Factors contributing to breaking confidentiality with adolescent clients: A survey of pediatric psychologists Academic Article

abstract

• A common ethical dilemma experienced by professional psychologists involves deciding whether to break confidentiality with risk-taking adolescent clients. However, our understanding of the factors that contribute to this decision-making process is limited. The present study surveyed 200 pediatric psychologists (resulting in 74 usable surveys) and identified several items that are perceived to be important to clinicians when they consider the decision to break confidentiality in order to report potentially dangerous behaviors to the parents of adolescent clients. The present study also used exploratory factor analysis to identify 2 underlying factors - Negative Nature of the Behavior and Maintaining the Therapeutic Process - as crucial to the decision-making process.

authors

• Rae, William

published proceedings

• PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY-RESEARCH AND PRACTICE

author list (cited authors)

• Sullivan, J. R., Ramirez, E., Rae, W. A., Razo, N. P., & George, C. A.

citation count

• 21

complete list of authors

• Sullivan, JR||Ramirez, E||Rae, WA||Razo, NP||George, CA

publication date

• January 2002

publisher

• American Psychological Association (APA)  Publisher

published in

• Professional Psychology: Research and Practice  Journal

keywords

• 52 Psychology
• 5203 Clinical And Health Psychology
• Basic Behavioral And Social Science
• Behavioral And Social Science
• Pediatric
• Prevention

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1037//0735-7028.33.4.396

start page

• 396

end page

• 401

volume

• 33

issue

• 4

URL

• http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0735-7028.33.4.396