Year: 1982 Source: Annual Meeting of the American Association of Suicidology, (15th: 1982: New York), p.178-180 SIEC No: 19841398

Mayo provides two theories at the extremes of the conceptions of morality (utilitarianism and Kantian formalism) as a basis for insight for anyone facing the confidentiality dilemma. Utilitarianism holds that the only intrinsic moral value is happiness & therefore confidentiality trivialized. Immanuel Kant’s Formalist theory holds that people are autonomously entitled to moral respect by virtue of their capacity for acting according to rules or principles. Mayo concludes that this confidentiality dilemma is just part of being human & that in making a decision, consider the conflict’s ultimate values.