Ethical Challenges Faced by Psychiatrists Using Social Media

Abstract

The majority of existing psychiatric ethical guidelines focus on the doctor-patient interaction in the material (physical) world at the level of the individual. However the recent advent of social media, made possible by the advances of Web 2.0, has taken this interaction to the virtual level—leading to a process of global mutual information exchange that has achieved a hitherto unprecedented level of dynamism and pervasiveness.

This ‘social media revolution’ may have made inroads in improving psychiatric knowledge and communication; but it has also generated a host of ethical conundrums; particularly for the psychiatrists who use social media both on a professional and personal basis.

In this review article, we examine 3 key areas of ethical contention—namely, patient confidentiality, professional integrity and self-disclosure—and explain their role/impact in the virtual world of social media, specifically from the psychiatrist's perspective.

We also delineate possible solutions for these key ethical dilemmas unique to the context of social media use.