[D66] Institutional corruption in psychiatry

[A.O.]

http://criticalpsychiatry.blogspot.com/2018/08/institutional-corruption-in-psychiatry.html

Thursday, August 09, 2018
Institutional corruption in psychiatry

I've commented before on corruption within psychiatry (eg. see previous
post). Dainius Pūras, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right
of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of
physical and mental health, who I have mentioned before (eg. see
previous post), produced a report last year on corruption and the right
to health, with a special focus on mental health. The World Psychiatric
Association (WPA) objected strongly to the report (see letter sent to
Dainius Pūras) and seems to be particularly complaining about the
specific focus on psychiatry.

Robert Whitaker and Lisa Cosgrove in their book Psychiatry under the
influence highlighted the institutional corruption due to over-marketing
of stimulants for ADHD, the expansion of the notion of depression, the
extension of SSRI antidepressants for other neurotic conditions besides
depression and for children, and the promotion of mood stabilisers (see
previous post). Perhaps WPA need to read this book to find the evidence
for the statements in the Special Rapporteur's report.

There is no doubt that psychiatric power is misused for private gain. It
seems reasonable that the Special Rapporteur should have a focus on
corruption in mental health in this report, taking into account the
context of his previous report, which raised the issue of the global
burden of obstacles that persists in mental health care systems globally
and how this hinders the realisation of the right to mental health.
These obstacles include (1) the dominance of the biomedical model and
the overuse of biomedical interventions, in particular psychotropic
medications (2) power asymmetries and (3) the use of biased evidence.

Institutional corruption develops when systemic practices, which are
legal, accepted and normative, nonetheless undermine the integrity of
the institution. Disclosure is insufficient to control conflicts of
interest (see previous post). In fact, there is little attempt to hide
the commercialisation of psychiatry. Ironically being open about
commercial interests does not purify psychiatric science but rather
exposes its self-interest (see another previous post). The WPA does need
to recognise and correct its own institutional corruption. The
corrupting self-interests of psychiatry demand change in psychiatric
practice.

Posted by Duncan Double at 4:34 pm