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Conflicts of Interest

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Ethics in Psychiatry

Part of the book series: International Library of Ethics, Law, and the New Medicine ((LIME,volume 45))

Abstract

The issue of financial conflicts of interest has brought clinical medicine (including psychiatry) to an unprecedented crisis of credibility. The problems caused by the increasing financial ties between the pharmaceutical industry and researchers and clinicians can be addressed only by a complex effort encompassing the establishment of lines of support of independent researchers who are free of substantial conflict of interest, better disclosure policies, and new conduct regulations as to financial ties. Such efforts require a bold shift from current, largely inadequate strategies. Conflicts of interest, however, can be also non financial. The current situation offers unprecedented opportunities for increasing intellectual freedom in psychiatry, addressing both financial and non financial issues.

Disclosure: The author has received grant support for his studies from the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research, the Italian National Research Council, the Italian National Institute of Health, the Carisbo Foundation, the Cassa di Risparmio di Cesena Foundation, Telefono Azzurro and Compagnia di S. Paolo. He is editor-in-chief of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics (Karger, Basel).

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Abbreviations

CME:

Continuing Medical Education

DSM-IV:

Diagnostic and Statistic Manual, 4. Revision, (American Psychiatric Association)

JAMA:

Journal of the American Medical Association

NEJM:

New England Journal of Medicine

PMA:

Professional Medical Associations

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, 40127, Italy

    Giovanni A. Fava

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  1. Giovanni A. Fava
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Correspondence to Giovanni A. Fava .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Charité Campus Benjamin Franklin, Klinik für Psychiatrie/ Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Berlin, Eschenallee 3, Berlin, 14050, Germany

    Hanfried Helmchen

  2. chemin Colladon 14, Geneve, 1209, Switzerland

    Norman Sartorius

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Fava, G.A. (2010). Conflicts of Interest. In: Helmchen, H., Sartorius, N. (eds) Ethics in Psychiatry. International Library of Ethics, Law, and the New Medicine, vol 45. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-8721-8_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-8721-8_4

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