What are the two components of privacy?
- The right to be left alone
2. The right to exercise control over their personal information
What are the 3 basic guidelines for consent?
- Informed
- Voluntary
- Rational
What’s the best way a psychologist can communicate information to new clients?
A charter of rights
What are the 5 sections that comprise the new set of 12 Australian Privacy Principles (APPs)?
- Consideration of personal information
- Collection of personal information
- Dealing with personal information
- Integrity of personal information
- Access to, and correction of, personal information
What are some situations that may require the sharing of client’s confidential information?
- Gathering history for assessment or giving feedback to next of kin
- Harm to self or others
- Court orders
- When dealing with multiple clients
- Payment situations (eg: Medicare)
What are the 4 models of confidentiality?
- Absolute
- Limited (others can access info)
- Contractual (negotiated by a set of rules)
- Discretionary (decided upon by clinician)
What things need to be included in a confidentiality contract?
- Nature of the service
- Purpose of the service
- Estimated duration
- Costs
- Client’s involvement (eg: homework)
- Risks and benefits
- Whether a report will be written
- Who will be providing the service (qualifications and experience)
- Client’s right to withhold info
- Complaints procedure
- Limits of confidentiality
What are 4 conditions that oblige psychologists to disclose confidential information?
- With consent of client
- Legal obligation
- Risk of harm
- When consulting colleagues and using concealed identities or have client consent
What things should you talk about with clients with regards to confidentiality?
- Get informed written consent regarding the limits to confidentiality
- Discuss foreseeable uses of information disclosed
- Advise the client if you are going to breach confidentiality
- Record all communications
What are 5 risk factors for imminent violence?
- Active symptoms of serious mental illness (particularly command hallucinations)
- Impulsivity
- Lack of insight/disconnection from reality
- Lack of empathy/remorse
- Poor response from treatments such as anxiolytics
What are the 3 categories that suicidal clients can fall into?
- Those who are chronically ill etc. where the common factor is hopelessness
- Those who have suffered severe trauma and are in a state of chronic depression
- Those where suicidality is a last resort to express their pain
What percentage of those who die by suicide have had contact with a health professional prior to their death?
40%
What percentage of those who die by suicide have experienced a mental health condition prior to their death?
90%
What things need to be covered in a suicide risk assessment?
- Specific suicide plan
- Beliefs about suicide and intentions
- Access to means/method
- Relevant personal and family history
- Degree of hopelessness, depression and impulsivity
- Recent events
- Alcohol/drug use
- Resources available
- Any non-suicidal future plans
- Demographics
What are some demographic factors that can increase one’s likelihood of suicide?
- Male and between 25 and 44 years, or over 70
- Rurality
- Member of minority group
- Migrant
What would someone with a low risk of suicide present like? What would you do for them?
- Currently unwell, or no current problems
- Face-to-face assessment within 1 month, or within 7 days if just discharged
What would someone with a medium risk of suicide present like? What would you do for them?
- Currently unwell
- Face-face assessment within 1 week
What would you do for someone at high risk of suicide, or medium risk with low assessment confidence or high changeability?
Face-to-face assessment within 24 hours
Rossouw, Smythe, and Greener (2011) conducted qualitative research to investigate how psychologists cope with client suicides. What were the 3 themes they found?
1) Shock at hearing the news
2) Experiencing suicide assessment as a burden
3) Resultant professional and personal crises
What are the 4 most important areas when considering psychological service delivery using technology?
- Contracts
- Competency
- Confidentiality
- Control of psychological practice and data access
What were the 2 main findings of Kampf et al (2008) study on Australian psychologists’ perceptions of confidentiality?
- 89% believed they had an ethical duty to break confidentiality and disclose information to a third party when they believed the patient was dangerous
- 64% believed they have a legal duty to disclose confidential information about a patient they believe to be dangerous
What are some alternative options to disclosure?
- Intensify treatment or frequency of sessions
- Recommend inpatient facility
- Directly attempt to control the situation
What proportion of the Australian population was born overseas?
1/4
Where does Australia rank in terms of income per capita?
10th
