Mental health is very personal. How do psychiatrists preserve confidentiality?
Psychiatry has a long tradition of respecting the privacy of individuals and the doctor-patient relationship. There are guidelines published by the American Psychiatric Association which spell out in some details the ways in which a psychiatrist should protect patient-related information. There is always pressure to dilute the strength of the therapist-patient privilege. For example, if you expect a third party, such as an insurance company or HMO, to pay for therapy, they will probably expect, in return, that your therapist provide them with some information about your diagnosis, treatment, and progress. Confidentiality is also limited by law (psychiatrists in California are required to report threats made against specific persons by patients) and by ethics (most psychiatrists will disclose personal information if it is necessary to prevent an acutely ill patient from deliberately harming self or others.
