Abstract
During the last two decades, the teaching of ethics in the field of medicine, particularly in psychiatry, has become the subject of increased attention. For this type of training to be effective, it should be practical (as opposed to theoretical), focused on the decision-making process (as opposed to the rote learning of concepts), and, eventually, self-directed. This article suggests that a problem-based learning approach is an ideal method for reaching these goals. A case illustration is presented to underscore the effectiveness of the method, as well as a rationale for its use. This article will assist psychiatric educators in becoming familiar with this approach and will encourage them to use this method in their training programs.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Seedhouse D: Health care ethics teaching for medical students. Med Educ 1991; 25:230–237
Lovett L, Seedhouse D: An innovation in teaching ethics to medical students. Med Educ 1990; 24:37–41
Southgate L, Heard S, Toon P, et al: Teaching medical ethics symposium. A student-led approach to teaching. J Med Ethics 1987; 13:139–143
Self D, Baldwin D, Wolinsky F: Evaluation of teaching medical ethics by an assessment of moral reasoning. Med Educ 1992; 26:178–184
Barnard D: Residency ethics teaching: a critique of current trends. Arch Intern Med 1988; 148:1836–1838
Sondheimer A, Martucci LC: An approach to teaching ethics in child and adolescent psychiatry. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 1992; 31:415–422
Wright RA: Clinical judgment and bioethics: the decision-making link. J Med Philos 1991; 16:71–91
Lovett L, Seedhouse D: An innovation in teaching ethics to medical students. Med Educ 1990; 24:37–41
Michels R: Training in psychiatric ethics, in Psychiatric Ethics, edited by Bloch S, Chodoff P. Oxford, England, Oxford University Press, 1991, pp. 436–437
Siegler M: A legacy of Osier: teaching clinical ethics at the bedside. JAMA 1978; 239:951–956
Albanese M, Mitchell S: Problem-based learning: a review of literature on its outcomes and implementation issues. Acad Med 1993; 68:52–81
Fowler MD: Ethical decision making in clinical practice. NUTS din North Am 1989; 24:955–965
Perkins HS: Teaching medical ethics during residency. Acad Med 1989; 64:262–266
Neufeld VR, Barrows HS: The McMaster philosophy: an approach to medical education. Journal of Medical Education 1974; 49:1040–1050
White NE, Beardslee NQ, Peters D, et al: Promoting critical thinking skills. Nurse Educator 1990; 15:16–19
Bloch S: Teaching psychiatric ethics. Med Educ 1988; 22:550–553
Jonsen AR: Medical ethics teaching programs at The University of California, San Francisco, and The University of Washington. Acad Med 1989; 64:718–722
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Schnapp, W.B., Stone, S., Van Norman, J. et al. Teaching Ethics in Psychiatry. Acad Psychiatry 20, 144–149 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03341564
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03341564