Nowadays, there is a growing importance and emphasis on mental health ethics and legal issues in psychiatry. Globally, the leading causes of disability are substance use and mental health disorders. At the same time, there are very few psychiatrists treating large populations. There is also increased waiting time, and many people cannot access psychiatric services. In addition such challenges in mental health care undermine the potential to treat more patients. Psychiatrists often face ethical challenges. They have to determine the most appropriate treatment approaches and correct diagnoses. They must adhere to the regulations and legal issues in psychiatry to promote better patient outcomes.
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LEGAL ISSUES IN PSYCHIATRY AND NURSING RESPONSIBILITIES
Legal issues in psychiatry entail the provision of psychiatric treatment that allows the most freedom. It should also offer the least restriction to meet specific patient requirements. There are various treatment approaches across different settings. Moreover, psychiatrists working in inpatient settings have to take more caution with regard to mental health ethics. The setting is mainly for mentally ill patients who require close monitoring for their safety and others. Severe cases require the use of restraints after ruling out standard means. However, the use of restraints is a huge ethical challenge in mental health care. There are numerous concerns about the immorality of the use of such measures. This includes the potential for psychological injury and concerns for the violation of civil rights.
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OTHER CHALLENGES IN MENTAL HEALTH CARE
Besides, ethical challenges in mental health care, other challenges include structural barriers, health culture, and illness costs. Many public health policies do not address or prioritize mental health. This results in system underfunding and weak planning. This is a huge issue that fuels problems with mental health ethics due to the abandonment pf mentally ill persons. Many people live with mental health illnesses but lack the knowledge and awareness to deal with these problems. This leads to the underuse of psychiatric services. The public should always be aware of all ethical and legal issues in psychiatry and seek the appropriate help. Sometimes, the lack of enough funds to pay for treatments results in exaggerated effects of mental health illnesses, such as depression and suicide.
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