Category: Evidence-Based Ethics

Will Research on 10,000 New Yorkers Fuel Future Racial Health Inequality?

August 30, 2016
Image via Flickr.
Image via Flickr

By Celia B. Fisher, Ph.D.

A 20-year, multi-million dollar study of more than 10,000 New Yorkers scheduled to begin next year claims that it will enable the development of theories, therapeutics, and policies to improve the health and quality of human life.  Although still in the planning stages, the breadth of the data collection proposed (including health habits, biological data, and geospatial mapping) combined with the lack of detail accompanying such a widespread publicity effort raises questions regarding the extent to which the research risks of such an endeavor have been well thought out.

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Its not just mental health studies: Doctors rarely ask adolescent patients about their sexual orientation & LGBT youth are afraid of bias

June 21, 2016
A recent report underscores the paucity of mental health research relevant to LGBT patients.  According to Celia B. Fisher, Ph.D., Director of the Fordham University Center for Ethics Education this unfortunate situation is not unique to research studies.

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Moral Stress in Mental Health Practice and Research

April 20, 2016
Dr. Adam Fried
Dr. Adam Fried

By: Adam Fried, Ph.D.

Mental health practice, assessment and research can be highly fulfilling, but also emotionally demanding. In recent years, the field of psychology has made a concerted effort to educate psychologists about the effects of various types of caregiver stress (including secondary traumatic stress and vicarious traumatization in which the professional internalizes or is otherwise personally affected by the trauma experienced by those with whom the professional works) on their mental health and professional work (Collins & Long, 2003; Figley, 2002). Extreme cases can lead to a phenomenon known as compassion stress/fatigue (Figley, 2002), which can often be accompanied by a decrease in professional self-efficacy and a reduced willingness to help (Figley, 2002; Newell & MacNeill, 2010).

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Fisher describes innovative approach to research involving vulnerable adolescents at OHRP conference

April 7, 2016

 

Screenshot 2016-04-07 10.41.21

Fordham University Center for Ethics Education Director and Marie Ward Doty University Chair in Ethics Dr. Celia B. Fisher gave the keynote address this morning at an Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) conference, entitled “Vulnerable, Marginalized and At-Risk Participants in Research.”

In this address, Fisher describes her innovative approach to giving vulnerable adolescents and their families a voice in ensuring the responsible conduct of research. Her work illuminates the importance of fitting research ethics protections to the real world lives of LGBT teens, pediatric cancer patients, and ethnic minority youth in ways that reflect their values and merit their trust.

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Confidentiality and Disclosure Dilemmas in Psychotherapy with Adolescents

February 9, 2016
Dr. Adam Fried
Dr. Adam Fried

For more information, please visit & “like” RELAY: Resources & Education for LGBT & Allied Youth: www.facebook.com/lgbtrelay

Psychologists who provide mental health services to adolescents and their families must navigate complex ethical challenges with respect to confidentiality and disclosure decision-making.

How do mental health clinicians develop confidentiality policies that serve to protect minors from serious harm, fulfill professional and legal responsibilities, and preserve the therapeutic relationship with the adolescent and parents/ guardians?

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Predatory Publishers: a $75 million-a-year business that can exacerbate health disparities

October 2, 2015
Via freedigitalphotos.net
Via freedigitalphotos.net

A  longitudinal study published yesterday indicates that predatory publishing is big business, bringing in $75 million in 2014 alone by publishing nearly half a million articles.

Researchers in Finland conducted the first comprehensive study of predatory publishers, examining the e-business aspect as well as the inadequate peer-review process. They found that predatory journals have rapidly increased their publication volumes from 53,000 in 2010 to an estimated 420,000 articles in 2014, published by around 8,000 active journals.

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