Ethics in Psychology and the Mental Health Professions: Standards and Cases

Most mental health professionals and behavioral scientists enter the field with a strong desire to help others, but clinical practice and research endeavors often involve decision-making in the context of ethical ambiguity. Good intentions are important, but unfortunately, they do not always protect the practitioner and client from breaches in ethical conduct. Academics, researchers, and students also face a range of ethical challenges from the classroom to the laboratory.

The completely updated fourth edition of Ethics in Psychology and the Mental Health Professions considers many of the ethical questions and dilemmas that mental health professionals encounter in their everyday practice, research, and teaching. This classic text takes a practical approach to ethics, offering constructive means for preventing problems and recognizing, approaching, and resolving ethical predicaments. Written in a highly readable and accessible style, this new edition retains the key features which have contributed to its popularity, now with over 700 case studies that provide illustrative guidance on a wide variety of topics. New material has been added relating to evolving ethical challenges posed by new case law, electronic records, social media, changes in psychological assessment practice, complex work settings, and ethical issues in addressing human differences and diversity. This edition has been re-framed to include substantial content that extends beyond psychology, including counseling, marriage and family therapy, and social work. The case studies now address professionals in each of these fields, supporting interprofessional education and making the material even more applicable and accessible to a wide range of mental health providers and students-in-training.

Gerald P. Koocher, PhD, ABPP, is Dean, College of Science and Health, DePaul University.

Patricia Keith-Spiegel, PhD, is Voran Honors Distinguished Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Emerita), Ball State University.