Respect for Autonomy (RFA) has been a mainstay of medical ethics since its enshrinement as one of the four principles of biomedical ethics by Beauchamp and Childress' in the late 1970s. This paper traces the development of this modern concept from Antiquity to the present day, paying attention to its Enlightenment origins in Kant and Rousseau. The rapid C20th developments of bioethics and RFA are then considered in the context of the post-war period and American socio-political thought. The validity and utility of the RFA are discussed in light of this philosophical-historical account. It is concluded that it is not necessary to embrace an ethic of autonomy in order to guard patients from coercion or paternalism, and that, on the contrary, the dominance of autonomy threatens to undermine those very things which have helped doctors come to view and respect their patients as persons.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11019-017-9781-2 | DOI Listing |
BMC Public Health
January 2025
Institute for Biomedical Ethics, University of Basel, Bernoullistrasse 28, 4056, Basel, Switzerland.
Background: Imprisonment has a major impact on a person's psychological well-being. The proportion of older imprisoned persons is dramatically increasing worldwide, and they are likely to have greater physical and mental health needs compared to younger persons in prisons. However, there is currently a lack of research on the psychological stressors and the coping strategies of older imprisoned persons.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiology (Basel)
December 2024
Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental (CIIMAR), Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Avenida General Norton de Matos S/N, 4550-208 Matosinhos, Portugal.
The inter-annual fluctuations of abundance of the Brazilian sardine () during the last decades have deeply modified the purse seine fishery dynamics. This study evaluates the trophic relationships of the main species exploited by this fishery and the importance of its biomass for the southeast-south Brazil marine ecosystem (22° S-34° S). Data were analyzed using a mass balance model (ECOPATH) between the two fishery collapses: 2000 and 2017.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
Maternal and Child Health Division, icddr,b, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) aim to enhance quality of life through safe sexual experiences, reproductive autonomy, and protection against gender-based violence. However, existing SRHR research and interventions in low- and middle-income countries like Bangladesh predominantly focus on women, often understating men and neglecting the nuanced contextual issues faced by married couples. This study contributes to filling this gap by examining SRHR dynamics among newlyweds in rural and poor urban areas of Bangladesh, especially focusing on marital satisfaction, fertility preferences, and post-marriage adaptation mechanisms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt Clin Psychopharmacol
January 2025
Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa.
Schizophrenia is a serious psychiatric condition requiring continuous treatment with antipsychotic medications available in different formulations, including oral antipsychotics (OAPs) and long-acting injectables (LAIs). This narrative review aims to comprehensively outline the advantages and disadvantages of OAPs and LAIs to support clinicians in choosing different formulations based on the presentation of clinical symptoms. An electronic search of the PubMed database was performed in June 2024, and additional articles were retrieved from the references or personal knowledge of the authors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCureus
January 2025
Department of Research, Department of Regenerative Medicine, Rinaldi Fontani Foundation, Florence, ITA.
An 88-year-old woman presented with a longstanding history of dizziness, tremors, and progressive mental and physical decline, significantly impairing her mobility and autonomy. Recently discharged from an ICU, the patient required extensive support for daily activities. Diagnostic evaluations, including EEG and analysis, revealed irregular frequency peaks and altered cortical activity, particularly in the frontal and prefrontal regions.
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