Decisional Capacity

Abstract

Decisional capacity assessments are a routine yet critical component of healthcare practice worldwide, profoundly influencing the trajectory of patients’ lives. These evaluations carry significant psychological and ethical weight, as they determine the extent to which individuals should be granted the authority to make decisions about their own care. Formal assessments are designed to evaluate whether a patient’s decisional autonomy may be limited, potentially resulting in restrictions not only on their choices, but to the information provided to them for their own rational deliberation. This volume highlights the vital role psychiatrists and ethicists can play in supporting clinicians charged with assessing decisional capacity and making ethically justifiable care decisions. Philosophers further contribute by examining the conceptual, logical, and legal foundations of standard assessment procedures, exploring how these determinations intersect with broader questions about autonomy and human dignity. Decisional Capacity: Medical and Philosophical Perspectives offers an interdisciplinary resource for clinicians navigating these highly consequential determinations. The volume features 17 chapters authored by leading experts across psychiatry, clinical psychology, neurology, philosophy, bioethics, and law. Despite the wide-reaching relevance of decisional capacity, this volume is the first interdisciplinary work to offer both practical clinical guidance and critical philosophical analysis, providing a uniquely comprehensive resource for professionals across the healthcare spectrum.