Confidentiality in Treatment
This fact sheet provides information about confidentiality in treatment, and how it effects both adults and minors.
Confidentiality in Treatment
Family members or significant others can support an individual throughout the assessment,
treatment and recovery phases of an eating disorder. In fact, involvement in treatment from
support people is usually associated with better treatment outcomes.
The level of involvement of support people may depend on the individuals age, the type of
relationship you have with them and whether permission or consent has been provided for
them to be involved and to what extent.
Responsibilities of the Health Professional
All health professionals are legally required to maintain their patient’s confidentiality.
However, there are exceptions if:
- You have given permission to the health professional to share personal information
with your support people or other members of your treating team. - The health professional believes you may hurt yourself or someone else.
- The health professional is legally required to share confidential information.
In all other circumstances, if the health professional, family members or significant others
want to have more transparency in treatment, they will first need permission from the
individual.
Denial and secrecy are common features of these illnesses and can hinder recovery if they are not addressed.
Confidentiality for Minors
In Australia, many states permit young people (between the ages of 14-16) to seek mental
health care without requiring that parents be notified. If a young person has the capacity to
consent to medical treatment on their own behalf, then they are generally also entitled to
confidentiality. This includes the right for their health information to be kept confidential from
their parents.
However, treatment for an eating disorder is complex. It is best practice for the family
and/or support people of children and adolescents to be actively involved throughout
treatment.
At the start of treatment, the health professional will discuss the ground rules for privacy
and will clearly explain the boundaries of confidentiality. That way both the individual and
the family know exactly what type of information is going to be shared and what is going to
be kept confidential.
If you have any concerns around confidentiality, speak to the health professionals providing
care to clearly clarify the boundaries and limitations of confidentiality.
