Addressing research ethical dilemmas on cognitively impaired mentally ill patients (CIMI): insights from a prisma-guided review

Participants reserve the right to privacy and confidentiality like other patients to maintain their dignity. This research aims to identify the problems encountered by the researchers and the solutions they proposed while researching cognitively impaired mentally ill patients, to encourage the involvement of this neglected population in terms of research and hence management. The objective of this review was to identify the ethical solutions while researching cognitively impaired mentally ill patients. 21 studies, fulfilling the inclusion criteria from 2003-2024 were selected. This review follows the Cochrane Book of Systematic Review and PRISMA guidelines 2020. Informed consent remained the most inevitable challenge for researchers. There should be the revision of policies for researching such vulnerable populations to find ways to minimize the ailment while keeping in mind the privacy and safety concerns of research participants. Ethical recommendations for research involving cognitively impaired, mentally ill patients include adaptive consent processes using simplified language, involvement of legal guardians, and continuous consent reassessments. Privacy protections and strict data handling protocols are essential, along with minimizing risks and maximizing benefits. Researchers should receive specialized training, and studies should be regularly reviewed by ethics committees to ensure adherence to high ethical standards.