When Patients Appear in the News: Clinical Considerations for Mental Health Professionals

Abstract

News media have proliferated across digital platforms, print, radio, television, and other outlets, and mental health professionals may unintentionally learn information about their patients from these sources. Although these kinds of discoveries can pose complex clinical challenges to mental health professionals, there is hardly any literature on this topic, and clinicians may feel alone when facing these situations. Using several case examples, this article examines ways in which mental health professionals might learn about their patients from news media, as well as the potential effects of these discoveries on the practice of psychiatry. This article also offers suggestions for research and for training opportunities that would help prepare mental health professionals for encountering news coverage about their patients.