In a column for The Washington Post, Steven Petrow discusses his concerns with mental health professionals sharing too much about themselves online, particularly on social media sites like Facebook. The issue started when Petrow saw much of his analyst’s personal information because of the privacy settings on the doctor’s personal Facebook account. “At that point, I started wondering,” Petrow wrote, “Are there no social media best practices for mental health professionals?” As of now, there are not, but, he reports, the American Psychological Association (APA) has published “The Internet’s Ethical Challenges,” in which APA Director Stephen Behnke writes, “psychologists have special ethical issues they need to think through to determine how this technology is going to affect their work.” (Registration may be required to access this story.) Editor’s Note: A Privacy Perspectives post discusses why healthcare providers should utilize social media.
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