Trump is now dangerous – that makes his mental health a matter of public interest | Bandy Lee

This world authority in psychiatry, consulted by US politicians, argues that the president’s mental fitness deserves scrutiny

Eight months ago, a group of us put our concerns into a book, The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 27 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President. It became an instant bestseller, depleting bookstores within days. We thus discovered that our endeavours resonated with the public.

While we keep within the letter of the Goldwater rule – which prohibits psychiatrists from diagnosing public figures without a personal examination and without consent – there is still a lot that mental health professionals can tell before the public reaches awareness. These come from observations of a person’s patterns of responses, of media appearances over time, and from reports of those close to him. Indeed, we know far more about Trump in this regard than many, if not most, of our patients. Nevertheless, the personal health of a public figure is her private affair – until, that is, it becomes a threat to public health.

At no other time has a group of mental health professionals been so concerned about a sitting president’s dangerousness

Continue reading... January 07, 2018 at 05:35AM