Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Title

Australian Psychologist

ISSN

00050067

Volume

55

Issue

4

First Page

317

Last Page

326

Publisher

Australian Psychological Society / Wiley

School

School of Arts and Humanities

RAS ID

32169

Comments

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: [Allan, A. (2020). The profession's role in helping psychologists balance society's interests with their clients' interests. Australian Psychologist, 55(4), 317-326.], which has been published in final form at [https://doi.org/10.1111/ap.12446]. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.

Allan, A. (2020). The profession's role in helping psychologists balance society's interests with their clients' interests. Australian Psychologist, 55(4), 317-326. https://doi.org/10.1111/ap.12446

Abstract

Objective:

Psychologists find it difficult to balance their clients' and society's interests when these interests differ from each other, such as when their clients pose a risk of harm to others. Society's increasing preoccupation with harm makes their task even more difficult. The first aim with this article is to determine the reactions of those who make, enforce, and use law to address society's concerns and how they impact on psychologists. The second aim is to propose how the profession can assist psychologists deal with the competing demands prompted by these reactions.

Method:

A legal-ethical analysis was used to identify the reaction of governments, the judiciary, and investigators, followed by a proposal setting out how the profession could assist psychologists respond to the reaction of these entities.

Results:

Society sets high privacy standards, but has paradoxically simultaneously been weakening its protection of aspects of individuals' privacy. Governments, the judiciary, and investigators for instance expect psychologists to play a more active role in protecting individuals, property, and the public from harm. This makes it difficult for psychologists to determine how to balance their clients' and society's interests while maintaining their trust. The situation requires the profession to help psychologists manage these challenges.

Conclusions:

The profession and psychologists run the risks of losing the trust of society and/or the public or sections thereof if they do not find the appropriate balance between these societal expectations and their clients' autonomy and privacy. The profession can and should assist psychologists manage this challenge.

DOI

10.1111/ap.12446

Included in

Psychology Commons

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