Legal And Ethical Aspects of Mental Health Care Assignment

Dissociative disorders are  defined as mental disorders involving disruption to consciousness, identity, memory, and self-perception or self and the environment (Nooney , 2023). The different disorders, especially Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) are a matter of debate in both psychologists and psychiatrists sectors. This controversy mainly focuses on the diagnosis of these conditions as well as their causes and treatments with varied professional views and practices. This brings us to controversy surrounding dissociative disorders in mental health care settings, the profession’s views on them, how to establish a treatment relationship with a client with possible dissociative disorder, and finally ethical and legal perspectives of the issue for the mental health professionals. Legal And Ethical Aspects of Mental Health Care Assignment

There are three primary issues that surround dissociative disorders especially Dissociative identity disorder (DID). In addition to that, certain experts doubt the legality of such diagnoses because they are concerned with over diagnosis and misdiagnosis as a result of the lack of distinctive characteristics as well as media hype. Similarly, people question the relationship between dissociative disorders and trauma stating that dissociation should be considered as a normal response to severe trauma or a separate illness. However, some debates exist on about the roles of repressed and recovered memories in the dissociate disorder and whether some of therapeutic approach could inadvertently induce a false or distorted memory.

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There has been a lot controversy surrounding the condition but a number of psychologists and psychiatrists still believe there are such disorders and they prescribe with established diagnostic guidelines for identifying and treating the patients. DSM-5 – the current standard work on a guideline for mental health practitioners provides the basis for clinical practice using diagnostic criteria for dissociative disorders.Many professionals still believe that most of them arise out of severe trauma and abuse, especially DID. As a result, therapy concentrates mainly on the underlying traumatic experiences that are behind the origin and sustenance of dissociative manifestations. However, the concept of trauma- informed care is predicated on viewing these disorders as stemming from traumatic experiences (Krüger, 2019).
Most therapists treating such patients typically support evidence-based treatments. Examples of these would be for example cognitive behavioral approaches, dialectical behavior therapy, or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). The therapeutic modalities seek to resolve dissociation symptoms and the traumatic experiences that cause them. As a result, individuals can resume self-control of their lives and health. Legal And Ethical Aspects of Mental Health Care Assignment

A dissociative disorder client has some specific difficulties that hinder a therapist in building and preserving his/her relationship with the client. However, several strategies can facilitate a positive therapeutic alliance one building Trust: Trust is foundational in therapy. People with this disorder often develop a trust problem in a direct correlation with their life experiences. It helps in cultivating trust to uphold clarity of the therapeutic boundaries and show consistency, as well as empathy. Make sure, that the client understands the healing process, what it involves (goals, methods, and outcomes) That said, transparent policy enables them to openly discuss their experiences and feelings freely.
SGTC offers clients some grounding techniques which they can use while handling their dissociative episodes. Through such tools, clients receive a sense of power that makes them able to manage their stressful moments, and in fact, this enhances the effectiveness of psychiatric therapy. Fourth, educate clients on their specific dissociative disorder and its characteristics. Psycho education reduces stigma and isolation as it normalizes their experience, which reduces the shame that is typically faced as a result of their condition. Finally , motivate clients to start and interact in such a supportive network as relatives, friends and support communities. These networks provide supplementary support and resources that may enhance one’s healing experience. Legal And Ethical Aspects of Mental Health Care Assignment

In the practice of mental health, there are various ethical and legal considerations related to dissociative disorders that professionals must navigate diligently: The importance of informed consent in the context of treating dissociative disorders cannot be overstated. Therapists should also ensure that clients are fully informed about the nature of the illness, various modes of treatment, risks and benefits, and also qualification on part of the therapist. Consent should be ongoing, and clients should have the ability to withdraw their consent at any time.                                                                                                            Confidentiality, mental health professionals should advise their clients of the boundaries of confidentiality. Most especially, where a client may pose a threat to him/herself and people around them. In such instances, the therapist may have a legal and ethical duty to breach confidentiality and report potential harm.Professional Boundaries: Working with clientele that have issues with dissociation, proper professionally maintained boundaries should exist. Professionals should avoid dual relationships or any form of exploitation, as these can negatively impact the therapeutic relationship and the client’s well-being.Cultural             Competency: It is important for counselors to be aware of cultural factors that might influence a client’s experiences and expressions of dissociative disorders. Mental health professionals should strive to be culturally competent, ensuring that their therapeutic approach is sensitive to the client’s cultural background and values.Legal Obligations: It is also crucial for mental health practitioners to understand that they have a legal duty to report issues like child, spousal, or elder abuse as well as any other danger to an individual in society. The organizations may be forced to pay huge sums of money as a penalty for failure to meet these legal obligations (Bipeta, 2019) Legal And Ethical Aspects of Mental Health Care Assignment

References

Bipeta, R. (2019). Legal and ethical aspects of mental health care. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, 41(2), 108-112. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijpsym.ijpsym_59_19

Krüger, C. (2019). Culture, trauma and dissociation: A broadening perspective for our field. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 21(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/15299732.2020.1675134

Nooney, G. L. (2023). Dissociative identity disorder. Encyclopedia of Social Work. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.013.1633 Legal And Ethical Aspects of Mental Health Care Assignment