Enhancing decision-making by depressed pregnant patients.
OBJECTIVE
We provide the reader with clinical tools for enhancing decision-making by depressed pregnant patients.


RESULTS
Ethical principles and the concept of fetus as patient support four clinical strategies for enhancing the autonomy of these patients: screening for depression; assessing the effects of depression on decision-making capacity; counseling about the adverse consequences of depression for pregnancy; and informing patients about the options for treatment of depression.


CONCLUSIONS
These four strategies can be used to prevent ethical conflict in decisions about the management of pregnancy in patients with depression.
Coverdale
John H
JH
Department of Psychiatry, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. jhc@bcm.tmc.edu
McCullough
Laurence B
LB
Chervenak
Frank A
FA
D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods; D003657:Decision Making; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000628:therapy*