Critical psychiatry
Critical psychiatry is an approach to psychiatry, related to but distinct from anti-psychiatry.[1]
The Critical Psychiatry Network was established to "create a forum where doctors can consider different ways of viewing mental illness and implications for practising psychiatry".[2] It is a group of psychiatrists which provides a network to develop a critique of the contemporary psychiatric system. It first met in Bradford in 1999, to discuss changes to UK Mental Health legislation, and was previously known as the Bradford Group.[3]
Critical Psychiatry has been described as "an alliance around" four themes:[1]
- That the assumptions of conventional psychiatry "do not represent a universal truth"
- The changing relationship between service users and psychiatry
- The need for more attention to the service user's experience and understanding of their experience
- Campaigns to limit the influence of industry on psychiatry, and to limit coercion in psychiatry.
The book Critical Psychiatry: the Politics of Mental Health (1984) edited by David Ingleby, was an early work introducing the term "Critical psychiatry". It comprises seven papers, including the editor's Understanding mental illness. It was republished in 2004 (ISBN 978-1853437939).[4]
Modern-day psychiatry relies too much[citation needed] on the "medical model" and emphasises diagnostic decisions. If psychiatrists adopted a more social or therapeutic community approach treatments would be more effective.[citation needed]
The categorisation of psychiatric illness is not as clear as most psychiatrists believe.[citation needed] Assessment of aetiology too often fails to take personal and social factors into account.[citation needed]
There is too much emphasis on the scientific possibilities of randomised controlled trials.[citation needed] The evidence of these trials is biased.[citation needed]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Thomas, Philip (2004). "Critical psychiatry in practice" (PDF). Advances in Psychiatric Treatment. 10: 361–370. Retrieved 2009-07-22. Unknown parameter
|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ↑ Moncrieff, Joanna (9 November 1998). "Psychiatry and Controversy". British Medical Journal. Retrieved 2009-07-22. Unknown parameter
|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ↑ "The Critical Psychiatry Network: Position Statement". Retrieved 2009-07-22.
- ↑ Perring, Christian (31 December 2005). "Book Review: Critical Psychiatry". Human Nature Review. 5: 41–44. Retrieved 2009-07-22.