Name: After Trump, end the Goldwater rule once and for all
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After Trump, end the Goldwater rule once and for all

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AdvertisementBy New York Daily NewsDec 22, 2020 at 5:00 amThe topic of Donald Trump’s mental pathology has been front and center during his presidency. Leading up to both elections in 2016 and 2020, many mental health experts wanted to speak out. But the Goldwater rule of the American Psychiatric Association was a major impediment, and the mainstream media did not allow experts to voice their opinions.The Goldwater rule is an outdated guideline that asserts that psychiatrists should not comment on the mental health of political figures because they have not interviewed them personally. The mainstream media took notice of the rule — and mental health experts were muzzled.AdvertisementThe Goldwater rule was established after some psychiatrists had made inaccurate comments about Barry Goldwater during his 1964 presidential campaign. But the world has changed. Mental health experts today have access to thousands of videos, audios, tweets, interviews and speeches of Donald Trump and other politicians.An interview would be helpful, but it is not the single most important piece of data.AdvertisementThere are times when the duty to warn the public is vital. Not all mental disorders are equal in their potential harmful impact. Certain personality pathologies are especially worrisome when present in the most powerful leader in the world. Such pathologies are often intractable and incurable. All other disorders — even psychotic illnesses — can be treated with some success with medications and psychotherapy.To be clear: At no point have we said that those with mental health problems should be stigmatized or excluded from public service. But certain pathologies must be considered unacceptable in our political leaders.The Goldwater rule seems self-destructive at its core. Psychiatry has long been the black sheep among medical specialties. The Goldwater rule reinforces that historically dismissive view of the field. Psychiatrists, psychologists and other mental health professionals do not need to be shackled. Experts feel compelled to voice their opinions in order to protect the safety and welfare of the public. Their intent is noble and socially responsible. They should be applauded and welcomed — not jeered.If Trump had a heart disorder, cardiologists would not be prohibited from talking about his health status on television and on social media. If Trump had severe diabetes, endocrinologists would not be prohibited from speaking out in the mainstream media. If Trump had epilepsy, neurologists would not be blocked from voicing their expert opinions. In every one of these cases, the media would be seeking out experts to share their knowledge. And the public would be well-served.WeekdaysCatch up on the day’s top five stories every weekday afternoon. &gt; So why are mental health professionals prohibited? Two main reasons seem clear.First, psychiatric problems are still seen as unscientific, unknowable and perhaps even not real. Nothing could be further from the truth. Psychiatric disorders are well-defined entities based on years of basic and applied research. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-5 is the cornerstone for all clinicians. Psychiatry is a brain science on par with other medical specialties.Second, there is the belief that mental health experts shoot from the hip or use their “professional opinions” to express their political bias. This is simply not true. Their political views do not play a role in their clinical judgments.What is especially annoying is that journalists’ descriptions of Trump’s mental pathology have been published widely in the mainstream media. Journalists are allowed to discuss Trump’s pathology, but experts in the field are blocked. How does that make sense? How is that in the public’s best interest? Sadly, only a few mental health experts have been sought out and heard, and the public has been deprived of potentially decisive information.AdvertisementTrump’s damage to America could have been avoided had each candidate for president been required to have a neuropsychiatric examination as part of his or her election campaign. Trump’s personality pathology would have been identified in as early as 2016. And a warning could have been issued in big red letters.There is plenty of blame to go around, but it is clear that the Goldwater rule is obsolete. The mainstream media should demand to hear from experts. Experts should be vocal and assertive. And the public should roar loudly for more professional information and opinions.Blotcky, PhD, is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Birmingham, Ala. Norrholm is an associate professor of psychiatry in the Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit. Advertisement

AdvertisementBy New York Daily NewsDec 22, 2020 at 5:00 amThe topic of Donald Trump’s mental pathology has been front and center during his presidency. Leading up to both elections in 2016 and 2020, many mental health experts wanted to speak out. But the Goldwater rule of the American Psychiatric Association was a major impediment, and the mainstream media did not allow experts to voice their opinions.The Goldwater rule is an outdated guideline that asserts that psychiatrists should not comment on the mental health of political figures because they have not interviewed them personally. The...

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Alan D. Blotcky

Seth D. Norrholm

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After Trump, end the Goldwater rule once and for all

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