정신의학연구에서 연구 대상자 보호

Abstract

Human subject research requires philosophical and ethical considerations due to the potential for researchers’ intention and manipulation, potentially affecting the autonomy of research subjects. Psychiatric research must be conducted more carefully than other types of research due to the vulnerability of the subjects, the social implications of the research, and the requirement of higher ethical responsibilities of researchers. In psychiatric research, it is common practice to obtain consent from a legal representative based on levels of communication and cognitive capacity. However, current regulations do not take into account unique nature of mental illnesses and focus on obtaining consent, which is not sufficient to protect patients in their individual contexts and situations. Therefore, recognizing the vulnerability of patients due to environmental or situational factors, maximizing the patient's autonomy in decision-making, and ensuring that the attending physician is actively involved in the patient’s decision-making process can be recommended to protect the vulnerability of psychiatric subjects and to conduct ethical research. In summary, careful consideration of the subjective context of psychiatric research and its impact on patients, families, and society should be fully discussed before commencing research. Subsequently, informed consent considering differences in communication and cognition level, taking into account the patient's individual circumstances, close monitoring throughout the research process, active participation of the attending physician in the process, and institutional safeguards are necessary.