Legal and ethical pitfalls in family practice psychiatry.

Family physicians provide a significant amount of mental health care in the form of psychotropic medication and supportive psychotherapy. Providers of primary psychiatric care face a number of legal dangers and ethical pitfalls. Most often, these derive from negligent diagnosis or treatment, failure to prevent suicide and exploitation of the patient. By adhering to sound clinical guidelines and ethical principles, physicians can both protect themselves and provide better care for their patients.