SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
In a recent email to its 3,500 members, the American Psychoanalytic Association "told its members they should not feel bound by" the Goldwater Rule, which some have characterized as a "gag rule," Stat News's Sharon Begley reports. (Photo: Molly Adams/Flickr/cc)
Psychiatric Group Tells Members It's OK to Break Silence on Trump's Bizarre Behavior
Easing "gag order" on public diagnosis, professional association entrusts mental health experts to use their "knowledge responsibly"
Jul 25, 2017
As President Donald Trump continues to behave bizarrely and erratically--attacking his own attorney general, launching into a political tirade during a speech to Boy Scouts, bringing his 11-year-old son into the burgeoning Russia controversy--a professional association of psychoanalysts is telling its members to drop the so-called Goldwater rule and comment publicly on the president's state of mind if they find reason to do so.
"Trump's behavior is so different from anything we've seen before."
--Dr. Prudence Gourguechon
The Goldwater Rule was formally included in the American Psychiatric Association's "Principles of Medical Ethics" following the 1964 presidential campaign, during which a magazine editor was sued for running an article in which mental health professionals gave their opinions on Republic presidential candidate Barry Goldwater's psychiatric state. The rule deems public comments by psychiatrists on the mental health of public officials without consent "unethical."
In a recent email to its 3,500 members, the American Psychoanalytic Association "told its members they should not feel bound by" the Goldwater Rule, which some have characterized as a "gag rule," STAT's Sharon Begley reports.
"The statement," Begley notes, "represents the first significant crack in the profession's decades-old united front aimed at preventing experts from discussing the psychiatric aspects of politicians' behavior. It will likely make many of its members feel more comfortable speaking openly about President Trump's mental health.
In an interview with STAT, former president of the American Psychoanalytic Association Dr. Prudence Gourguechon--who now works as a psychiatrist in Chicago--said the Goldwater Rule should be abandoned because "Trump's behavior is so different from anything we've seen before."
"We don't want to prohibit our members from using their knowledge responsibly," Gourguechon concluded.
Dr. Leonard Glass, a psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School, argued that Trump's "extraordinary abundance of speech and behavior" gives mental health professionals plenty of material "on which one could form a judgment."
"It's not definitive, it's an informed hypothesis," Glass concluded, "and one we should be able to offer rather than the stunning silence demanded by the Goldwater rule."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
As President Donald Trump continues to behave bizarrely and erratically--attacking his own attorney general, launching into a political tirade during a speech to Boy Scouts, bringing his 11-year-old son into the burgeoning Russia controversy--a professional association of psychoanalysts is telling its members to drop the so-called Goldwater rule and comment publicly on the president's state of mind if they find reason to do so.
"Trump's behavior is so different from anything we've seen before."
--Dr. Prudence Gourguechon
The Goldwater Rule was formally included in the American Psychiatric Association's "Principles of Medical Ethics" following the 1964 presidential campaign, during which a magazine editor was sued for running an article in which mental health professionals gave their opinions on Republic presidential candidate Barry Goldwater's psychiatric state. The rule deems public comments by psychiatrists on the mental health of public officials without consent "unethical."
In a recent email to its 3,500 members, the American Psychoanalytic Association "told its members they should not feel bound by" the Goldwater Rule, which some have characterized as a "gag rule," STAT's Sharon Begley reports.
"The statement," Begley notes, "represents the first significant crack in the profession's decades-old united front aimed at preventing experts from discussing the psychiatric aspects of politicians' behavior. It will likely make many of its members feel more comfortable speaking openly about President Trump's mental health.
In an interview with STAT, former president of the American Psychoanalytic Association Dr. Prudence Gourguechon--who now works as a psychiatrist in Chicago--said the Goldwater Rule should be abandoned because "Trump's behavior is so different from anything we've seen before."
"We don't want to prohibit our members from using their knowledge responsibly," Gourguechon concluded.
Dr. Leonard Glass, a psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School, argued that Trump's "extraordinary abundance of speech and behavior" gives mental health professionals plenty of material "on which one could form a judgment."
"It's not definitive, it's an informed hypothesis," Glass concluded, "and one we should be able to offer rather than the stunning silence demanded by the Goldwater rule."
As President Donald Trump continues to behave bizarrely and erratically--attacking his own attorney general, launching into a political tirade during a speech to Boy Scouts, bringing his 11-year-old son into the burgeoning Russia controversy--a professional association of psychoanalysts is telling its members to drop the so-called Goldwater rule and comment publicly on the president's state of mind if they find reason to do so.
"Trump's behavior is so different from anything we've seen before."
--Dr. Prudence Gourguechon
The Goldwater Rule was formally included in the American Psychiatric Association's "Principles of Medical Ethics" following the 1964 presidential campaign, during which a magazine editor was sued for running an article in which mental health professionals gave their opinions on Republic presidential candidate Barry Goldwater's psychiatric state. The rule deems public comments by psychiatrists on the mental health of public officials without consent "unethical."
In a recent email to its 3,500 members, the American Psychoanalytic Association "told its members they should not feel bound by" the Goldwater Rule, which some have characterized as a "gag rule," STAT's Sharon Begley reports.
"The statement," Begley notes, "represents the first significant crack in the profession's decades-old united front aimed at preventing experts from discussing the psychiatric aspects of politicians' behavior. It will likely make many of its members feel more comfortable speaking openly about President Trump's mental health.
In an interview with STAT, former president of the American Psychoanalytic Association Dr. Prudence Gourguechon--who now works as a psychiatrist in Chicago--said the Goldwater Rule should be abandoned because "Trump's behavior is so different from anything we've seen before."
"We don't want to prohibit our members from using their knowledge responsibly," Gourguechon concluded.
Dr. Leonard Glass, a psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School, argued that Trump's "extraordinary abundance of speech and behavior" gives mental health professionals plenty of material "on which one could form a judgment."
"It's not definitive, it's an informed hypothesis," Glass concluded, "and one we should be able to offer rather than the stunning silence demanded by the Goldwater rule."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.