Microanalysis: The Ethical Minefield

Abstract

Mental health professionals had always yearned for an intervention, which was restricted to them alone, was safe and had a commercial potential. Narco analysis or chemical hypnosis with or without the supervision of an anesthetist presented such an opportunity in India's largely poorly regulated medical practice. The turning point however was the unrestricted use of narco analysis for forensic reasons often against the will of the recipient that caught the attention of the judiciary. Professionals in candid confessions spoke of the tool replacing normal polite enquiries and unnecessary voyeuristic information being fettered out. Anecdotal evidence suggested police resorting to this tool without client consent or judicial permission. A series of fiats after searching enquiry on the statute has led to complete disarray. The legal issues have relegated the ethical issues of consent, the usefulness of “forced” information, the aftermath of “forced” information to the backburner. Currently, the tool is regulated by the judiciary and selectively applied with consent. In the clinical setting, it is fast disappearing.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.