During a staff education session on legal issues in mental health care, which example indicates libel?

• A. Taking the clothes of a client who is voluntarily admitted so that he cannot leave
• B. Threatening to apply restraints on a client who is refusing medication
• C. Documenting false information about a client's substance use history
• D. Administering an incorrect dosage of a client's medication

Answer: (C)

Libel is a written defamation—making a false statement about someone that harms their reputation and is communicated to others. In mental health care, patient records and notes are read by multiple professionals, so documenting false information about a client’s substance use history can defame the person and expose the clinician or facility to liability. The option describing writing false information about a client’s substance use history fits this definition exactly because it involves a false, published statement that could harm the client’s reputation. The other scenarios illustrate different legal issues: false imprisonment or limiting a person’s liberty, threats of restraints (assault or coercion), and a medication error (malpractice), none of which are defamation.