Competence, capacity and decision-making ability in mental disorder

Historically, individuals with mental disorder were often considered to suffer from a global inability to make decisions for themselves, and as such lost all right to self-determination.

Recent decades have seen advances in bioethics as well as movement by the psychiatric profession from paternalism towards respect for patient autonomy. However, this can at times lead to philosophical, ethical and societal dilemmas

This module offers guidance on:

• the philosophical issues underlying competence, capacity and decision-making
• consent
• the legal background
• statute
• guidelines and assessment tools
• research base
• the medical-legal interface.

Learning outcomes:

By the end of this module, you should be able to:

• recognise the ethical principles underpinning debate in this area
• have an overview of the relevant legal background
• have a knowledge of the evidence base for assessment of decision-making ability.

Availability

This module is available as part of a CPD eLearning subscription.