Article Figures & Data
Tables
Category States States with mandatory duty to warn or protect Codified in statute Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, and Washington Indicated in common law Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wisconsin States that permit breach of confidentiality in cases of threat* Alaska, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, West Virginia, and Wyoming States with no statute/common law guidance Arkansas, Kansas, Maine, Nevada, New Mexico, and North Dakota Created by the authors with data from Edwards5 and updated with the FindLaw database at www.findlaw.com.
↵* States that permit a breach of confidentiality are distinct from those that mandate confidentiality be broken. Permissive states reject Tarasoff and do not place a legal obligation on therapists to issue a warning.
Professionals Covered States Mental health provider (does not appear to include psychiatrists or unclear) Alaska, Connecticut, Florida, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania Mental health provider (includes psychiatrist, psychologist, clinical social worker, and sometimes associates of those professions) California, Delaware, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, and New York Mental health provider (includes above and physicians who are not necessarily accredited in psychiatry) Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, District of Columbia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming Not specified or unclear Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin Physician (does not appear to include other mental health providers) New Hampshire Duty not applicable Arkansas, Kansas, Maine, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Virginia, Created by the authors with data from Edwards5 and updated with the FindLaw database, available at www.findlaw.com.
