Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie
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This article briefly examines the ethical and legal foundations for the doctrine of informed consent in medical research and practice. The doctrine is based upon the importance of respecting the individual's autonomy and his right to self-determination. The article also reviews the development of the doctrine of informed consent based on its recent application. ⋯ The effects of informed consent in psychiatry are examined specifically, as well as the consequences for psychiatric research, on subjects who are able to give their consent, as well as those who are unable to do so. As for its effects on clinical practice, the paper discusses the right of the hospitalized patient to refuse treatment, and informed consent and the risks for patients treated with neuroleptics of developing tardive dyskinesia. The authors conclude that in psychotherapy the concept of informed consent cannot be taken for granted.