Critical Thinking Assignment
Scenario:
You are a Psychologist who has to make a recommendation to the court regarding the mental health and disposition of a patient. The patient, by all accounts is a brilliant young artist, who has made beautiful and highly sought after works of art. Some of the artwork is extremely dark, depicting depression, suicide, and homicide. Some art is less graphic and less violent, but regardless most in the art community see him as brilliant. He states that his best work comes from his emotional inner life.
It is clear that he does most of his work when he is a manic state (having had a long standing diagnosis of Bi-Polar I with Psychotic features). Some of his work is a mess, as he slips in to psychosis. Other times he creates beautiful paintings. In the past 5 years, he has been found wandering the streets, incoherent at times after a long phase of mania (this has happened 4 times in 5 years). He was hospitalized with poor hygiene, and had been twice evicted for not paying his rent (despite having the money to do so), he was too disorganized to manage this task. When he was put on medication after each hospitalization, he is more stable but feels unable to create works of art.
He refuses to take the medication as he feels it takes away his creative episodes. He is adamant that medications are not what he wants, and feels they are not only damaging to his creativity and they have numerous physical side effects he strongly dislikes.
Your recommendation will be binding, if you mandate he take meds it will be forcibly done so for as long as you feel necessary. If you do not mandate medications, it is clear he will not take them and will likely end up hospitalized again. There is no third alternative, you must clearly decide either to place him on medications against his will, or allow him to avoid medications.
James Madison Eight Key Ethical Questions (of which choose three or four to help you decide how to handle the case).
Fairness – How can one act equitably and balance legitimate interests?
Outcomes – What achieves the best short- and long-term outcomes for me and all others?
Responsibilities – What duties and/or obligations apply?
Character – What action best reflects who I am and the person I want to become?
Liberty – How does respect for freedom, personal autonomy, or consent apply?
Empathy – What would I do if I cared deeply about those involved?
Authority – What do legitimate authorities (e.g. experts, law, my religion/god) expect of me?
Rights – What rights (e.g. innate, legal, social) apply?