A problem with refusing certain forms of psychiatric treatment.
Certain affective disorders are associated with compromised cognitive and emotional capacities and thus, with one's ability to act as a fully autonomous individual. Some of these personality problems have been treated very successfully with specified drug regimes. Continued treatment with lithium has rendered previously incompetent manic patients fully capable of competent self-governance. If the competent have the right to refuse medical attention (even when the refusal is not in the patient's best interest) does the drug-induced competent psychiatric patient have the right to refuse that medical treatment necessary for his continued competency? This paper investigates this issue.
D026686:Beneficence; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D028642:Persons with Psychiatric Disorders; D026706:Paternalism; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D010349:Patient Compliance; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D011379:Prognosis; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use
D011619:Psychotropic Drugs