Essay Autonomy Vs. Paternalism In Mental Health Treatment

Autonomy Vs. Paternalism In Mental Health Treatment The assignment for this Ethics class was to review Mr. Jacobs treatment, as described by the New York State Commission on Quality of Care for the Mentally disabled (1994). The class was further asked to comment on the major issues for each of the three perspectives. The agencies, family and review board were to be included. This student will begin with a fourth perspective; that of Mr. Gordon. In the Matter of Jacob Gordon (1994), is the story of the last eight years of a psychiatrically disabled mans life. Mr. Gordon appeared to vacillate between striving for autonomy and accepting the support of his family. Unfortunately, it appeared by this account that the families support was†¦show more content†¦He continued to need her support and assistance although this met she continued to be overly involved in his life. It was his mother he turned to when he had problems with a roommate. It was his mother who was utilized when Mr. Gordon was less compliant. It was Mr. Gordons family who assured that he had continued mental health counseling and services. It was also Mr. Gordons family who appeared to be the focal point of any plans for Mr. Gordon. quot;......expectations, soon to be dashed by programs more devoted to servicing neurotic families than people with schizophreniaquot; (Rubenstien, 1994, p.55). Mr. Gordon remained safe and close to his family by relinquishing his autonomy. Mr. Gordons safety was the most important issue for the family. Secondarily to his safety, Mr. Gordons family wished him to have the opportunity to participate in programming that would assist in his wellness. For Mr. Gordons family, wellness seemed to equate to a standard of behavior that his mother personally viewed as normal. The family were not bound to any code of ethics or compelled to understand their biases or prejudices in their sons case. Certainly, to say that the family operated on the premise of paternalism is an understatement. Ethically, the Gordons believed that they were the most justified to speak in the best interests of their son. The energy that the Gordons put into advocating for what theyShow MoreRelatedThe Principle of Beneficence vs Patient Autonomy and Rights3234 Words   |  13 PagesFeature – Medical Ethics Essay Singapore Med J 2002 Vol 43(3) : 148-151 Deconstructing Paternalism – What Serves the Patient Best? N H S S Tan (This Essay won the Singapore Medical Association Ethics Essay Award (Non-medical Undergraduate Category) in 2001.) ABSTRACT On the motion that â€Å"medical paternalism serves the patient best†, this essay reviews current arguments on medical paternalism vs. patient autonomy. Citing medico-ethical texts and journals and selected real-life applications like electroconvulsiveRead MoreWhat Is Genetic Sequencing?2598 Words   |  11 Pagesquestion asked to most people while they are growing up. Everyone always viewed this question in a figurative sense and it made them ponder their future. However, with genomic sequencing this question has become a real dilemma for doctors in the health profession. Imagine that a sick baby enters into your office and you screen their genetic code for kidney disease in the process of doing so you find that the child has a gene that will make him prone to developing early-onset Alzheimer’s diseaseRead MoreElder Abuse Within Nursing Home Setting4492 Words   |  18 Pagesin a Nursing Home Setting Elder Abuse in Nursing Home Setting INTRODUCTION Elder abuse can be defined as the infliction of injury by a caregiver in an unreasonable manner; may involve intimidation, confinement or punishment that results in mental anguish/mental illness, physical pain/harm. Physical abuse includes striking an elder with objects, slapping him/her, pushing him/her and hitting him/her. Use of physical restraints and chemical restraints on a caregiver has also been classified as abuseRead MoreThe Issue Of Assisted Suicide2033 Words   |  9 Pagesto the promotion of death (Stewart, 1998). The word euthanasia is composed of two Greek words, eu meaning â€Å"good† and thanatos meaning â€Å"death,† which literally means â€Å"good death† (Stewart, 1998). Passive euthanasia refers to death by withholding treatment that would prolong one’s death (McMahan, 2002). Active euthanasia â€Å"is the effort of a person to cause his or her own death†¦ In all three forms of active euthanasia – suicide, assisted suicide, and mercy killing – the medical cause of death is notRead MoreSources of Ethics20199 Words   |  81 Pagesman by the Hebrew god Yahweh. So faulty was the revelation that it has been the source of hundreds of different and conflicting versions of his word and of institutions based thereon. There was no revelation of the nature of disease or its treatment or eradication. There was no revelation of mathematics, of astronomy, chemistry, biology, art or science. There was no revelation regarding genetics or agriculture but the clergy still declare that the word of Yahweh carries the definitive inspiredRead MoreGp Essay Mainpoints24643 Words   |  99 Pages GP NOTES 2010 (ESSAY) Content Page 1. Media a. New vs. Traditional b. New: narcissistic? c. Government Censorship d. Profit-driven Media e. Advertising f. Private life of public figures g. Celebrity as a role model h. Blame media for our problems i. Power + Responsibility of Media j. Media ethics k. New Media and Democracy 2. Science/Tech a. Science and Ethics b. Government and scientist role in science c. Rely too much on technology? d. Nuclear technologyRead MoreDefine the Manager Terrain28443 Words   |  114 PagesGood Shepherd Street Ho Man Tin, Kowloon Hong Kong Contents Overview Introduction The manager: Omnipotent or symbolic? The organization’s culture What is organizational culture? The relationship between culture and management practices Strong vs. weak cultures Summary 1 3 4 6 6 7 8 10 The environment Defining the environment The specific environment The general environment Summary 12 12 12 15 18 Managing in a global environment Managing in a foreign environment The changingRead MoreManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 PagesManagement Course: MBA−10 General Management California College for Health Sciences MBA Program McGraw-Hill/Irwin abc McGraw−Hill Primis ISBN: 0−390−58539−4 Text: Effective Behavior in Organizations, Seventh Edition Cohen Harvard Business Review Finance Articles The Power of Management Capital Feigenbaum−Feigenbaum International Management, Sixth Edition Hodgetts−Luthans−Doh Contemporary Management, Fourth Edition Jones−George Driving Shareholder Value Morin−Jarrell LeadershipRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 PagesTable 9.1 Table 9.2 Table 9.3 Table 10.1 Table 10.2 Knowledge constituting philosophical assumptions Hierarchy of science and organization theory Fatalism and optimism in the ‘new’ modernist organization Bell’s stages of societal development Fordism vs. post-fordism The incidence of part-time work in European Union member states Modernism versus postmodernism Affirmative versus sceptical postmodernism The changing condition of knowledge Pay and profits: Long run performance of FTSE 100 companies (2002