Discuss one or more ethical considerations in relation to the treatment of one or more psychological disorders.

Refer to the paper 2 assessment criteria when awarding marks. These can be found under the “Your tests” tab > supplemental materials.

The command term “discuss” requires candidates to offer a considered review of ethical considerations in relation to the treatment of psychological disorders.

Relevant ethical considerations can include, but are not limited to:

• effectiveness of treatments
• informed consent
• validity of diagnosis
• physical and psychological harm caused by treatment
• the expectations of those who are treated and/or worsening of symptoms
• short and long-term side effects of treatments
• the responsibilities of the therapist
• cultural/gender sensitivity.

Research that can be used to support the discussion may include, but is not limited to:

• Rossello and Bernal’s (1999) study adapting CBT and IPT for Puerto Rican adolescents
• Aultman’s (2016) case study on psychiatric diagnostic uncertainty in patient-centred care
• Hoop et al.’s (2008) study on ethics and culture in mental healthcare
• Garnets et al.’s (1991) study on issues in psychotherapy in lesbians and gay men.

Critical discussion may include, but is not limited to:

• the considerations of conducting treatment in a different culture
• the use of blind and double-blind research when investigating the effectiveness of treatment, including the use of placebo
• the difficulties of ensuring confidentiality and anonymity
• decisions as to why certain ethical guidelines were/were not followed in research investigating the effectiveness of treatment
• limitations of research investigating effectiveness of specific treatments e.g. the issue of long term effectiveness
• social sensitivity of studies investigating the treatment of psychological disorders.

Examiners noticed this question was less popular than the other two questions in the Abnormal psychology section. There were some pleasing responses which indicated some appreciation of ethical considerations concerned with treatments/therapies. Stronger responses reflected an understanding of ethical considerations in treatment, as well as knowledge of treatment methods. Weaknesses included discussing ethical considerations in the studies used as examples rather than discussing the ethics of the treatment itself.