Question

What are at least two legal issues associated with clinical psychology? Provide an example of a situation that could be legal but unethical. Explain your response.

Answer 1

Clinical psychologists work under a strictly ethical framework that ensures the protection of the interests and welfare of the clients and the others around them. However, practitioners may often come across professional challenges.

An area where legal issues affect psychologists is pertaining to forensic activities. Forensic psychologists have the ability to obtain information from the defendant and use it in court. However, In such situations, there are chances that a psychologist may present misconceived and misleading information if s/ he is not able to find objective facts. This as a direct legal implication as presentation of misleading or deceptive information can cause an innocent individual to go to jail or release a guilty individual. As a result, it is all the more relevant important that clinical psychologists behave ethically at all times.

However, there are some legal situations which may be contradictory to their ethical practice. These situations arise when clinical psychologists are involved in a conflict between their clients peculiar case and their social or legal responsibilities. For instance, Psychological testing is a legal issue that is associated with clinical psychology. Clinical psychologists may face Confidentiality issues that are in conflict with the legal requirements of a court and they may be required to share the results of a test with the curt. This however contradicts the Ethics Code of the APA as per which practitioners are required to maintain and respect their client’s right to keeping their personal details, or results of a diagnostic test as confidential. As a result, the candidate can sue the clinical psychologist on the grounds of discrimination and this then turns the entire situation into a legal issue.