Doctor-Patient Confidentiality

Please help!!!

Imagine yourself as a psychologist. I am your 15-year-old client. During one of our sessions I confide in you that things aren't going so well at home and the only way to gain personal fullfillment is to run away and join a Buddhist (or another religious) temple. The next day, I'm missing, and there is search for me, involving authorities and my parents. A private investigator has been hired to find me. This P.I. tracks you down and asks you if you know anything.

Do you by law have to come forward about knowing of my whereabouts?
What are the limits of doctor/patient confidentiality?
What it make any difference if the missing person was an adult?



Any help would be greatly appreciated

The doctor cannot be forced to say anything whatsoever.

But he can if he wants to.

like jonnythan said.....

but same token I believe a person has to be missing 24hrs before reported missing....butttt then again, some laws are different in states and countries...

yeah the Doc cant say anything, there is a case in the UK right now where a 13 year old girl is suing her GP for disclosing to her mother that she is pregnant, we have been told to not disclose ANYTHING to anyone except the patient, regardless of age or ability