DOCSLIB.ORG

A Goldwater Rule for Sports Medicine

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A Goldwater Rule for Sports Medicine Clin Orthop Relat Res (2018) 476:1149-1153 DOI 10.1097/01.blo.0000533612.13677.63 Not the Last Word Published online: 26 April 2018 Copyright © 2018 by the Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons 06/24/2018 on KgFmXNLSMJ4u1p6ztYvHWfuNA76izQU/ztryAc8YUPUg15KyDgTVvpTaQzTGoIKNgAyziy6WtTNezqpqQwMgDi0uNFYqr1Rat5qdQOaDE3PeQvfkcBm6BbAt1x3hFPPcHF+EQ2lqcFd6rCUZYN2T9sf7yKZ7Uc7piPWjJQ+Mz8y/ndNrWqjoBQ== by https://mail.uphs.upenn.edu/owa from Downloaded Downloaded Not the Last Word: A Goldwater Rule for from Sports Medicine https://mail.uphs.upenn.edu/owa Joseph Bernstein MD by KgFmXNLSMJ4u1p6ztYvHWfuNA76izQU/ztryAc8YUPUg15KyDgTVvpTaQzTGoIKNgAyziy6WtTNezqpqQwMgDi0uNFYqr1Rat5qdQOaDE3PeQvfkcBm6BbAt1x3hFPPcHF+EQ2lqcFd6rCUZYN2T9sf7yKZ7Uc7piPWjJQ+Mz8y/ndNrWqjoBQ== resident Trump sure has kept the Lee, a psychiatrist at the Yale School and elite college athletes frequently nation’s amateur psychologists of Medicine, has recently edited are peppered with quotations from Pbusy. Self-appointed mental- a book, The Dangerous Case of Don- orthopaedic surgeons who have never health experts, including newspaper ald Trump: 27 Psychiatrists and examined the athlete in question. columnists, late-night comedians, and Mental Health Experts Assess a Presi- Twitter feeds are loaded with un- my wife’s Uncle Stanley, all have de- dent,to“warn against the president’s prompted comments from orthopae- tailed opinions to share about President psychological instability and the dan- dic surgeons. The information shared Trump’s state of mind. gers it poses” [12, 13]—without the by physicians is scrutinized rapidly But it’s not just the amateurs who benefit of a face-to-face evaluation. not only by sentimental fans with their are taking this approach. Dr. Bandy By publishing this book, Dr. Lee hearts on their sleeves, but by fantasy- allegedly violated Section 7 of the league participants [10] and gamblers American Psychiatric Association’s who have fortunes on the line [22]. A note from the Editor-in-Chief: We are Principles of Medical Ethics [23], the And while almost all of the statements pleased to present to readers of Clinical so-called Goldwater Rule, which states I have read over the years have been Orthopaedics and Related Research® the next that “it is unethical for a psychiatrist to reasonable, armchair medical com- Not the Last Word. The goal of this section is offer a professional opinion unless he mentary can be harmful, and explicit to explore timely and controversial issues that or she has conducted an examination” professional standards may therefore affect how orthopaedic surgery is taught, learned, and practiced. We welcome reader [2]. The Goldwater Rule is named after be helpful. feedback on all of our columns and articles; Barry Goldwater, the 1964 Republican A Goldwater Rule for sports medi- please send your comments to eic@ Presidential nominee who was labeled cine must start from the premise that clinorthop.org. by psychiatrists who never examined commentary about professional ath- fi The author certi es that neither he, nor any him as a “paranoiac” with “delusions letes can educate the public. People members of his immediate family, have any ” “ ” commercial associations (such as consultan- of persecution , irrationally cruel respond to stories much more than cies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/ [20], and generally unfit to serve as facts and figures, and therefore a lesson licensing arrangements, etc.) that might pose president. Goldwater successfully sued woven around the experiences a fa- a conflict of interest in connection with the a magazine that printed these opinions; mous person is more likely to stick. In submitted article. the judgment was upheld by the U. S. The opinions expressed are those of the writ- my practice, recounting the un- ers, and do not reflect the opinion or policy of Supreme Court [8]. fortunate episode of Jerry Rice and his Clinical Orthopaedics and Related I wonder if there is a role for patellar fracture in a game just 14 Research® or The Association of Bone and a Goldwater Rule in orthopaedics, weeks after ACL surgery [21] does Joint Surgeons®. specifically regarding sports injuries of ✉ more to support my unhurried rehab Joseph Bernstein MD ( ), University of professional athletes. Pennsylvania, 424 Stemmler Hall, schedule than any speech about the on Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA, Email: Newspaper and online articles de- biology of healing. 06/24/2018 [email protected] scribing the injuries of professional With that in mind, I propose the following framework: All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Re- lated Research® editors and board members J. Bernstein, Department of Orthopaedic 1. Physician-commentators should are on file with the publication and can be Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, state explicitly that they have never viewed on request. Philadelphia, PA, USA met the athlete in question. Copyright Ó 2018 by the Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited. 1150 Bernstein Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research® Not the Last Word 2. Physician-commentators should “squander the profession’sauthority before the league’s opening game not disparage the famous patient and goodwill” [19]. That rationale closed with the powerful message: with speculation, even with state- might apply to all fields of medicine. “The best entertainment in the world is ments that are generally true. For But the need for guidelines goes beyond back. Let the show begin” [15]. instance, fifth metacarpal neck that. The Goldwater Rule was enshrined This marketing strategy capitalized fractures may be associated with following a successful lawsuit, in which on the fact that, today, professional poor impulse control and wall Mr. Goldwater convinced the court athletics are grounded not just in com- punching. Osteonecrosis of the spurious psychiatric opinions met the petition or teamwork, but in entertain- femoral head may be associated legal standard for libel. Along those ment. More than just participants, with alcoholism. Wondering with- lines, inappropriate comments about athletes have become commodities that out evidence whether those gen- a professional athlete’s injury or its fans consume through attending games, eralities apply to a particular treatment may be similarly damaging to viewing televised competitions on their athlete, however, is unfair. the reputation of the athlete or physi- televisions and smartphones, supporting 3. Physician-commentators should cian. All of us—doctors, patients, and media coverage of elite athletes, en- take care to not disparage the society at large—will be better served gaging in fantasy leagues, or simply treating providers, either. A team by eliminating inappropriate comments purchasing team merchandise. physician’s treatment strategy may in the first place. Dr. Bernstein’s column presents on the surface seem strange, but it The rules above merely codify a thoughtful response to the potential may be driven by facts the public common decency, so some may say dangers of armchair medical com- does not know. These facts may that they are not needed. Orthopaedic mentary, including damage to the include elements of the past med- surgeons have certainly been more reputation of the athlete or the physi- ical history or the preferences of the circumspect than their colleagues in cians themselves. I agree that to enact patient-athletes or their agents. psychiatry regarding political com- afull-scaleGoldwaterRuleforsports Plausible justifications for non- ments. After all, when candidate medicine would be to dismiss the very standard approaches should be Trump could not remember which foot nature of this multibillion-dollar en- offered. had the bone spurs [7] that exempted tertainment industry, one which 4. Nonstandard approaches to di- him from the Vietnam war, no ortho- derives nearly as much from the agnosis and treatment should be paedic surgeon wrote a book entitled observers—the fans and reporters and placed in context. Immediate sur- The Curious Feet of Donald Trump: 26 commentators and physicians—as gery for a fifth metatarsal fracture Bones That Might Be Affected. from the athletes themselves. may make sense for a football Well-formed rules promoting a fair Further, full-scale extension of the player hoping to salvage the sec- and accurate discussion about pro- Goldwater Rule might improperly con- ond half of the season, but not for fessional athletes’ injuries can educate flate expressing a negative opinion with many other people. That distinction the public and improve musculoskele- having deliberate malice. Senator Gold- should be stressed. tal health. water’s lawsuit was successful because 5. Ignorance should be confessed. If Benjamin G. Domb MD the publication’sinflammatory com- you don’t know, say “I don’t know”. Medical Director, American Hip ments met the high standard required of Much of sports medicine concerns Institute libel cases involving public figures [5, orthopaedics, but not all of it: Nu- Past Head Team Physician, Chi- 11, 17, 20], but only in extreme scenar- trition, cardiology, and psychology, cago Sky, WNBA ios might the same be said of a sports to name just a few examples, may At the start of the 2017-2018 sea- medicine physician’s evidence-based be the topic of the day. If the sub- son, the National Football League and professional diagnostic opinion. ject is outside of one’s expertise, no (NFL) launched a new ad campaign, Most importantly, this piece identi- commentary should
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Interpreting the Goldwater Rule
    ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARY SPECIAL SECTION: THE GOLDWATER RULE Interpreting the Goldwater Rule John Martin-Joy, MD Section 7.3 of the Principles of Medical Ethics With Annotations Especially Applicable to Psychiatry (the so-called Goldwater Rule) provides guidance on the ethics of making psychiatric comments about public figures who have not been interviewed and have not given consent. I argue that the wording of Section 7.3 is ambiguous, and I document disagreement over the scope of the rule and consider the implications of this disagreement. If one reads Section 7.3 narrowly, as banning media comments without interview and consent, but allowing such comments in institutional settings, then the general principle articulated in the text and often repeated in the media begins to appear insubstantial. If one reads Section 7.3 broadly, then the work of psychiatrists in the courts, in government agencies such as the Central Intelligence Agency, in insurance companies, and in the academy becomes ethically problematic. I trace the American Psychiatric Association’s own interpretation of Section 7.3 and conclude that the APA has advocated a narrow reading. I assert the need for an integrated theory of psychiatric ethics for settings where interview and consent are absent. Such a theory, articulating why comments in institutional settings are ethical, but comments to media are not, may reduce public confusion and provide a basis for revising Section 7.3. J Am Acad Psychiatry Law 45:233–40, 2017 Adopted in 1973 in the wake of a controversial inci- Although a scholarly discussion has now begun to dent involving Fact magazine,1 Section 7.3 of the develop,8–13 in some respects, psychiatrists who wish American Psychiatric Association’s Principles of Med- to study the foundations of the Rule’s ethics and ical Ethics with Annotations Specific to Psychiatry (the implications still have relatively little to work with.
    [Show full text]
  • A Rift Among Experts Over Analyzing Trump's Mental Health by Jen Christensen, CNN  Updated 1745 GMT (0145 HKT) July 26, 2017
    A rift among experts over analyzing Trump's mental health By Jen Christensen, CNN Updated 1745 GMT (0145 HKT) July 26, 2017 Source: CNN Six months of the Trump presidency in photos 00:52 (CNN) — You might expect partisan politicians to question Story highlights the sanity of a president, but now there's an unusual and growing public debate among those qualified to make the One mental health association says members assessment -- psychiatrists and other mental health experts -- as to whether they should be allowed to publicly raise should feel "free to comment about political those questions. figures as individuals" Two professional mental health associations -- the Another discourages its members from American Psychoanalytic Association, known as the APsaA, speaking publicly about a public figure's and the American Psychiatric Association, known as the APA -- have opposite opinions about what would be ethical, mental health and what is not. If members want to share their educated opinions about President Donald Trump, or any public figure for that matter, the associations' ethics guidance conflict, leaving dual members with a touch choice. It might sound like an arcane conversation about medical ethics, but the debate has heated up as more experts have publicly shared their concerns about the President's mental health. Dozens of mental health professionals signed on to a letter in February that said Trump's "speech and actions demonstrate an inability to tolerate views dierent from his own, leading to rage reactions," and show "a profound inability to empathize." How the policies dier The American Psychoanalytic Association represents about 3,500 members from all mental health professions and academia.
    [Show full text]
  • Reflections on the Goldwater Rule
    ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARY SPECIAL SECTION: THE GOLDWATER RULE Reflections on the Goldwater Rule Paul S. Appelbaum, MD The APA’s Goldwater Rule, precluding psychiatrists from rendering opinions to the media about public figures whom they have not examined, has often engendered controversy. Here, I consider the justifications for the rule, how well they stand up to criticism, and the extent, if any, to which modifications might be called for. Although embarrassment to the profession is often cited as the basis for the Rule, it reflects more substantive concerns, including the risk of harm to living persons and discouraging persons in need of treatment from seeking psychiatric attention. The most potent criticisms of the Rule are that it discourages public education about mental illness and its effects and precludes legitimate scholarly endeavors by psychiatrists studying foreign leaders, historical figures, and others. However, there are many ways of providing education about mental illness without violating the Rule, and read properly, it should not prevent legitimate historical investigation, though some clarification of the Rule on this point might be helpful. Even psychiatrists who seek to aid policymakers in dealing with international or domestic threats should not find that the Rule interferes with their efforts. On balance, the Goldwater Rule continues to be an important underpinning of ethical behavior by psychiatrists. J Am Acad Psychiatry Law 45:228–32, 2017 In 1973, in the wake of the notorious Fact magazine Purpose of the Rule
    [Show full text]
  • Impeachment, Donald Trump and the Attempted Extortion of Ukraine
    Pace Law Review Volume 40 Issue 2 Article 4 July 2020 IMPEACHMENT, DONALD TRUMP AND THE ATTEMPTED EXTORTION OF UKRAINE Lawrence J. Trautman [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.pace.edu/plr Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation Lawrence J. Trautman, IMPEACHMENT, DONALD TRUMP AND THE ATTEMPTED EXTORTION OF UKRAINE, 40 Pace L. Rev. 141 (2020) Available at: https://digitalcommons.pace.edu/plr/vol40/iss2/4 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Law at DigitalCommons@Pace. It has been accepted for inclusion in Pace Law Review by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Pace. For more information, please contact [email protected]. IMPEACHMENT, DONALD TRUMP AND THE ATTEMPTED EXTORTION OF UKRAINE Lawrence J. Trautman1 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................... 143 II. THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISION FOR IMPEACHMENT ....................................................................... 144 A. Treason ......................................................................... 145 B. Bribery .......................................................................... 145 C. Other High Crimes and Misdemeanors ..................... 145 D. Impeachment Is An Emergency Measure .................. 146 III. HISTORY OF U.S. PRESIDENTIAL IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS ........................................................................ 148 A. President Andrew Johnson ......................................... 149
    [Show full text]
  • Psychiatric Evaluation of Trump
    Psychiatric Evaluation Of Trump Coplanar Ludvig episcopise her championship so aerobiotically that Filbert containerizes very magnificently. Llewellyn still citifies cursedly while rheological Rodolphe subjugating that Miranda. Organicism and cardboard David discards her irretentiveness pigeonholes logistically or gillies infrangibly, is Shlomo curule? Moreover, it is possible to understand Trump without ever invoking disability. He was taken to a nearby hospital for a medical evaluation. This shopping feature will continue to load items when the Enter key is pressed. Republicans Failed the Country. We are approaching your tds up where is done studies have shared psychosis at what is too? It is a standard process that involves an interview, various tests, and information from outside sources. Baltimore psychologist heads effort to 'warn' the Trump's. They would probably spread from some psychiatric care just weld a given. This fraud an historic work in asset history beyond American psychiatry. Without a great vision of renew is happening, this through nearly impossible. While there may be many reasons for this, when the level reaches the point of irrationality, we must consider contagion. Thanks to consider themselves, psychiatric evaluation of trump himself at least dissemble, marco rubio told the trainees. Muslims all over this world goes wrong. The vaccines appear that our concept of flattery that some evaluation of psychiatric evaluation. Singer wondered what authoritarian regimes, if he was quite another state. The credential this quarter without significant single redeeming human quality leaves the WH should be declared and celebrated as a National Holiday! Charlie has to be the center of attention. Personally, I must never really such than for another human husband, and apparently I am old alone.
    [Show full text]
  • Goldwater Rule’ and Comment on Trump’S Mental Health
    Psychiatry Group Tells Members They Can Ignore ‘Goldwater Rule’ and Comment on Trump’s Mental Health By Sharon Begley Region: USA Global Research, July 26, 2017 Theme: Law and Justice, Police State & STAT 25 July 2017 Civil Rights Featured image: Former US Senator Barry Goldwater (Source: NPR) A leading psychiatry group has told its members they should not feel bound by a longstanding rule against commenting publicly on the mental state of public figures —even the president. The statement, an email this month from the executive committee of the American Psychoanalytic Association to its 3,500 members, 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. The impetus for the email was “belief in the value of psychoanalytic knowledge in explaining human behavior,” said psychoanalytic association past presidentDr. Prudence Gourguechon, a psychiatrist in Chicago. “We don’t want to prohibit our members from using their knowledge responsibly.” That responsibility is especially great today, she told STAT, “since Trump’s behavior is so different from anything we’ve seen before” in a commander in chief. An increasing number of psychologists and psychiatrists have denounced the restriction as a “gag rule” and flouted it, with some arguing they have a “duty to warn” the public about what they see as Trump’s narcissism, impulsivity, poor attention span, paranoia, and other traits that, they believe, impair his ability to lead.
    [Show full text]
  • The Psychiatric Trainees' Committee Magazine February 2021
    THE REGISTRAR The Psychiatric Trainees’ Committee magazine February 2021 Contents Editor’s introduction 3 PTC officers’ update 5 Speaking truth to narcissistic power with our psychiatric values 7 The Registrar’s profile series: Dr Amanda Brickstock 10 Coping with COVID-19 in Malaysia: The Mental Health Psychosocial Support Action Plan 11 Open Dialogue: A social model of mental healthcare ripe for current times? 13 Reflections on my visit to Save Our Souls Children’s Village Lahore, Pakistan 15 The Psychiatric Trainees’ Committee @rcpsychTrainees www.facebook.com/RCPsychTrainees/ [email protected] Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this magazine are those of individual authors and do not officially represent the views of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Editor’s introduction Dr Ahmed Hankir, Editor of The Registrar, Academic Clinical Fellow in general adult psychiatry at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust @ahmedhankir –‘The Wounded Healer’ educational supervisors are important points of “Do not go gentle into that good contact for you which we highly recommend night. Rage! Rage! Against the you take full advantage of. “Seeking help is a dying of the light…” sign of strength…” –Dylan Thomas In this latest issue of The Registrar, we have an array of articles which I am sure you will find Happy new year everyone! Greetings and interesting and informative. Our Psychiatric welcome to the first issue of The Registrar in Trainees Committee Officers’ update briefly 2021! Last year was a year like no other, right?! touches upon the role that technology plays I do not know about you, but my mental health in psychiatry training in the UK during the certainly took a real battering in 2020.
    [Show full text]
  • Front Matter
    Cambridge University Press 978-1-108-48658-3 — Diagnosing from a Distance John Martin-Joy Frontmatter More Information DIAGNOSING FROM A DISTANCE Ever since the rise of Adolf Hitler, mental health professionals have sought to use their knowledge of human psychology to understand – and to intervene in – political developments. Psychiatrists have commented, sometimes brashly, on the mental health of public figures from Barry Goldwater to Donald Trump. But is the practice ethical? While the American Psychiatric Association prohibits psychiatric comment on public figures under its “Goldwater Rule,” others disagree. Diagnosing from a Distance is the first in-depth exploration of this controversy. Making extensive use of archival sources and original interviews, John Martin-Joy reconstructs the historical debates between psychiatrists, journalists, and politicians in an era when libel law and professional standards have undergone dramatic change. Charting the Goldwater Rule’s crucial role in the current furor over Trump’s fitness for office, Martin-Joy assesses the Rule’s impact and offers a more liberal alternative. This remarkable book will change the way we think about psychiatric ethics and public life. John Martin-Joy, MD, is a psychiatrist in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and a part-time instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. © in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-1-108-48658-3 — Diagnosing from a Distance John Martin-Joy Frontmatter More Information © in this web service Cambridge
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction to the Special Section on the Goldwater Rule
    ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARY SPECIAL SECTION: THE GOLDWATER RULE Introduction to the Special Section on the Goldwater Rule John Martin-Joy, MD J Am Acad Psychiatry Law 45:223–27, 2017 The publication of this special section offers a chance Times, Psychology Today, and other popular publica- to reflect on a topic of perennial interest in psychia- tions. Until recently, however, there have been re- try: the ethics of commenting on public figures. markably few scholarly contributions on the ethics of Since at least the election of 1964, when publisher the Rule. Ralph Ginzburg became concerned about Barry Goldwater’s psychological fitness, psychiatrists have debated the ethics of speaking out about the mental Ethics Inquiry and Scholarship health of public figures. In that year Mr. Ginzburg By 2002, when Jerrold Post wrote “Ethical Con- commissioned a partisan “survey” of U.S. psychia- siderations in the Psychiatric Profiling of Public Fig- 1 trists for his new magazine, Fact. Although many ures,”7 there had been many developments in the psychiatrists said that Mr. Goldwater was mentally psychiatric community on the subject of the Rule. At ill, some called Mr. Ginzburg’s survey unethical. It least one APA trustee acknowledged having voted was later proved that Mr. Ginzburg had shaped the against the Rule, and a former APA president had results to support the conclusion he had already considered the possibility of “rigid overscrupulosity” 2,3 reached. The American Psychiatric Association in interpreting the Rule (Ref. 7, pp 642, 645). But (APA) quickly condemned the survey, but Mr. Gin- with the exception of Slovenko,8 who was indebted zburg published it anyway.
    [Show full text]
  • The Specialist Volume 42 2019.Indd
    ® specialistthe Volume 42 2019 ABPP Board of Trustees PRESIDENT - Executive Committee John Piacentini, PhD, ABPP Contents PRESIDENT-ELECT-Executive Committee Christina Pietz, PhD, ABPP President's Column ........................................................................................................................... 2 PAST PRESIDENT-Executive Committee Michael Tansy, PhD, ABPP Executive Offi cer Message ................................................................................................................ 4 TREASURER-Executive Committee Editor’s Column ................................................................................................................................. 5 Sylvia Marotta-Walters, PhD, ABPP SECRETARY - Executive Committee American Board of Clinical Psychology ........................................................................................ 6 Joel Frost, EdD, ABPP BEHAVIORAL & COGNITIVE Early Career (BOT) Members ......................................................................................................... 8 Linda Carter Sobell, PhD, ABPP CLINICAL Th e Disgruntled Examiner ............................................................................................................. 11 Alina Maria Suris, PhD, ABPP Th e Ripple Eff ect and the Th ree Generational Cure ................................................................... 14 CLINICAL CHILD & ADOLESCENT Kathleen Hart, PhD, ABPP Kandahar Airfi eld: Afghanistan ...................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • An Ethical Dilemma
    Cambridge University Press 978-1-108-48658-3 — Diagnosing from a Distance John Martin-Joy Excerpt More Information INTRODUCTION An Ethical Dilemma T he election of donald trump in 2016 raised profound ethical questions for many psychiatrists. Is it ethical to diagnose a public figure without examining him or her? If so, why? If not, why not? Are there compelling reasons for a psychiatrist to comment on a president’s mental health if nuclear warfare or the conduct of an unjust war is at stake? Is the media the right place for such comment? Under what circumstances, and in the name of what higher principles, may a psychiatrist violate the ethical code of her own professional organization? In Diagnosing from a Distance, I explore and reflect on these ethical questions using a historical and philosophical lens. This book is a study of the development of professional ideas in a political context – and ulti- mately an argument about how we might approach the ethics of psychia- tric comment on public figures. HOW DID WE GET HERE? As a psychiatrist myself, and one with a long-standing interest in history, politics, and ethics, I became interested in the question of what a professional owes to the larger society some time after I graduated from my psychiatry residency at the Harvard Longwood psychiatry train- ing program in Boston. During college, I had learned about psycho- analyst Erik Erikson and his efforts in “psychohistory” from a teacher and mentor, psychiatrist Robert Coles. Later, I read and admired Erikson’sinfluential book Young Man Luther (1958).
    [Show full text]
  • Leadership Analysis and Political Psychology in the 21St Century
    ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARY Leadership Analysis and Political Psychology in the 21st Century Kenneth B. Dekleva, MD The election of President Trump has led to interest in his mental health and has resulted in heightened scrutiny regarding the American Psychiatric Association’s Goldwater Rule, with its prohibition on opining psychiatrically on the mental health of public figures whom one has not examined in person. This article highlights the historic, methodological, forensic, and ethics challenges regarding psychiatric approaches to leadership analysis, and how these can offer policy makers options regarding national security decision-making. J Am Acad Psychiatry Law 46:359–63, 2018. DOI:10.29158/JAAPL.003771-18 The 2016 campaign and election of President choanalytic approach of the day, Langer created a Trump has led to a flurry of interest in not only his multidisciplinary team that analyzed raw data in- mental health,1 but more generally, in the mental cluding Hitler’s writings, speeches, movies of rallies, health of world leaders. This has resulted in extensive classified intelligence data, his medical reports, defec- scholarly commentary regarding the American Psy- tor accounts, and collateral accounts of persons who chiatric Association’s Goldwater Rule,2 with its pro- had met Hitler in person. Langer emphasized under- hibition on opining psychiatrically on the mental standing of Hitler’s psychological makeup, and also health of public figures whom one has not examined made accurate predictions of his future behavior. in person.3–7 This article, by a psychiatrist who has Langer’s work exerted a powerful intellectual influ- published numerous profiles of world leaders,8–15 ence, both in the fields of leadership analysis and outlines challenges regarding psychiatric approaches political psychology, as developed by Dr.
    [Show full text]