FALSE MEMORY SYNDROME FOUNDATION NEWSLETTER SPRING 2010 Vol. 19 No. 2 Dear Friends, In the same issue, psychologist Susan Clancy whose new book The issue of “repressed and recovered memories” The Trauma Myth is described on page 8 writes: wends its sluggish way through our culture and legal sys- “The problem is that today, after more than twenty-five tem, most often in the direction supported by science, but years, predictions based on the trauma model have not proved not always. Some recent events demonstrate how very dif- accurate. Characteristics of the sexual abuse experience relat- ficult it is to change deeply-held cherished beliefs. ed to trauma (like how frightening it was, whether penetra- Opportunity lost. The American Psychiatric Association tion or force was involved, and how many times it happened,) do not do a good job of forecasting the level of long-term has posted a draft of the proposed Diagnostic and Statistical psychological harm experienced... Most of the scholars in the [1] Manual—V (DSM-V) and invites professionals and the sexual abuse field are coming to agree that understanding public to comment through April 20. (p. 3) A glance at the how and why sexual abuse damages victims probably has lit- section on Dissociative Identity Disorder, (originally tle to do with the actual abuse and a lot to do with what hap- Multiple Personality Disorder) shows no significant change pens in its aftermath.” has been made in spite of the now compelling evidence that Although understanding the complexity of how abuse the increase in incidence is iatrogenic. It’s disappointing but may harm individuals may be increasing, our culture’s love not surprising. The movement toward science in the area of affair with the belief that memory of childhood trauma is repressed memories will apparently continue to come from “repressed” and later recovered is still strong as evidenced the courts as it has for the past two decades, not from the in some recent legal decisions. mental health profession. Although the courts have generally been moving in the The March/April issue of The Psychotherapy direction of determining that there is a lack of a scientific Networker, available on the web,[2] has a terrific description evidence for claims of repressed memories, the of the highly political processes involved with the inclusion Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court went in another of a diagnosis is the DSM. Mary Sykes Wylie’s article “The direction. Despite an amicus curiae brief signed by one hun- Long Shadow of Trauma” is about a proposed new trauma dred scientists stating the lack of scientific support for the entry championed by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D. Called notion of repressed memories, the Court upheld the convic- “Developmental Trauma Disorder” (DTD), the entry has tion of Paul Shanley based on the recovered repressed mem- been rejected to date. Wylie quotes the chair of the DSM ories of Paul Busa. (p. 10) Even though the issue before the Trauma Subgroup, Matthew Friedman,M.D.: Court was one of science and not the guilt or innocence of “Their research was almost entirely retrospective, collect- the accused, the pervasive climate generated by the ever- ed from different places, under a variety of conditions, using growing clergy abuse scandal no doubt played a role. A feel- different kinds of measurements. They need to identify in ing for that climate can be found in the comments to an advance, not retrospectively, what the criteria should be, Australian television documentary about the Shanley case. develop the diagnostic instruments to assess them, then go into the field and rigorously apply it to see whether the crite- In this issue... ria they propose are accurate, whether they hold together Skeptic from KC ................................................................3 diagnostically and constitute a diagnosis that is sufficiently Legal Corner....................................................................10 differentiated from others...” Barden ............................................................................11 We wonder if the DID diagnosis truly meets the criteria Bulletin Board ..................................................................15 listed by Friedman. The next newsletter will be sent in July 2010. 1955 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-5766, 215-940-1040, Fax 215-940-1042, www.FMSFonline.org [3] The program featured Elizabeth Loftus, Ph.D., and James ago. The legal system also needs to wake up to the need for Chu, M.D., both of whom were experts in Shanley’s trial. A multi-disciplinary practice. JD-only attorneys should never, statement by Dr. Chu in this documentary was similar to his ever be permitted to litigate ‘repressed and recovered memo- testimony and exemplifies the pseudoscience that the ry’ cases without the supervision and assistance of special- Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court finds credible: ized legal experts.” That admonishment provides a key to looking at “If you’ve been repeatedly traumatized, you’re actually repressed-memory cases. For example, what psychological much more likely to block it out eventually than if it’s hap- pened once or twice. So one theory talks about repression, expertise will the defense attorneys for the members of the there is some kind of process, itself unconscious, that makes Mohler family in Missouri bring to the table? Several men things that are too overwhelming or too conflictual not then in that family have been accused of past abuse based on available to your conscious memory.” recovered memories. On page 3, a reader from Kansas City The theory flies in the face of what is known about adds more information about that case that was mentioned memory. The more frequently something happens, the more in the Winter Newsletter. likely it is to be remembered although details of incidents Recovered-memory nonsense still abounds but a new may be blended. [4] generation of “recovered-memory myth-busters” is on the In a similar misdirection, a judge in Indiana ruled that a scene to deal with it. Students of Richard McNally such as jury could hear repressed-memory testimony. This is a first Susan Clancy and of Elizabeth Loftus and members of the for Indiana and as one law professor noted, the decision will FMSF Scientific Advisory Board push the boundaries of likely force the court of appeals and the Indiana Supreme recovered-memory reason forward. (See box on this page.) Court to look at the issue.[5] But the decision is sufficiently A new generation of “myth-busting” investigative worrisome that we contacted Minnesota attorney R. C. reporters is also on the job. For example, Doug Mesner has Barden, J.D., Ph.D., to ask what he thought might be factors been attending meetings of people who claim to have been contributing to unscientific legal decisions. (p. 11) Dr. abused by satanic ritual abuse cults and he then writes about Barden is convinced that the problem lies in the fact that too the meetings and the claims on his blog. Doug has inter- often individual attorneys with no expertise in science try to viewed many retractors, listened to their stories and fol- defend cases by themselves as in the cases mentioned lowed up by investigating the therapists who helped them above. Dr. Barden notes: believe in what never happened. Most recently he has brought to the fore some of the untenable claims of Colin “The medical system ended the ineffectual, horse-and- Ross, M.D. (See http://www.process.org/) buggy, ‘one professional does it all’ practice model decades Although we wish that the recovered-memory phenom- The idea of repression ultimately hurts victims. enon would move more quickly on its way out of our cul- ture, there is no doubt that fascination with the story ele- “What therapists in the sexual abuse field refer to as ments still propels belief in the recovered-memory phenom- repression is actually simple forgetting. Most children who enon, science not withstanding. get abused don’t understand it at the time. Thus, it is not a significant experience when it happens—it’s weird, per- Pamela haps—and so they forget it, like we forget so many aspects 1. Go to: http://www.dsm5.org/Pages/Default.aspx 2. Wylie, M.S. (2010, March/April). The long shadow of trauma. of childhood. Later on in life they may be asked by a ther- Psychotherapy Networker. Available at: http://www.psychotherapynet- apist, “Were you sexually abused as a child?” and this worker.org/magazine/currentissue question will cue a memory. When this happens it is not an 3. (2010, March 18). False memories. Catalyst, (Australia) ABC TV example of a recovered memory. It is an example of nor- Science. Retrieved on 3/19/10 from http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/sto- mal forgetting and remembering. ries/2848614.htm. 4. There are many studies in support. For example: McNichol, S., “The idea of repression ultimately hurts victims. It rein- Shute, R. & Tucker, A (1999). Children’s eyewitness memory for a forces the notion that sexual abuse is and should be a trau- repeated event. Child Abuse & Neglect, 23(11), 1127-1139. matic experience when it happens—something done “Children who experience repeated events have increased recall for against the will of the victims. Since for most victims this repeated details but confuse the timing of details which change across events. The findings support previous suggestions that (a) it is unrealis- is not the case, they end up feeling ‘alone,’ ‘isolated’ and tic to expect children to be able to report repeated events without some ‘ashamed.’” confusion about timimg of details and (b) children are resistant to mis- Rogers, T. (2010, January 19). The Trauma Myth: The child betrayed. leading questions about abuse.” Susan Clancy discusses her controversial theory, and how an industry 5. John Doe76C vs. Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.