procedure appropriate for parents can be feasibly implemented. They must also respect the autonomy and confidentiality of parents while ensuring that assessment findings can be translated to meaningful benefits for child patients. This article details and discusses each of these concerns within the context of the relevant principles and standards of the 2016 American Psychological Association's Code of Ethics. Further, it provides guidelines, relevant clinical examples, and an applied model for mental health professionals to consider the ethical implications of assessing parent mental health when serving child patients.
ISSN:1050-8422
1532-7019
DOI:10.1080/10508422.2018.1482746