The act on mental health protection has been operative in Poland for twenty years now. It is an act of special significance. It clarifies such important issues as psychiatric observation, involuntary treatment, and the use of direct coercion. There are, however, legal and medical issues in our country that have not been settled, such as the problem of in vitro fertilization. Attempts made in recent years to introduce separate regulations for it have failed. Analyzing the current bioethical debate, more and more often some psychological and psychiatric threads may be perceived in it. In scientific and journalistic discussions such questions appear as: How does fertilization procedure affect the woman’s emotions? Should in vitro be available to all those interested? Can a person with mental disorders apply for a child using in vitro methods? Such doubts have recently been followed by subsequent ones. Some questions were asked about the mental health of children conceived through prenatal adoption. Will these children be able to find their identity? This article shows new contexts of Polish bioethical debate, directly referring to psychiatric and psychological problems.

bioethical debate, patient’s rights, psychiatric law, prenatal adoption, in vitro fertilization