The ethical limits of confidentiality in the therapeutic relationship.

The author explores the moral underpinnings of psychiatric confidentiality in an attempt to define its ethical limits. Knowledge of this standard assumes growing importance as third party incursions into the patient-therapist dyad become increasingly common in day-to-day practice. The APA's AIDS policy on confidentiality and disclosure is offered as an illustrative example of the profession's ability to successfully translate moral deliberation into clinical policy.