Advance planning of decisions in mental health:bioethical analysis

Abstract

Studies on advance planning of decisions are frequent in the health field and growing in the mental health field. As part of a proactive and ethical approach to decision-making, it is an ideal tool for providing dignified care and respect for the individual and their surroundings. This article presents a solid ethical approach that substantiates and vindicates such practices. To this end, a rigorous analysis of the ethical and care benefits is carried out, highlighting the barriers that hinder their incorporation and reflecting on the need for more research to overcome these barriers to provide more humanized care for patients with mental disorders. Furthermore, recommendations are proposed for healthcare professionals involved in the care of such people to implement this type of care relationship.