Ethics Documents
Please refer to the ethics home page for indepth information regarding APA policies.
All Association members are bound by the ethical code of the medical profession, specifically defined in the Principles of Medical Ethics of the American Medical Association and in the American Psychiatric Association’s Principles of Medical Ethics With Annotations Especially Applicable to Psychiatry. The current edition of the APA Principles was adopted in 2008.
Earlier editions of the Principles of Medical Ethics With Annotations Especially Applicable to Psychiatry include: 1973, 1978, 1978 Revised, 1981, 1981 Revised, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1995 Revised, 1998, 2001, 2001 Revised, and 2006. (See Resource links below for full-text editions.)
A companion volume, The Opinions of the Ethics Committee on The Principles of Medical Ethics, addresses questions posed to the Committee over the years. It is offered to assist in understanding the Principles but the views expressed are those of the members of the APA Ethics Committee and do not represent APA official policy. The current edition of the APA Opinions was published in 2001.
Earlier editions of the The Opinions of the Ethics Committee on The Principles of Medical Ethics include: 1979, 1983, 1985, 1989, 1992, 1993, and1995. (See Resource links below for full-text editions.)