Showing papers on "Professional ethics published in 1987"

Self-help treatment books and the commercialization of psychotherapy.

Abstract: \" Research findings on do-it-yourself treatmerit books demonstrate major limitations in their current usefulness. Yet psychologists continue to develop and market these programs with exaggerated claims. This commercialization of psychotherapy raises serious questions that warrant attention. The present article documents current trends and suggests new directions for the future. The public, for many years, has been able to read general books of advice for personal problems. These books could be written by any author who liked to write and believed in what he or she had to say. More recently, the public has been able to choose among a variety of specific treatment books whose instructions have been targeted to specific problems and whose authors are leading experts in the fields of psychotherapy or clinical psychology. Zimbardo (1977) has published on shyness; Lewinsohn and colleagues (Lewinsohn, Munoz, Zeiss, & Youngren, 1979) and Burns (1980) have published on depression; Marks (1978), Wolpe (1981), and others on phobias; the Mahoneys (1976a), Brownell (1980), and others on weight loss; Coates and Thoresen (1977) on insomnia; Heiman and the LoPiccolos (1976) on sexual problems; Danaher and Lichtenstein (1978) on smoking, and the list goes on. At first glance, the involvement of psychologists in the development of self-help programs appears beneficial. Psychologists who provide therapeutic advice to the public appear to be following George Miller's urgings to \"give psychology away\" (Miller, 1969, p. 1074). Miller had used this phrase in his 1969 Presidential Address to the American Psychological Association as a way to refer to what he saw as the major social responsibility of psychologists to learn how to help people to help themselves. This is certainly the spirit of do-it-yourself treatment books: to help people help themselves. The American Psychological Association's (APA) Task Force on Self-Help Therapies (1978) concluded that psychologists were in a unique position to contribute to the self-help movement.' No other professional group combines the clinical and research experiences that form the educational background of a clinical psychologist. Unlike the typical author, clinical psychologists are in a position to assess do-it-yourself treatments systematicaUy and to educate consumers in the proper use of these programs. The fulfillment of this potential would represent a truly new development in the area of self-help (Rosen, 1977). Although the benefits of self-help books may be great, a number of risks exist as well. Do-it-yourself books have few, if any, provisions for arriving at a reliable diagnosis; they lack provisions for monitoring patients' compliance with instructions, and they have few or no provisions for follow-up. Consequently, do-it-yourself therapies may be applied inappropriately. A person with thyroid problems could self-administer a stimulus-control program for insomnia; an individual with headaches caused by a tumor could misapply relaxation techniques; or an individual in the depressive phase of bipolar alfective disorder could suffer needlessly while manipulating pleasant events schedules. Subsequent to diagnosis, there is the posml~ility that an individual could misunderstand instructions, misapply instructions, or fail to comply fully with therapeutic regimens. Should treatment failure occur, t ime are risks of negative self-attributions, of anger toward self or others, and of reduced belief in the efficacy of today's therapeutic techniques (Barrera, Rosen, & Glasgow, 1981). In light of the risks that consumers face when selfadministering therapeutic instructions, I expressed concerns over the proliferation of untested do-it-yourself treatment books (Rosen, 1976a). At that time, I noted that behavioral techniques were being marketed as do-ityourself therapies without the benefit of clinical trial. I suggested that the only contingencies affecting the sale of these programs were monetary and that consumers ran the risk of purchasing ineffective or potentially harmful programs. This article will demonstrate that my previously stated concerns were warranted. Commercial considerations, rather than professional standards, have been influencing the development of treatment books. Rather than \"giving psychology away,\" as suggested by C.morge Miller, many psychologists are simply finding \"new ways to sell it.\" Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Gerald M. Rosen, Cabrini Medical Towe~ Suite 1910, 901 Boren Aveaue, Seattle, WA 98104. Members of the Task Force on Self-Help Therapies were Manuel Barrera, Jr., Cyril Franks, Herbert Freudenberg~ Russell GiasBow, Susan Gilmore, Edward Lichtenstein, Peter Nathan, and Gerald Rosen (Chair). Copies of the Task Force's report may be obtained by writing Gelid Rosen. 46 January 1987 9 American Psychologist Copyright 1987 by the American ~ Asmcisficm. Inc. 0003-066X/87/$00.75 ~ L 42, NO~ 1,46-51 Research : W h a t the F indings Tell U s Psychologists are to be credited for the extensive testing of self-help materials. This work has too often gone unrecognized, as evidenced in a recent critique of psychotherapy in which the author stated, \"There has not been any good research on the uses and limits of self-help materials\" (Zilbergeld, 1983, p. 74). This statement fails to acknowledge over 100 studies or case reports that evaluated self-help materials in the 1970s (see reviews by Glasgow & Rosen, 1978, 1982). Additional studies have been conducted since the time of those reviews. The problem in the area of self-help materials is not a dearth of studies, but the failure of psychologists to heed the results of those studies. Let us consider several conclusions that can be drawn from the literature. First, research on do-it-yourself treatment books has demonstrated that techniques applied successfully by a therapist are not always self-administered successfully. Zeiss (1978) conducted a controlled outcome study on the treatment of premature ejaculation. Couples were assigned, on a random basis, to receive either selfadministered treatment, minimal therapist contact, or therap'm-directed treatment. As in earlier reports by Zeiss (1977) and Lowe and Mikulas (1975), treatment with only minimal therapist contact was effective. But of six couples who self-administered treatment, none successfully completed the program. Matson and Ollendick (1977) obtained similar results in an evaluation of Toilet Training in Less Than a Day by Azrin and Foxx (1974). In this study, four of five mothers in a therapist-administered condition successfiflly toilet trained their children, whereas only one of five mothers in a self-administered group was successful. The findings reported by Matson and Ollendick (1977) support a second, and possibly more significant, conclusion: Self-help efforts can lead to the worsening of a problem. These authors observed that unsuccessful selfadministered interventions are associated with an increase in children's problem behaviors and negative emotional side effects between mothers and children. In the context of such findings, it would have been interesting if Zeiss (1978) had conducted a follow-up assessment on those couples who failed to self-treat their premature ejaculation problem. One can imagine how tension would have developed in these couples, especially if they were unaware that all other couples had been equally unsuccessful. More focused concerns regarding treatment failure may apply for specific problem areas. For example, Brownell, Heckerman, and Westlake (1978) discussed how repeated short-term losses in weight can have harmful effects on physical health. After observing minimal weight loss among those who used a self-help book, the

Children, Politics, and Morality: The Ethics of Child Advocacy

Abstract: The question of whether child psychologists should assume the role of advocate is an easy one, whether determined by utilitarian concerns or the principles of beneficence and respect for persons. The difficult dilemmas arise when there are potential or real conflicts of interest between advocate and child. Although these dilemmas are not totally resolvable, they are most tractable when the child is directly involved in decision making.

The Professions: Public Interest and Common Good

Abstract: T his is the age of the professional. As knowledge becomes more specialized and technology more complex, well-established professions, like medicine and law, acquire new power. The same is true of fields such as corporate management, journalism, social work, and public administration-all of which have entered the ranks of the professions in the twentieth century. The growth of professional power should carry with it a stronger sense of ethical responsibility. Professional ethics should express the moral bond linking the professions, the individuals they serve, and the society as a whole. The professions affect the interests and well-being of individuals, and they also play a vital role in the pursuit of the public interest and the common good. This means that discussions of professional ethics should have a dual focus. They should focus on the private duties of the professions-ethical obligations to clients and to particular organizations or interest groups. And they should focus as well on the public duties of the professions-the obligations and responsibilities owed in service to the public as a whole. In professional ethics today most of the emphasis falls on private duties. Private duties seem concrete and relatively easy to define. They are rooted in the tangible interests and rights of specific individuals. Public duties, by contrast, seem abstract. The harm done to society or to the "public" is much harder to identify than the harm done to specific individuals by unethical professional conduct. Notions such as the "public interest" and the "common good" are difficult to define, and the professions often appeal to them in self-serving ways. We need to revitalize these notions in order to give the public duties of the professions the attention they deserve.

Values in Social Work

Abstract: Part 1 Values in theory: respect for persons client self-determination social contexts, individualism and professional ethics. Part 2 Values in practice: Mrs M - description and analysis Sheila and David - description and analysis "I will respect somebody's right to independence to the hilt but...". Values in context: social work and society the social work role values, social work and contents.

Observing Abuse: Professional Ethics and Personal Morality in Field Research

Abstract: Based on the author's participant observation research in a state institution for the mentally retarded, this article deals with moral and ethical dilemmas that occur in research at settings characterized by routine human abuse. After a discussion of the choices posed by these dilemmas, the author presents preferred solutions. The importance of anticipating potential moral and ethical dilemmas prior to entering the field and delineating the relation between professional ethics and personal morality are discussed as implications of this problem.

Conflict of Interest as a Moral Category

Abstract: Calling a situation a "conflict of interest" is now common in media reports, findings of professional ethics committees, government codes, court decisions, and corporate employee policies. Use of the term (henceforth, usually abbreviated "CI") will likely become more common, given growth in the service area of the economy, broader governmental supervision of financial and technological matters, and increasing professionalization of the workforce. On the other hand, the widespread use of the term has been accompanied by increasing vagueness and some ambiguity. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to delineate the meaning of CI as a moral category. I claim that what is morally at stake in CI cases is a potential violation of trust on the part of the party having the CI and a corresponding "situational" basis for the other party to withhold or limit reliance. What is not at stake, except accidentally, is the quality of judgment, the strength of affections or desires, or the uses of information. Clarity in this matter is, I think, essential to a proper understanding of certain cases in business and professional ethics. To apply the label "conflict of interest" inaccurately to a case obscures the moral issues present and can stifle further inquiry. After a few comments of the history of the term, I shall outline what I claim is the modern moral category of CI, then argue for my description over that presented in Michael Davis' excellent 1982 article in this journal, and conclude with a discussion of examples and contexts.

Ethics Committees in Social Work

Abstract: THERE IS CONSIDERABLE evi dence that interest in the subject of professional ethics is on the rise in social work. Course content in social work train ing programs, workshops, and literature on the subject have increased substantially since the mid-1970s.1 In part, this is due to increased awareness among social workers that decisions in practice dften contain eth ical issues that clinical and technical tools alone cannot resolve. Complex decisions about, for example, limitations on clients' right to confidentiality or self-determina tion, allocation of limited social service resources, and whistle-blowing have led social workers to seek guidelines to help them resolve hard ethical dilemmas. In addition, publicity about scandals, mal practice, and professionals' misbehavior has heightened social workers' interest in ethical issues. Recently, publications such as the NASW News have begun to publi cize cases in which members have been sanctioned for unethical practices, and there has been a steady increase in the number of complaints filed with NASW committees on inquiry.2 Despite the fact that ethical issues in the profession have drawn considerable atten tion in recent years, few mechanisms exist to assist social workers who would like consultation on ethical matters. Although the profession's Code of Ethics is an impor tant symbolic document, it was not de signed to provide precise, unequivocal guidelines to practitioners who face diffi cult ethical choices.3 This is not a fault of

Ethical Practices of Licensed Professional Counselors: An Updated Survey of State Licensing Boards.

Abstract: This article presents a survey of ethical complaints reported to state boards, discusses ameliorating problem areas, and makes suggestions regarding collecting data about ethical complaints.

Ethics, Violence, and Counseling: Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil?.

Abstract: Situations involving violence directed either at a client or by a client pose ethical and legal dilemmas for the mental health professional. The authors present information concerning both ethical and legal aspects of violence as they relate to client welfare, dangerousness, confidentiality or duty to warn, and counselor violence. In certain situations, case material is used to illustrate both the ethical standards and the laws and statutes that provide directives for professional behavior.

On the Professional Ethics of Teachers.

Abstract: Zeitschrift fur Padagogik 33 (1987) 6, S. 787-804 Padagogische Teildisziplin: Berufs- und Wirtschaftspadagogik; Bildungs- und Erziehungsphilosophie;

Private Practice in Social Work: Readiness and Opportunity:

Abstract: Social workers are finding private practice an increasingly attractive career option for reasons of professional autonomy, client and treatment choices, and increased income. However, qualification...

Integrating Professional Ethics into the Technical Writing Course

Abstract: As communication teachers attempting to bridge the gap between school and industry, we need to give students a true understanding of what it means to be a professional. We may be spending too much ...