Last month, the APA Ethics Committee announced that Drs. Dinah Miller and Anne Hanson will receive the APA’s Carol Davis Ethics Award for their book, Committed: The Battle Over Involuntary Psychiatric Care.  The book addresses one of the thorniest ethical issues in psychiatry, and indeed, in society at large – the question of involuntary commitment to psychiatric hospitals and to mandated outpatient treatment.  Our ethical principles, as APA members, require us to adhere to ideals that may at times seem to come into conflict: respecting the rights of patients, other health professionals, colleagues, safeguarding patient confidences, privacy, and dignity, while providing competent care, and respecting the law.  Their book is a valuable companion for thinking through some of the most complex medical – and human – dilemmas.

The Carol Davis Ethics Award promotes the educational role of the ethics process and is presented to an APA member who has authored an outstanding publication on ethics.  The award will be presented at the Annual Meeting Convocation in New York City on May 7.