Posted by OddipusRex on December 29, 2002, at 13:28:34
In reply to Re: desire to commit suicide, posted by Dr. Bob on December 23, 2002, at 17:28:04
1.If a person is threatening to kill himself would you be required to report him? You are usually the only person with any way of identifying the individual. Wouldn't threatening suicide be evidence of at least temporary mental disability and so covered by mandated reporter statutes?
2.What if a poster reports neglecting or endangering a child because of MI or substance abuse? Would you be required to report it?
3.Have you talked to a lawyer about your potential liability for NOT actively intervening?
Again it seems like you would have increased responsibility to intervene because you identify yourself as an MD and because you alone have access to information that might identify the poster if necessary.
Legal questions aside I think you have a moral responsibility and I commend your willingness to keep someone from killing himself. I agree knowing whether or not you could might be hard to decide. I'd hope you would err on the side of life.
> > (1) I'm confident that other posters would respond supportively, but that may not be the kind of "intervention" you had in mind. (2) It can be hard to know where to draw the line, but if I thought I could keep someone from killing themselves, I'd do what I could.
>
> Bob
poster:OddipusRex
thread:8576
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20021128/msgs/8648.html