CONFIDENTIALITY AND THE REQUEST FOR PSYCHIATRIC INFORMATION FOR NONTHERAPEUTIC PURPOSES
W. WALTER MENNINGER M.D.1, and
JOSEPH T. ENGLISH M.D.2
1 Menninger Foundation, Topeka, Kans., and a Senior Psychiatric Consultant to the Peace Corps, Washington
2 Chief Psychiatrist, Medical Division, Peace Corps, Washington, D. C., and Assistant Policy and Program Coordinator, Office of the Director, National Institute of Mental Health
As more agencies and organizations have become aware of psychiatric insights, they have requested information from psychiatrists about patients who have made application for special positions or situations with them. The Peace Corps is one agency which has sought information, with permission of the applicant, from psychiatrists about individuals who have seen them prior to making application for Peace Corps service.
The Peace Corps recognizes that its seeking of information about an applicant's psychiatric contact is not primarily for therapeutic but for evaluative purposes. This request for information has been respected and acknowledged by most psychiatrists, but a good number have been concerned about confidentiality and a possible conflict of interest between psychiatric treatment and the use of psychiatric information for evaluative purposes.
This paper has reviewed some of the complex questions surrounding this issue, utilizing the Peace Corps situation and policies as a basis for concrete discussion. Most of the questions raised are moot and have no simple resolution. An objective of this discussion is to provoke further thought as well as to urge careful consideration by all psychiatrists of the implications of the use of psychiatric information for nontherapeutic purposes, albeit with the permission of the patient.
