Archive 1992–2014

Sources and the nature of ethical errors (abuses) and doubts in the clinical practice in psychiatry are considered in the paper. The author point to the lack of clear-cut definitions of health and disease, to the specific (communicatory) function of symptoms of mental disorders, to the role of the therapist as the basic "tool" of therapy, and to hermetic closure of many psychiatric institutions. Typical examples of ethical abuse occurring in particular diagnostic categories and in successive stages of the patient-doctor relationship are described. It is emphasized that errors in the relationship with psychotic and non-psychotic patients are different, and very easy to commit in the latter case. (Eds.)