Ethical Issues with Mental Health Diagnosis: What Are We Doing Wrong Delon N. BrewerNorthwestern Oklahoma State UniversityEthical Issues with Mental Health Diagnosis What Are We Doing Wrong When it comes to Mental Health and Diagnosis There are many challenges that a therapist or clinician might encounter. In any professional profession one must consider all the ethical principles put in place as well as the legal laws; if one does not comply with these ethical guidelines in a mental health field, under various circumstances, failure to comply with these codes could result in legal problems that could even result in loss of license. Common ethical issues involved in the mental health field might include: misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose, legal incompetence, and healthcare fraud (misdiagnosis for insurance reimbursement). According to Szasz (2005), “In principle, the mental patient is considered competent (until proven [otherwise]). In practice, the client is routinely treated as if he were incompetent and the psychiatrist who claims to need treatment is treated as if he were the patient's guardian” (p.78). During the 1940s, mentally ill patients were considered “legally incompetent” when admitted to a mental health facility. Relatives of patients could release them by providing care to the client in their homes. Unfortunately, Szasz (2005) states that “the treatment of mental illnesses is no more successful today than it was in the past” (p. 78). Intentional Misdiagnosis A common struggle for counselors can sometimes be finding the right balance between “requiring or managing mental health requirements and obligations to clients” (Braun & Cox, 2005, p.426). Often counselors can be... middle of paper... sources for other interventions outside of the medical model that have been shown to be effective in children with this disorder. Because a doctor's role is It is important for them to continue their education and training, keep up to date with the latest ACA code of ethics, as well as state laws and regulations. Often doctors or counselors believe they are behaving in a way that benefits their client when in reality it was to the professional's advantage and the client feels betrayed or misled, giving them a negative view of the counseling profession. Butkus & Mutchler (2012) state that, as a preventative method, when an accurate diagnosis of ADHD is recognized, it is the responsibility of clinicians “to share all options available to youth and their families in treating ADHD [and/or other mental disorders". health issues]” (p.933).