Ethics of art therapy and use of patient-produced art

Abstract

The great revolution of bioethics has been the incorporation of the principle of autonomy to the ethical model and parts from the assumption of recognizing human beings as autonomous beings. A paternalistic, authoritarian ethics has been substituted by ethics of autonomy.

Some specific requirements are needed so that an informed consent can be achieved: competence and ability of the patient to understand and willingness to decide.

The WPA has made different Declarations specifying Psychiatric Ethics. Art Therapy has developed a specific set of ethical standards. The role of art making in therapy poses unique ethical dilemmas and concerns for therapists such as:

Confidentiability: Art expressions must be recognized as confidential communications. Permission to display, exhibit, publish or share art expressions must be obtained from either the patient or in the case of a child, the parent or guard.

Ownership: The patient owns the art created in art therapy.

The artwork of the patient, especially the plastic artwork is used sometimes with artistic and commercial aims, which raises ethical and even legal problems.

There is a large background institutional or private exhibitions of the so-called psychopathological art.

The work created by the patient belongs to him and only the patient/author of the artwork can, in principle, decides over its use.

If the patient agrees to display of his art expression in any form the therapist must be careful to consider if this is in his best interest based on the context.