Media outreach for child psychiatrists

Violence, drugs, and psychiatric disorders: news from the Brazilian press

The aim of this study is to describe the way that the Brazilian press reports on episodes of violence involving people with substance-related problems or psychiatric disorders. To develop this documentary study, we analyzed news reports from September 2009 to August 2015 in two major Brazilian newspaper who make their published articles available electronically in the Lexis Nexis Academic® database. The analyses were conducted using descriptive statistics and association tests. We identified 269 news stories related to these themes during the study period. The reported events occurred mainly in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, and 68% of the stories suggested a causal relationship between substance use or mental illness and violence. A marked minority (10%) of the stories made reference to prevention or treatment for the conditions studied. We concluded that the Brazilian press issues incomplete reports on episodes of violence involving people with substance-related problems or psychiatric disorders, emphasizing the relationships between these conditions and potential danger, particularly in cases involving drugs.

Ethics of medical records and professional communications

In child and adolescent psychiatry, medical records and professional communications raise important ethical concerns for the treating or consulting clinician. Although a distinction may be drawn between internal records (eg, medical records and psychotherapy notes) and external communications (eg, consultation reports and correspondence with pediatricians), several ethical principles apply to both types of documentation; however, specific considerations may vary, depending upon the context in which the records or communications were produced. Special care is due with regard to thoroughness and honesty, collaboration and cooperation, autonomy and dignity of the patient, confidentiality of the patient and family members, maintaining objectivity and neutrality, electronic communications media, and professional activities (eg, political advocacy). This article reviews relevant ethical concerns for child and adolescent psychiatrists with respect to medical records and professional communications, drawing heavily from forensic and legal sources, and offers additional recommendations for further reading for clarification and direction on ethical dilemmas.