The author points out that psychiatric ethics are coming under
increasing critical scrutiny by psychiatrists and by those outside of the
profession. On the basis of an examination of APA Ethics Committee records,
he concludes that criticism of psychiatry's inability to police itself
might have some merit but cautions that the critics might be expecting too
much from a code of ethics, which has the job of sensitizing psychiatrists
to an ethical way of professional life and helping sort out ethical
conflicts. After outlining a number of the problems in the self-policing
aspect of ethics, the author makes suggestions for their resolution.Abstract Teaser