Psychiatrist-patient sexual contact: results of a national survey, II: Psychiatrists' attitudes.
In a national random-sample survey of 1,423 practicing psychiatrists, the overwhelming majority of the respondents (98%) said that therapist-patient sexual contact is always inappropriate and usually harmful to the patient. However, 29.6% said that such contact after termination of therapy might sometimes be acceptable. Psychiatrists who acknowledged having had sexual contact with one or more patients (N = 84) differed markedly from their peers in their attitudes. The majority (74%) of these offenders believed that sexual contact could be appropriate after termination; many apparently rationalized their behavior in this manner. The authors discuss the need for systematic professional education on the subject.
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D032781:Codes of Ethics; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D028743:Professional Misconduct; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012955:Societies, Medical / Q000592:standards; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States