×

Goldwater rule long established

I feel the need to weigh in on the recent criticism of Dr. Silverman’s comments and observations of public figures. I believe the author, without realizing it, was referencing the Goldwater rule.

The American Psychiatric Association Principle of medical ethics states that psychiatrists have a responsibility to participate in activities contributing to the improvement of the community and the betterment of public health.

The Goldwater rule was established in 1964 when Fact magazine published “The unconscious of a conservative.”

The idea behind this rule was to discourage diagnosing without having seen and subsequently diagnosing without face-to-face observations.

I now would remind all that this is the 21st Century and as psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors and social workers, there is more information that is useful for proper diagnosing by witnessing public figures in real time, in their own words, their own behavior that previously would have been impossible to do prior to 24-hour news, the internet and social media.

I, for one, feel that I can gather more information necessary for a proper diagnosis with the aforementioned platforms than I could have gathered seeing a patient two days a week for 10 years. Thus, as the critic accused Dr. Silverman of having an “opinion,” I beg to differ.

Thus, it is incumbent to fulfill another ethical duty, that is the duty to warn. Finally, when providing opinions of psychological characteristics, psychologists must conduct an examination “adequate to support statements or conclusions.”

In other words, there is available a plethora of evidence available to all in real time of public figures.

I, for one, welcome Dr. Silverman’s astute observations and professional opinions. Dr. Silverman is one of the most ethical, principled humans I know.

We should all try to learn from him and others in similar situations. Thanks for listening.

Michael Joseph Stubler

Altoona

Starting at $2.99/week.

Subscribe Today