Abstract

In this theoretical review we examine the issue of informed consent in child psychiatry. We describe the development of the concept of informed consent in the history of medicine and review the limited research on its application in child psychiatry. We analyze special features of informed consent unique to our field, such as the capacity of the child to give consent, the status of the “mature minor”, the special situation of the child within the family, the place of informed consent in psychotherapy, and the ability of child psychiatrists to give full information prior to consent. We conclude that children, even under the legal age, should be part of the process of giving consent to treatment. On the other hand the complex process of obtaining consent should be aimed at achieving real involvement of patients and families and not merely adhering to formal requirements