Ethical Issues in Health and Social Sciences Essay

This essay explores the ethical issues in health and social sciences, focusing on human rights, restraints, ethical dilemmas, and ethical principles. It discusses the use of physical and chemical restraints, the importance of autonomy and informed consent, and the application of ethical theories in practice. The essay concludes by emphasizing the need for reflexive insights and adherence to moral values in healthcare.

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Ethical Issues in Health and Social Sciences Essay
Name:
Institution:
Date:

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Table of Contents
Introduction........................................................................................................................3
Human Rights and Restraint of mentally ill and disabled patients....................................3
Ethical Dilemma and Restraints.........................................................................................5
Ethical principles and theory in practice............................................................................6
Reflexive Insights of value and Morals..............................................................................8
Conclusion.........................................................................................................................9
References.......................................................................................................................10

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Introduction
The term "ethics," which derives from the Greek word "ethos," which meaning
"personal integrity," refers to the qualities that make a person or an action morally
correct, true, reasonable, and honest. People who adhere to the broad guidelines for
their profession usually use this expression. An ethical lawyer or therapist wouldn't want
to take advantage of the uneasy state of such a participant or accused. When a
scenario occurs and a group of individuals can decide on the best course of action, an
ethical quandary arises. The word "moral" derives from the Latin word "mores," which
means "habits," and refers to the practice of upholding moral and ethical norms that are
founded on conceptions of good and evil. It is not physical or obvious; rather, it is
cognitive (Brendel, 2021). When compared to many medical professions, mental health
and disability are associated with a wide range of challenging ethical issues. Potential
conflicts, therapeutic misconceptions, issues with constraints, insecurity, abuse,
difficulties, and other concerns are all influenced by these factors. One of the most
important ethical concerns in the field of psychological health and impairments is how
these people are restrained. Restraints can be physically detrimental to patients and
staff, therefore their frequent and broad use in mental health treatment has created
many ethical and legal concerns (Yusuf, 2022). Therefore, the current study will look at
many viewpoints, legitimate implications of the regulation of people with such a mental
health issue or disability, and reflective insight of worth and morality.
Human Rights and Restraint of mentally ill and disabled
patients
Civil rights guarantee the inalienable right to liberty, freedom, independence from
coercion and punishment, expression privileges, the ability to live, work, and go to
education, among other things. All people have the chance to exercise their rights,
without distinction. Although while handling and treating mentally ill patients issues,
some of the fundamental rights standards are neglected. The restriction of mobility, the
inability to work, and confinement to a certain location represent some of the most
alarming ethical occurrences in this domain. Since the advent of medical advances,

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confinement has been used to practice medicine with disabilities or mental illnesses.
However, it is currently regarded as one of the challenging issues in inpatient care and
has traditionally been viewed as a social conundrum and philosophical debate
(Edwards, 2020). The three restraints are applied to restrict those who have serious
mental illnesses, to protect life, and reduce rage and aggression.
This confinement and management method, which itself was designed as from
start to protect patients from danger either to themselves or others, is linked to a
number of potential dangers. For those with disabilities and mental issues, a number of
forms of restraint that were already employed. Physical restraint describes the physical
interactions between individuals when compulsion is used constructively towards the
opponent, whether to limit liberty of movement or to stop someone from acting in an
unfavorable way (Edwards, 2020).
The process of using medications to wield power is a component of chemical
control. The usage of equipment is implied by physiological constraint. Examples
include utilising specifically designed mittens in acute settings that used a hardboard or
belt to keep a psychologically ill or physically impaired individual from leaving their seat,
or using bedrails to prevent an individual from arising from his bed. Institutions designed
to limit peoples choices range of motion, such as closed door meetings, baffle locks,
etc., are considered external restrictions. Emotional restraint entails repeatedly telling
someone not to do something, that accomplishing what they must do is forbidden, or
that it would be too dangerous (Yusuf, 2022).
A governing agency that directs health practitioners is the Mental Health
Capacity Act of 2005. It implies that medical professionals, caregivers, staff members,
etc. may constrain clients to stimulate care if the care is necessary; the limit utilised is
directly inversely proportionate to the patient's level of aversion to treatments.
Additionally, in order to achieve the intended result, the sort of limitation used has to be
the least disruptive one (Yusuf, 2022). Within those cases, it is essential to enforce both
the physical and chemical limitations. The choice of therapeutic options is at dispute,
while there are associated rewards and hazards. The authority to forbid the patient from
receiving treatment for their disorder under the Mental Health Act of 1983. Some other
way about, however, is invalid. The MHA does not provide us the authority to forbid any

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person from receiving care for medical conditions unconnected to their psychiatric
condition (Ventura, 2021).
Research have revealed that constraint has negative effects along both
employees and patients. Threats involving actual injury or death, psychological harm to
patients and family members, internal crisis and frailty, escalating aggressiveness, and
disruption of professional relationships between customers and caregivers are only a
few of the ethical dilemmas that arise in those kind of investigations (Edwards, 2020).
Ethical Dilemma and Restraints
An investigation of an ethical quandary can only be done under specific
circumstances. The first sentence alludes to circumstances where a person, referred to
as an agent, must choose the optimal course of action. Uncomfortable situations that do
not call for a choice are not moral quandaries. A distinction must be drawn between
aesthetics, ethics, morals, and law and policy when assessing a moral dilemma.
Principles are prepositional rules that participants of a profession or society use to
figure out the best decision to make in a particular situation. Ethics and cultures in
treatment for mental illness are closely related (Zaami, 2020). Awareness, sensitivity,
and concern for the individual patient, particularly their values and cultures, are all
components of ethical practice. Physical restraints have been utilised in mental health
centers for the past 150 years, which has sparked a scholarly and ethical debate about
their use and circumstances. Between 2007 and 2014, the incidence of mechanical
constraints climbed slightly in the United States, from 28% to 35%, while a frequency of
physical restrictions climbed from 5% to 16% globally (Chandler, 2018).
Professionals value freedom as a fundamental value. Therefore, obtaining
explicit consent is necessary in order to follow a patient's requests about nursing care
and medical treatment. Independence has to do with a person's ability to focus on the
influence of their intrinsic worth. As physical restrictions restrict patients' freedom, they
are undoubtedly in conflict with the idea of autonomy. Patients might be challenging to
obtain informed consent from under a variety of circumstances, particularly when
patients are being forced into hospitalisation (Russo, 2020). Regardless of the
individuals' permission, using physical restrictions breaches their right to self -

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determination; as a consequence, making such decisions frequently creates an ethical
conundrum. If the individual is behaving forcefully, decide either to control him by
creating a supportive environment or by using restraint. Individuals who get physical
constraints on aggressive people inside an explicit, blind manner lose their ability to
recognise human-to-human interactions. Physical constraints shouldn't be attacked for
denying equity and subjecting sufferers to prejudice (Zaami, 2020).
The individual had been refractory to many depot and oral antipsychotics for 21
years, including overdoses, and had treatment-resistant schizophrenic. The patient
became obligated to undergo medication after being imprisoned under chapter 3 of the
Mental Health Act of 1983 and losing potential as a result of its colorful delusional state
of consciousness. However, the combination of the patient's extreme and frequently
infantile vulnerability, the projected additional trauma, the vagueness of the results, and
the continuous risk of aggressiveness all aroused strong emotions in the therapists
concerned, and numerous were unsure of what should proceed or when to take action
(Chandler, 2018). The main moral question was whether the anticipated benefit of the
planned move justified or justified the degree of bodily limitation, intervention, and
constraint. Given the psychological conundrum, mental wellbeing sufferers ought to
always be treated as human beings rather than being called mad. Individuals with
mental illnesses shouldn't have their fundamental rights violated. When to use a specific
type of restraint is the legal conundrum that specialists dealing with mental illness must
solve. Continued examination of each and every factors was required, and retention
must only be taken into account when absolutely essential (Yusuf, 2022).
Ethical principles and theory in practice
Principles of ethics have been created by Kitchener (1984), and they are
regarded as the cornerstone of morality and ethics. There are some situations that a
psychotherapist is likely to meet that ethical norms never address. Analysing the ethical
principles that form the Guidelines' core has a tendency to elucidate the problems that
exist in a given circumstance. The concepts of independence, fairness, goodness, non-
maleficence, and loyalty are all unadulterated truths as a result of themselves (Jecker,
2021).

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The idea of independence is crucial to the theory of independence. Giving these
people the ability to choose and conduct is the aim of this idea. It speaks to the
therapist's responsibility to, whenever feasible, provide individuals the ability to decide
for themselves and live out their own convictions. The use of the medical advantage
indicator is a precise definition of munificence. The purpose of applying physical
limitations is expressly described as the strategic feature that such proactive approach
is intended to stop physical damage from happening 6 to patients. Nursing staff
members have a duty to protect customers' wellbeing and provide for individual needs
(Chandler, 2018).
Beyond their advantages, chronic limitations are harmful. The non-maleficence
concept does not pose a threat, thus healthcare providers can control care objectives
and health outcomes. Physical and mental pain might still be brought on by physical
limitations. Everyone should not be treated similarly in order to be considered equal.
Justice is defined formally as providing equal opportunities for all and oppressing
comparable people in a methodical manner but also taking into account particular
differences. If the individual were to be managed individually, the psychologists would
need to be prepared to explain the significance and propriety of treating them differently
(Jecker, 2021).
The total of the benefits and disadvantages of health professionals' behaviors
are what pragmatism bases its conceptual theory on; such effects are taken into
account rather than fundamental moral beliefs or personal qualities. Utilitarianism
affects decisions about health care in such a way that something that seeks to lead the
largest possible number of individuals to achieve the maximum gain (Russo, 2020).
Since it aids with the enactment of a law or plan, it is highly advantageous in terms of
practical pitfalls. It helps medical professionals to understand and make better choices
when establishing legislation. It can make limitless judgments and estimations until they
come to a conclusion by putting the approach at hand into practice (Ventura, 2021).
In a situation like this, restriction's primary objective was to protect the patients'
best interests. Exclusion and restriction were appropriate and necessary to guarantee
the security of important patients. The importance of preventing unfavorable outcomes
based on the results of actions, taking a utilitarian stance, and restricting personal

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freedom was discussed by Muir-Cochrane and Holmes. According to Russo (2020)
utilitarianism, using restraint when something produced ethically desirable results was
appropriate, and the vast majority of patients were kept safe.
Reflexive Insights of value and Morals
When making decisions and directing the lives, are guided by ethical standards.
This is known as doing all of the right things because it is the responsible thing to do.
The manner in which someone reflects changes is important for organisations,
especially those in the medical field, because poor or wrong judgments can have a
significant negative impact on the community and the reputation of organisations.
People will change the lives and perspectives that people have at work if they make
judgments well about direction of personal principles and behave in conformity with the
principles. Ethics and society are intertwined in mental health treatment. A public
attention of immoral practices is present in an era of increasing globalisation (Byrnes,
2020).
The based on the moral method is implied in judgment and the handling of issues
for a primary care provider. Fundamentally, because growth of an ethics program
enhances immorality and lessens the risks brought on by inappropriate behaviour. At
the macro level, moral behaviour not only promotes positive customer relationships.
Commitment represents one of the fundamental concepts that should be applied to
hospital treatment. It encompasses ideas of fidelity, allegiance, and commitment
(Edwards, 2020). If improvement is to take place in the field of psychological healthcare,
the patient should be able to rely on the psychotherapist and then have faith in the
therapeutic alliance. The selection must be made with fidelity and dedication to the
customer and the industry while taking into account the limitations of the psychological
health and impairment patient. It is vital to exercise caution so as not to endanger the
therapeutic process or fail to fulfil obligations (Rands, 2020).
Healthcare professionals have a moral and legal duty to keep confidentiality. In
general, doctors must not disclose any health information without such participant's
consent. Medical privacy is essential to maintaining the good name of the healthcare
sector and ought to be upheld for the aforementioned purposes: The foundation of

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health is trust. Healthcare professionals receive extremely private data from patients
with the understanding that it will solely be was using to assist individuals. Mental
disabilities and mental health patients are in a difficult situation since they frequently
refuse to provide their agreement in these situations, but it is vital for the specialist's
skill and understanding to take these actions for the participant's good (Byrnes, 2020).
It should assess an ethical issue while examining the scenario to see if any of the
aforementioned rules can be applied to it. When one does this on their own, the
problems can occasionally become obvious enough for them to recognise the answers
on their own. In even more difficult situations, it is crucial to be able to apply the
standards of an unethical judgment model and recognise potential conflicts between
ethical judgments (Rands, 2020).
Conclusion
Patients may need a variety of constraints, depending on their conditions and the
doctors' areas of expertise. As a result, all or the majority of locations where healthcare
is provided must comply with the rules on the issue of restricting service users. While
it's necessary to priorities preventative measures whenever it's practical to reduce the
need for restraint, there are a lot of situations where the risks of limitation outweigh the
advantages of intervening.
The selection of relevant, individual ethical principles is just one component of
the framework for directing decision-making. The transformation of ethical concepts into
an ethical system frequently requires particular activities to be conducted by several
individuals at various levels, including the individual, the institutionalised, and the
societal. All of the notions cannot be used to make decisions at once. Therefore, it is
recommended that a medical professional make a decision on an ethical dilemma only
after carefully weighing all of the available possibilities. It must be in the patient's best
interest to retain their sanity and health, whether it involves restriction or autonomy.

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References
Brendel, A.B., Mirbabaie, M., Lembcke, T.B. and Hofeditz, L., 2021. Ethical
management of artificial intelligence. Sustainability, 13(4), p.1974.
Byrnes, A., 2020. Human rights unbound: An unrepentant call for a more complete
application of human rights in relation to older persons—And
beyond. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 39(2), pp.91-98
Chandler, K., White, B. and Willmott, L., 2018. Safeguarding rights to liberty and
security where people with disability are subject to detention and restraint: A
rights-based approach (part one). Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 25(3),
pp.465-484.
Edwards, N., King, J., Williams, K. and Hair, S., 2020. Chemical restraint of adults with
intellectual disability and challenging behaviour in Queensland, Australia: Views
of statutory decision makers. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 24(2), pp.194-
211.
Jecker, N.S., 2021. Nothing to be ashamed of: sex robots for older adults with
disabilities. Journal of Medical Ethics, 47(1), pp.26-32.
Rands, L., 2020. Understanding Human Rights in Forensic Psychiatric Services: Staff
Perceptions of Human Rights Issues in an Inpatient Forensic Psychiatric
Service (Doctoral dissertation, University of East London).
Russo, J. and Wooley, S., 2020. The implementation of the convention on the rights of
persons with disabilities: more than just another reform of psychiatry. Health and
Human Rights, 22(1), p.151.
Ventura, C.A.A., Austin, W., Carrara, B.S. and de Brito, E.S., 2021. Nursing care in
mental health: Human rights and ethical issues. Nursing ethics, 28(4), pp.463-
480.
Yusuf, H., Subardhini, M., Andari, S., Ganti, M., Esterilita, M. and Fahrudin, A., 2022.
Role of Family and Community Support in the Eliminating Restraint of Persons
with Mental Illness. International Journal of Health Sciences, 6(2), pp.987-1000.

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Zaami, S., Rinaldi, R., Bersani, G. and Marinelli, E., 2020. Restraints and seclusion in
psychiatry: striking a balance between protection and coercion. Critical overview
of international regulations and rulings. Rivista di psichiatria, 55(1), pp.16-23.