Mental Health and Ethics Essay Sample

Different professionals are guided by their unique code of conduct that stipulates how they should conduct themselves in their areas of employment. The health industry is not different, as the health professionals have a well-established code of conduct that determines whether or not a practitioner's actions are ethical or not. Jason's case is complex, because he was already diagnosed by a mental problem in 2010 and was put under medication, however, the medication had significant effects on his ability to concentrate and read for his exams which in turn forced him to stop the medication. Despite the fact that he is recovering well, his health condition is wanting, which forces him to be admitted as an involuntary patient. The health practitioners of admitting Jason in the health facility is justified and by the mental health act, hence terming the actions are ethical.

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Jason as an Involuntary Patient

Jason should be considered as an involuntary patient for some reasons. Firstly is the fact that according to the mental health act, mentally ill patients should be held in detention as they continue to receive treatment (Kirmayer & Valaskakis, 2009). Jason is suffering from a mental problem which the health practitioners referred to as schizophrenia. Additionally, the act further indicates that an involuntary patient is one who causes harm to himself as well as to other people in the society. A psychiatrist should admit patients who record high scores in likelihood to harm themselves and others as an involuntary patient. Jason has demonstrated high chances of harming himself as well as other people in the society because he stopped taking the schizophrenia which further harms his health. It is ethically right for health practitioners to detain patients whose mental health condition poses a threat and harm to themselves and the general public (Kirmayer & Valaskakis, 2009).

Additionally, after the psychiatrist evaluation, Jason was vulnerable to hurting himself and other people in public. It is also morally upright to place patients who cannot make an informed decision regarding the treatment of their mental health condition as involuntary patients (Kirmayer & Valaskakis, 2009). Despite the fact that Jason indicates that the medication has side effects, he is not able to make an informed decision regarding his medication process. Lastly, the mental health act also indicates that an involuntary patient is an individual whose stay in the hospital is extended in an attempt to allow the patient receives the necessary health treatment (Van Nuland & Khandelwal, 2006). Extension of involuntary status for mental health patients is ethical as it allows the health practitioners to administer appropriate treatment to the patients as they continue to demonstrate an improvement in their health condition. After Jason's term of involuntary patient expired, there was an extension of the status to allow the health practitioners to continue treating him as he disagrees with the medication and insists on leaving the health facility.

Jason's Capacity to Make a Decision

Despite the fact that Jason is suffering from a mental health problem, it is important to indicate that he can make an informed decision regarding the treatment process. In this case, the health practitioners' views of Jason as being unable to make an informed decision was overlooked and therefore termed as unethical for some reasons. Firstly, existing literature indicates that a patient is considered incapable decision making when one demonstrates a clear understanding of appreciation of some information regarding the medical care such as the diagnosis and the nature of the recommended process of treatment. Despite the fact that Jason is mentally ill, he does not object the diagnosis of schizophrenia. Additionally, he demonstrates an understanding of the nature of medication that he will receive. He indicates that the medication has significant negative effects which the doctors assure him are nothing to worry about. Additionally, it was not ethical for the health practitioners to term Jason as incapable of deciding as he demonstrated a high degree of logical thinking throughout the process right from engagement with the shoppers to when he explains to the health team of the effects of the medication that he is taking.

It was also unethical to consider Jason as unable to make decisions because his decision regarding the treatment process was widely based on his goals and beliefs (Hubert, 2004). Statistics indicate that patients are considered to be in the capacity to make the informed decision when their thoughts and decisions are consistent with the patients' goals and values (Davison et al., 2006). Jason believes that the medication will significantly interfere with his education performance and since the value's his education, he stops taking the medication in November as he was preparing for his exams. Additionally, while at the hospital, Jason indicates that the medication will robe him his career, education, and partner. Additionally it was also unethical to term Jason as unfit to make an informed decision regarding his treatment because his decisions and arguments were not as a result of delusions (Davison et al., 2006). Despite the fact that Jason is suffering from mental health, the illness does not affect his decision-making process as demonstrated in his reasoning, and therefore, he was fit for making decisions regarding his treatment.

Consent and Capacity Board (CCB) Review

Jason can appeal the doctors' decision of terming his as unable to make the decision. Apparently, Jason has a high chance of winning the appeal because the doctor's decision was unethical based on the principles that help in determining fit patients in making decision making regarding their treatment process (Hubert, 2004). Firstly, the fact that Jason was initially under the community health monitoring, it implies that the health his health condition can be monitored while at home as opposed to detaining him in the hospital. Based on the health practitioners' ethics, the decision of the decision-making board should be based on the best interest of the patient, and therefore, it is only ethical to subject Jason to community health services as opposed to treating him as an involuntary patient (Storch et al., 2009). Additionally, it is ethical to provide Jason with an appeal of the decision making incapability because his mental problem does not widely influence his decision-making process. Despite the fact that Jason is mentally ill, his mental condition does not affect his thinking process, and hence, his decisions are based on logical thinking which is rare for people with a mental health condition.

Additionally, despite the fact that the health practitioners termed Jason as an individual who can harm himself and others, it is important to indicate that from his storyline, there is no single case of harm that resulted from Jason's mental health. One of the considerations that the CCB takes into consideration is whether or not the patient poses any form of harm to himself and the public (Black et al., 2008). It is unethical to deny a person whose health status does not interfere with his safety and other people's safety the right to make decisions regarding one's treatment process. Additionally, the CCB should also take into consideration the fact that the patient can be subjected to a less restrictive mode of treatment. Jason health status can be managed through the community health teams at the community levels, and therefore, CCB should act ethically and allow Jason to decide on his treatment.

Lastly, Jason has high chances of winning the CCB appeal because, since 2010, his health status has demonstrated significant improvement. One of the factors that CCB look into while handling appeal cases is whether or not the patient health is deteriorating, and if the health is recorded to be decorating, the patient is denied the right to make decisions regarding the treatment process (Storch et al., 2009).

Conclusion

Ethics in an institution provides a guideline on how the professionals in the industry to behave when faced with different scenarios. Jason case is complex because he is suffering from a mental health problem which does not interfere with his decision making process. The mental health act considers involuntary patients as patients with mental problems and hence it was ethical to consider Jason as an involuntary patient. However, it was unethical to indicate that Jason was incapable of deciding on his treatment because his decisions were based on logical thinking. Lastly, ethics are key components of a professional that guide what is right and wrong in specific professionals.

References

Black, J., Allen, D., Redfern, L., Muzio, L., Rushowick, B., Balaski, B., ... & Gautreau, G. (2008). Competencies in the context of entrylevel registered nurse practice: a collaborative project in Canada. International nursing review, 55(2), 171-178.

Davison, C. M., Edwards, N., Webber, J., & Robinson, S. (2006). Development of a social justice gauge and its use to review the Canadian Nurses Association's Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses. Advances in Nursing Science, 29(4), E13-E26.

Hubert, J. (2004). Continuing the dialogue: a response to Kikuchi's critique of the 2002 CNA Code of Ethics. Nursing leadership (Toronto, Ont.), 17(4), 10-13.

Kirmayer, L. J., & Valaskakis, G. G. (Eds.). (2009). Healing traditions: The mental health of Aboriginal peoples in Canada. UBC press.

Storch, J., Rodney, P., Pauly, B., Fulton, T., Stevenson, L., Newton, L. O. R. E. L. I. E., & Makaroff, K. S. (2009). Enhancing ethical climates in nursing work environments. Canadian Nurse, 105(3), 20-25.

Van Nuland, S., & Khandelwal, B. P. (2006). Ethics in Education: The Role of Teacher Codes. Canada and South Asia. International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) UNESCO. 7-9 rue Eugene-Delacroix, 75116 Paris, France.