I would think it's within the realm of a
psychiatrist's duties to inform a patient's spouse if there is a liklihood that his/her patient
may harm him/herself or others. I'm assuming the husband was informed of the possibility
of danger there.
I would assume the contrary. I deal with the counseling profession a lot in my job, and getting them to reveal ANYTHING without a release is very difficult. (I once had a client tell me she was leaving here to go to an appointment with his counselor. After she left I found that she had left her glasses. I called there to ask them to leave a message for her. They wouldn't even admit that she was there, that she was even a patient there, that they could get a message to her, or anything. I finally said "well, if you happen to see her for some reason, give her this message." But if she had died in a car crash on the four blocks over there I would never have known it 'till I read about it in the paper.
As I understand medical ethics, a psychiatrist or psychologist can only reveal confidential information if there is a legitimate and immediate danger of serious harm to the person being warned. I don't know whether anybody could have foretold this outcome. It sounds to me as though it surprised people.
I also don't know whether, if these is danger to the children, the counselor has the right to warn the parent instead of the child. Probably depends on the particular state law. But it might be that they are allowed to warn the state child protective services, but not the spouse. Sounds crazy, but it wouldn't surprise me. |
