who can tell me?

[broma25 2]

Hi everybody . Is it ethical for a doctor, a psychologyst(therapist) to ask you wether or not you are a citizen of USA, durring one of the first visits? The issue my friend went to councelling was related to depression. Can a psycologyst ask that, he was wondering? If yes, i wonder why? My friend feels like he is now different, almost judged, in the doctor's eyes because he is not a citizen . I wonder why was that question put since someones status should not matter in councelling, should it?

Is this something normal, common? Should i tell my friend that is not a big deal and to go back?

thanks

I wouldn't say it's unethical. Every therapist I ever had in the UK (and I had several) asked me many questions about my immigration status. I never thought anything of it. I think your friend is overreacting.

I agree that your friend is overreacting.

Why is everyone so keen to jump on the discrimination band wagon? Doctors ask questions if you dont want to answer you dont have to as long as its nots medically related then you will still get treated.

[Yodrak 7]

kitkat1,

A very significant "if". Just how does KIDDO know what is and what is not underlying her friend's depression?

It's the psychologist's job to explore the patient's situation to try to discover what is at the root of the problem, and only after exploring all the possibilities can it be determined what might or might not be the cause.

I'm with esjessi and some others on this one. This isn't an employment situation, where certain things are discriminatory and off limits, this is a person's mental health where any and all factors need to be considered. I'd leave a phsychologist who did not explore all the possibilities, and stay with one who does.

Yodrak

I don't think it's ethical - it has zero bearing on a person's depression. I suppose it depends on how/why he asked - did he say "by the way, I'm just curious, are you a USC?" or did he seem to think not being a USC was related to the patient's state of mental health?

I disagree. I think that immigrating to a new country, facing different values and cultural norms, and feeling uprooted from friends and family can be really stressful. It may not cause depression, but immigration certainly can exacerbate it.

Of course, it depends on how and why the doctor asked. His intentions may have been in the right place.

But if it's correct that "the problem had nothing to do with eighter intergration in this country, nore it ever came into discussion any aspects related to feeling depressed because of the different lifestyle in America" then don't you think it's TOTALLY wrong?

Either way, as I said, I would leave that doctor immediately, but that's just me.

[kitkat1 5]

kitkat1,

A very significant "if". Just how does KIDDO know what is and what is not underlying her friend's depression?

It's the psychologist's job to explore the patient's situation to try to discover what is at the root of the problem, and only after exploring all the possibilities can it be determined what might or might not be the cause.

I'm with esjessi and some others on this one. This isn't an employment situation, where certain things are discriminatory and off limits, this is a person's mental health where any and all factors need to be considered. I'd leave a phsychologist who did not explore all the possibilities, and stay with one who does.

Yodrak

I don't think it's ethical - it has zero bearing on a person's depression. I suppose it depends on how/why he asked - did he say "by the way, I'm just curious, are you a USC?" or did he seem to think not being a USC was related to the patient's state of mental health?

I disagree. I think that immigrating to a new country, facing different values and cultural norms, and feeling uprooted from friends and family can be really stressful. It may not cause depression, but immigration certainly can exacerbate it.

Of course, it depends on how and why the doctor asked. His intentions may have been in the right place.

But if it's correct that "the problem had nothing to do with eighter intergration in this country, nore it ever came into discussion any aspects related to feeling depressed because of the different lifestyle in America" then don't you think it's TOTALLY wrong?

Either way, as I said, I would leave that doctor immediately, but that's just me.

For the sake of argument, if we assume that Kiddo knows 100% that his friend's depression has nothing to do with his status, and that it came up in discussion with the dr. completely out of context, I, for one, would find another doctor. But as I said, in the end it's up to the patient. Whether or not it's ethical or discriminatory doesn't really matter if the patient is not comfortable with the context in which the question was posed. He can either ask the dr. point blank "why on earth did you ask me that" and listen to the response and decide if he is comfortable with it, or choose not to go back to the doctor.

Just my opinion and what I would do.

[almaty 19]

kitkat1,

A very significant "if". Just how does KIDDO know what is and what is not underlying her friend's depression?

It's the psychologist's job to explore the patient's situation to try to discover what is at the root of the problem, and only after exploring all the possibilities can it be determined what might or might not be the cause.

I'm with esjessi and some others on this one. This isn't an employment situation, where certain things are discriminatory and off limits, this is a person's mental health where any and all factors need to be considered. I'd leave a phsychologist who did not explore all the possibilities, and stay with one who does.

Yodrak

I don't think it's ethical - it has zero bearing on a person's depression. I suppose it depends on how/why he asked - did he say "by the way, I'm just curious, are you a USC?" or did he seem to think not being a USC was related to the patient's state of mental health?

I disagree. I think that immigrating to a new country, facing different values and cultural norms, and feeling uprooted from friends and family can be really stressful. It may not cause depression, but immigration certainly can exacerbate it.

Of course, it depends on how and why the doctor asked. His intentions may have been in the right place.

But if it's correct that "the problem had nothing to do with eighter intergration in this country, nore it ever came into discussion any aspects related to feeling depressed because of the different lifestyle in America" then don't you think it's TOTALLY wrong?

Either way, as I said, I would leave that doctor immediately, but that's just me.

excellent post as always professor...

.therapist..psychologist..all have different styles to gather the info. needed to make a judgment, evaluation, treatment objectives, diagnosis, or rule-out different areas...most follow a guideline ..i always ask cultural questions at the 1st session as it can impact therapy and i may not be the best fit for the individual

[meauxna 15]

..i always ask cultural questions at the 1st session as it can impact therapy and i may not be the best fit for the individual

Like if they're a donkey-hater?

[almaty 19]

..i always ask cultural questions at the 1st session as it can impact therapy and i may not be the best fit for the individual

Like if they're a donkey-hater?

yes, that is a good question sister..i usually slap them into the psych ward for being delusional and a danger...plus, have poor dangerous judgment

[KIDDO 0]

It's great hearing everybody's oppinions. I must not have expressed myself in the right way...it's not the discrimination part, but the "Why the heck would that matter". My friend was asked about what country he was born in, insurance information and how long he's been here, from the forst session. The citizenship question came after a week of treatment in depression related issues, totaly personal---by that i mean he felt extremly depressed when his wife confessed that she would prefer an oppen marriage between them. So THIS is the reason, nothing else. He knows the questions of where he was born or how long he's been here etc are totaly normal. Anyway, forget the discrimination part(it doesn't sit well with some people from what i see here)...I was just curious why would it matter.

Anyway, that's prety much it...thank's to everybody for answearing

[KarenCee 3]

No. It's only unethical if the doctor releases confidential information outside his office. This will make him/her loose his job, and license. Your doctor will not release, and cannot discriminate because his/her profession requires him/her to follow a set of ethical cannons. If he/she don't follow it, then he/she will loose their license.

Engineers are similar. We must follow a set of ethic cannon.

1. Uphold the safety of the population.

2. Always loyal to your employer.

etc...

etc...

It's lose...not loose and it's canons...not cannons. Doesn't not don't. Might want to revisit Spelling and grammar 101.

*tried hard not to bring out that red grading pen*

I was going to reply to the OP but as the resident teacher is marking for spelling errors, I had better not...

Kez

Oh good grief...I was just being an ###. As if I'm the only one who's ever been one on here.

[meauxna 15]

..i always ask cultural questions at the 1st session as it can impact therapy and i may not be the best fit for the individual

Like if they're a donkey-hater?

yes, that is a good question sister..i usually slap them into the psych ward for being delusional and a danger...plus, have poor dangerous judgment

I *know* this *so* OT (I'm a little bit sorry)

But look what you miss by staying too close to VJ...

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=440709&

I have a question re. the mule turds.

Not that a mule is equal to a donkey...