Motivational Interviewing to Navigate Ethical Considerations for Youth Facing Stigma in Health Care Settings

Implicit bias and health-related stigma can impact patient-provider communication, particularly related to pediatric chronic conditions that are currently increasing in incidence. This paper highlights the intersection of stigma and bias in health care using a complex clinical vignette to illustrate ethical problem-solving and patient-centered communication through motivational interviewing. Motivational interviewing may improve patient-centered communication and assist in navigating ethical considerations for youth facing stigmatizing conditions such as obesity, chronic pain, and major depression. Clinical considerations for health service psychologists are provided and tailored for gender identity, race/ethnicity, and other relevant sociocultural considerations. Psychologists play an important role in providing education and training to other health professionals on motivational interviewing strategies to facilitate ethical problem-solving and foster more effective patient-provider communication for youth facing stigma in health care settings.