American Psychiatric Association resources document on principles of informed consent in psychiatry.

Informed consent has legal, ethical, and clinical dimensions. a. From the legal perspective, it requires physicians to disclose certain classes of information to patients, and to obtain their consent before initiating medical treatment. b. In its ethical dimension informed consent encourages respect for individual autonomy in medical decision making. c. As a clinical process, informed consent offers a mechanism for collaboration between physicians and patients in identifying clinical problems and selecting appropriate treatment. Although legal requirements (which may vary across jurisdictions) define the minimum criteria for an adequate informed consent process, the ways in which they are implemented and the degree to which they are augmented will reflect appropriate concern with ethical