A patient diagnosed with schizophrenia believes evil spirits are being summoned by a local minister and verbally threatens to bomb a local church. The psychiatrist notifies the minister. The psychiatrist has:

A) released information without proper authorization.
B) demonstrated the duty to warn and protect.
C) violated the patient's confidentiality.
D) avoided charges of malpractice.

Evil Spirits

Supernatural entities believed in many cultures to be malevolent forces that can influence or harm humans.

Duty To Warn

Describes the legal obligation of certain professionals to breach confidentiality in order to warn identified individuals or authorities of potential harm from a client or third party.

Psychiatric Confidentiality

The ethical and legal principle that requires healthcare providers to keep a patient's personal and medical information private unless given consent to release it.