Multiple-role dilemmas for military mental health care providers

• Published in: Military medicine Vol. 171; no. 4; pp. 311 - 315
• Main Authors: Johnson, W Brad, Bacho, Roderick, Heim, Mark, Ralph, John
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Oxford University Press 01.04.2006
• Subjects: Conflict of Interest; Ethics; Friends; Humans; Interprofessional Relations - ethics; Mental depression; Mental health care; Military Personnel - psychology; Military Psychiatry - ethics; Military Psychiatry - organization & administration; Organizational Objectives; Patients; Personality disorders; Professional relationships; Professional Role; Professional-Patient Relations - ethics; Psychiatrists; Psychologists; Psychology, Clinical - ethics; Psychotherapy; Self Disclosure; United States; Warfare; Work Capacity Evaluation; United States
• ISSN: 0026-4075; 1930-613X
• DOI: 10.7205/MILMED.171.4.311

Military psychologists and psychiatrists frequently face ethical quandaries involving boundary crossings, or extratherapy contact, and multiple relationships. A multiple relationship is defined as necessarily engaging psychotherapy patients in nonclinical roles, such as coworker, superior officer, neighbor, or friend. In contrast to their civilian counterparts, military mental health professionals must often engage patients in many different contexts and roles. In this article, we consider the distinctive features of mental health practice in the military and offer military providers several practice guidelines for avoiding harm to patients in military settings. This article is also designed to enhance sensitivity to multiple-role risks among nonpsychiatric providers.