Autonomy of Individuals with Alcohol-Related Disorders: Informed Consent and Empowerment

Autonomy of Individuals with Alcohol-Related Disorders: Informed Consent and Empowerment
João Paulo Barbosa Azevedo
Journal of Addiction & Addictive Disorders, 12 April 2023
Abstract
Informed consent is a central concern in the care practice of individuals with alcohol- related disorders, with research and clinical practice indicating that they often refuse or abandon treatment early. In the relational care encounter it is important not only to recognize the patient as the subject of will and decision-making power, but also to pay attention to the experiences of vulnerability and the importance of promoting autonomy. These issues are particularly relevant when individuals with alcohol-use disorders come to treatment suffering from coercion or disturbed by anxiety and/or depression. A study on informed consent ethical practice was conducted on a sample of 85 professionals from the Addictive Behaviours and Dependencies network of the Regional Health Administration of the North, Portugal. A questionnaire was used to survey ethical attitudes. The results suggest the importance of reinforcing the practice of informed consent of individuals with alcohol-related disorders suffering from coercion, anxiety or depression as a place of a psychological empowerment process.