Ethical challenges & dilemmas for medical health professionals doing psychiatric research

摘要

Maintaining the highest ethical standards in the conduct of all biomedical research is what is expected of every researcher. In psychiatric research, it is no different. The ethical principles are the same though the challenges and dilemmas may be slightly different and may be more complex as compared with other areas of biomedical research. There are differences between the practice of medicine, which essentially addresses the medical needs of the patient and biomedical research, which is driven by the advancement of knowledge. This distinction is sometimes blurred as for instance, when case studies are reported in research journals. The Hippocratic principle that the patient's interests come first may sometimes appear to be subordinated by the need to advance knowledge and this is what creates the need for ethical principles specific to research1. In all the international ethical guidelines for biomedical research, three key principles are emphasized: Respect for person; Beneficence, to do no harm and contribute to the welfare of the individual; and Justice to the individual and a fairness of distribution of benefit.