The world is complicated by an overwhelming number of facts, and the world of psychiatry is no exception. Unfortunately, facts by themselves provide no guidance. What ethics programs do is figure out what is important and worth pursuing, preserving, and protecting.

The Division of Ethics in the Department of Psychiatry provides research, education, and clinical care for the Department of Psychiatry but also for the entire UT Southwestern community. The UT Southwestern Department of Psychiatry Division for Ethics works in close collaboration with the Department of Clinical Sciences, Division of Ethics and Health Policy.  Together these programs provide a broad and deep grasp of ethical and conceptual issues in medicine, science, and technology today.

The Division of Ethics is host to many functions and activities:

The UT Southwestern Medical School Colleges Ethics Curriculum is authored and administered here.

The Ethics Grand Rounds series at Southwestern is based in the Division, and features the annual Daniel W. Foster, M.D. Visiting Lectureship in Medical Ethics.

The Psychiatry and Freedom Project

A scholarly journal, Philosophy, Psychiatry, & Psychology is produced with the Division as its base, and an affiliated international organization, the Association for the Advancement of Philosophy & Psychiatry (AAPP) uses the Division as its administrative headquarters. The Division provides editorial contributions to an Oxford University Press book series, International Perspectives in Philosophy & Psychiatry.

Our research extends from philosophical work in the mental health field to the ethics of nanomedicine, as can be seen from browsing our faculty pages.

In terms of clinical services, we provide structure and support for area healthcare ethics committees as well as the UT Southwestern Institutional Review Boards. We hope you'll browse the links provided to get a full grasp of our activities!