Chapter 7
Confidentiality of Mental
Health Information: Ethical, Legal,
and Policy Issues

Chapter Overview

Ethical Issues About Confidentiality

Values Underlying Confidentiality

Research on Confidentiality and Mental Health Treatment

Current State of Confidentiality Law

Federal Confidentiality Laws

Potential Problems With the Current Legal Framework

Summary

Conclusions

References

References

Alpert, S. (1998). Health care information: Access, confidentiality, and good practice. In K. W. Goodman (Ed.), Ethics, computing, and medicine: Informatics and the transformation of health care (pp. 75–101). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

American Managed Behavioral Healthcare Association. (1998). AMBHA statement on clinically appropriate access to medical records. Washington, DC: Author.

American Medical Association. (1998, September). Report of the board of trustees, patient privacy and confidentiality. Paper presented at the meeting of the American Medical Association, Chicago.

American Medical Association. (1996). Code for medical ethics: Current opinions with annotations [On-line]. Available: http://www.ama-assn.org/ethic/pome.htm

American Psychiatric Association. (1998). Principles for medical records privacy legislation. Washington, DC: APA Division of Government Relations.

American Psychological Association. (1992). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. American Psychologist, 47, 1597–1611.

Americans With Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. § 12112 (c) (3) and (4), (1990).

Campbell, J. (2000). The consumer perspective. In J. Gates, J. & B. Arons (Eds.), Privacy and confidentiality in mental health care (pp. 5–32). Baltimore: Brookes Publishing.

Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. (1994). Confidentiality of patient records for alcohol and other drug treatment (Technical Assistance Publication Series, No. 13). Washington, DC: Author.

Corcoran, K., & Winsalde, W. (1994). Eavesdropping on the 50-minute hour: Managed mental health care and confidentiality. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 12, 351–365.

Dick, R. S., Stean, B. (Eds.), Institute of Medicine, Committee on Improving the Patient Record. (1991). The computer-based patient record: An essential technology for health care. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Dierks, C. (1993). Medical confidentiality and data protection as influenced by modern technology. Medicine & Law, 12, 547–551.

Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552 (b), (1974).

Gellman, R. (2000). Will technology help or hurt in the struggle for health privacy? In J. Gates & B. Arons (Eds.), Privacy and confidentiality in mental health care (pp. 127–156). Baltimore: Brookes Publishing.

Gostin, L. (1995). Health information privacy. Cornell Law Review, 80, 451–528.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, Pub. L. No. 104–191, 110 Stat. 1936 (1996) [On-line]. Available: http://www.hcfa.gov.regs/hipaacer.htm

Howland, R. (1995). The treatment of persons with dual diagnoses in a rural community. Psychiatric Quarterly, 66, 33–49.

Jaffee v. Redmond, 518 U.S. 1 (1996).

Jeffords, J. Statement of Senator James Jefford. Hearing on the confidentiality of medical information. Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources, 105th Cong. (1997).

Jensen, J. A., McNamara, J. R., & Gustafson, K. E. (1991). Parents' and clinicians' attitudes toward the risks and benefits of child psychotherapy: A study of informed-consent content. Professional Psychology, Research and Practice, 22, 161–170.

Kleinke, J. D. (1998). Release 0.0: Clinical information technology in the real world. Health Affairs (Millwood), 17, 23–38.

Kremer, T. G., & Gesten, E. L. (1998). Confidentiality limits of managed care and clients' willingness to disclose. Professional Psychology, Research and Practice, 29, 553–558.

Lefly, H. P. (2000). Perspectives of families regarding confidentiality and mental illness. In J. Gates & B. Arons (Eds.), Privacy and confidentiality in mental health care (pp. 33–46). Baltimore: Brookes Publishing.

Louis Harris & Associates. (1993). Health information privacy survey, 1993. New York: Author.

McGuire, J. M., Toal, P., & Blau, B. (1985). The adult client's conception of confidentiality in the therapeutic relationship. Professional Psychology, Research and Practice, 16, 375–384.

Melton, G. B. (2000). Privacy issues in child mental health services. In J. Gates & B. Arons (Eds.), Privacy and confidentiality in mental health care (pp. 47–70). Baltimore: Brookes Publishing.

Moran, D. W. (1998). Health information policy: On preparing for the next war. Health Affairs (Millwood), 17, 9–22.

National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. (1998). Public policy platform of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (3rd ed., section 8.5). Arlington, VA: Author.

Norman, J., & Rosvall, S. B. (1994). Help-seeking behavior among mental health practitioners. Clinical Social Work Journal, 22, 449–460.

Nowell, D., & Spruill, J. (1993). If it's not absolutely confidential, will information be disclosed? Professional Psychology, Research and Practice, 24, 367–369.

O'Harrow, R. (1998, February 15). Prescription sales, privacy fears; CVS, Giant share customer records with drug marketing firm. The Washington Post, p. A01.

Peck, R. (1994). Results from an equifax privacy poll on concerns about medical confidentiality. Medical and Health News, 14, 10.

Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552 (a), (1974).

Roback, H. B., & Shelton, M. (1995). Effects of confidentiality limitations on the psychotherapeutic process. Journal of Psychotherapy Practice and Research, 4, 185–193.

Sharkin, B. (1995). Strains on confidentiality in college-student psychotherapy: Entangled therapeutic relationships, incidental encounters, and third-party inquiries. Professional Psychology, Research and Practice, 26, 184–189.

Siegler, M. (1982). Sounding boards. Confidentiality in medicine—a decrepit concept. New England Journal of Medicine, 307, 1518–1521.

Sujak, D. A., Villanova, P., & Daly, J. P. (1995). The effects of drug-testing program characteristics on applicants' attitudes toward potential employment. Journal of Psychology, 129, 401–416.

Tarasoff v. Regents of University of California, 551 P. 2d 334 (1976).

Taube, D. O., & Elwork, A. (1990). Researching the effects of confidentiality law on patients' self-disclosures. Professional Psychology, Research and Practice, 21, 72–75.

Waller, A. (1995). Health care issues in health care reform. Whittier Law Review, 16, 15–49.

Westin, A. (1993). Interpretive essay. In Louis Harris and Associates. Health information privacy survey, 1993 (p. 7). New York: Louis Harris and Associates.


Back to Top

Home | Contents | Previous | Next