CONFIDENTIALITY IN GROUP-PSYCHOTHERAPY - EMPIRICAL-FINDINGS AND THE LAW

Empirical research suggests that group therapists generally discuss wi th prospective clients the importance of maintaining confidentiality, but are unlikely to inform them of the significant potential for viola tions of confidentiality. Therapists believe information about the ris k of unauthorized disclosures will reduce the number of patients willi ng to enter group therapy and will inhibit the therapeutic dialogue. T herapists' failure to provide information sufficient to obtain informe d consent, however, produces serious ethical problems and potential le gal problems as well. The law of informed consent varies in different jurisdictions such that identical factual scenarios could produce diff erent legal outcomes depending on the jurisdiction in which the case o ccurs. In spite of the proliferation of group interventions, empirical studies of confidentiality in group therapy have logged behind simila r research in individual psychotherapy.