Ethics, Culture, and Psychiatry: International Perspectives is a textbook that explores the best ways to promote the use of the Declaration of Madrid, which outlines ethical standards for psychiatric practice throughout the world. The book is written with two questions in mind, both easy to pose and difficult to answer: Is it possible to formulate a set of principles that will be valid for all psychiatrists, regardless of the cultures to which they belong or in which they live and practice, or are there as many sets of ethical principles as there are cultures? If there is such a set of principles, what should we do to ensure that psychiatry as a discipline makes a significant contribution to societal good without helping the evil? To facilitate the exploration of this territory, 15 experts from a variety of cultures examine the most pressing ethical issues prevalent within the current practice of psychiatry. Many of the dilemmas probed in this book are routinely encountered by clinicians who work in increasingly multicultural societies. The text covers issues that are broadly relevant to clinical practice and research, including: An overview of ethics and societies around the world Discussions of ethical practices and dilemmas specific to various cultural regions Transcultural debate on overarching issues, such as incompetent patients, informed consent, and mental health law reform The complete copy of The Declaration of Madrid printed in the appendix Readers will find that this is a textbook that stimulates and supports, rather than closes, the debate on ethical aspects of professional psychiatric behavior. Ethics, Culture, and Psychiatry: International Perspectives is much more than just a book on ethics -- it is a major contribution to understanding the impact of culture and history on the ethical practice of medicine around the world, and a continuous search for a consensus on how to live together and make contributions to the well-being of people with mental illness, their families, and the family of humans on our planet.
Section I: Ethics and Psychiatry Around the WorldChapter 1. The impact of Arab culture on psychiatric ethicsChapter 2. Conflicts and crises in Latin AmericaChapter 3. A West Mediterranean perspectiveChapter 4. Scandinavian approachesChapter 5. Managed care in the United StatesChapter 6. Ethics in Sub-Saharan AfricaChapter 7. The Indian experienceChapter 8. Ethics and psychiatry in ChinaChapter 9. Intersubjectivity and its influence on psychiatry in JapanSection II: Overarching IssuesChapter 10. Research involving incompetent patients: a current problem in light of German historyChapter 11. Informed consent: a historical and medical perspectiveChapter 12. An international perspective on mental health law reformAppendix: The Declaration of MadridIndex
