Does legally mandated consent to psychotherapy ensure ethical appropriateness?: the Colorado experience

Ethics Behav. 1995;5(2):119-29. doi: 10.1207/s15327019eb0502_1.

Abstract

We analyzed a sample of 356 forms containing information that Colorado law legally requires both licensed and unlicensed therapists to disclose to clients. The majority of forms contained the legally mandated information; fewer forms contained ethically desirable information. The average readability grade level was 15.74, corresponding to upper-level college, and 63.9% of the forms reached the highest (most difficult) readability grade of 17+. Therapists are obeying the law, but do not appear to be taking advantage of the opportunity to provide their clients useful information in an accessible way.

MeSH terms

  • Cognition*
  • Colorado
  • Comprehension*
  • Confidentiality
  • Consent Forms*
  • Disclosure*
  • Evaluation Studies as Topic
  • Health Personnel
  • Humans
  • Informed Consent*
  • Jurisprudence*
  • Mentally Ill Persons
  • Psychotherapy*
  • State Government