Psychologists' perceptions of legal and ethical requirements for breaching confidentiality

This paper outlines the legal and ethical duties of psychologists in relation to preserving as well as breaching confidentiality in therapeutic relationships. It analyses the results of a questionnaire examining psychologists’ perceptions of the legal and ethical constraints on confidentiality and their likelihood of breaching confidentiality in different situations. The vast majority of participants indicated that the law permits them to disclose confidential information and that there is an ethical duty to disclose information to a third party when the patient is perceived to be dangerous. The results suggest that there is some uncertainty as to when confidentiality should be breached in practice and it is argued that the law is overly complex in this area and that guidelines are needed to assist psychologists in their clinical practice.     

Predicting Screening Uptake by First‐Degree Relatives of Patients Diagnosed with Colorectal Cancer1

Colorectal cancer represents a significant health threat worldwide. First‐degree relatives (FDRs) of colorectal cancer patients are at increased risk of developing the disease. There is a need to understand the psychosocial predictors of screening uptake in this group. An extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) that included perceived risk was employed to do this. Telephone interviews were conducted with 110 FDRs. The TPB accounted for up to 51% and between 16% and 25% of the variance in intention and behavior, respectively. Injunctive norm emerged as the strongest predictor of screening intention. Therefore, it is recommended that interventions to maximize screening uptake target this variable in particular.