Individens autonomi i svensk psykiatri - Om gråzonerna kring elbehandling i psykiatrisk vård

Sammanfattning: This essay focuses on the controversial method Electric convulsive therapy within Swedish psychiatry and involves the complex of problems around informed consent, custodial care and human autonomy. It also questions the different perspectives on side effects, and what they really mean for patients everyday life. One of the premier purposes of the essay is to investigate the treatment in relation to ethics within psychiatry as well as international conventions and recommendations. The theoretical perspective that has been applied is based on the available literature about the subject, where the medical point of view is put against a more humanistic attitude. Applied methodology consisted of gathering information in general, identify interesting point of views and analyze these and the grey area in between. The concluding discussion emphasizes the complexity of the treatment and accentuate that it is a subjective matter.