As someone who has visited Guantanamo with the former presidents of the American Psychological and the American Psychiatric Associations (in Oct. 2005), the American Psychiatric has been from the beginning adamant in its belief that psychiatrists should not be involved in interrogations that are coercive. Compare the following statements. The American Psychological Association, issued a report in July, 2005 stating that psychologists consulting in interrogation involving national security should be “mindful of factors unique to these roles and contexts that require ethical consideration.” ( This is fairly permissive.) The American Psychiatric Association, in its statement of the same time, is more restrictive in its guidelines. Members can serve as behavior consultants so long as there is no “coercive” element to the interrogation. See Neil Lewis, “Guantanamo Tour Focuses on Medical Ethics,” New York Times, Sunday, November, 13, 2005, A19. These are old statements. I believe they have been updated, but they give you a sense of the difference, early on in the debate. I have written on this in a number of pieces, including a piece that just appeared in DISSENT, Winter issue. Read the rest of this entry »