What are your views on Critical Psychiatry?

[satyadhi]

I was reading about psych nursing and psychiatry in general and I came across the whole anti-psychiatry movement and I agreed with some of there criticisms of psychiatry in their day, but as a whole I disagree with the anti-psychiatry movement. However, after reading about the anti-psychiatry movement, I learned about the critical psychiatry movement and I have to admit I really agree with what they have to say... I agree with critical psychiatry.

I am only a nursing student so I would like to hear what some psych nurses think of "critical psychiatry".

[newtinmpls, BSN, RN]

What the heck is "critical psychiatry"? I'm a psych nurse and I've never heard of it. Just ran into evolutionary psychology, and I do love that.

dian

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

I'm a psych CNS and don't know what critical psychiatry is either. Please tell us!

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

Critical psychiatry is a movement that questions some of the current biomedical approaches for mental illness that are associated with mainstream psychiatry. Thomas Szasz is sometimes described as an early figure in the critical psychiatry movement.

Within critical psychiatry there are a wide range of beliefs. Some of the questions that proponents might ask:

- Does anyone have an adequate understanding of the causes of mental illness?

- Do we rely too heavily on a biomedical model for psych issues?

- Should the truly biological psych issues be treated by a neurologist?

- Do psych meds really help to the extent stated by mainstream medicine?

- Is the psychiatrist incorrectly viewed as an authority figure over the patient?

- Is it a psychiatrist's responsibility to coerce a patient into treatment?

I disagree with the vast majority of their points, but this is what it refers to.

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

Thank you, Eric. All that stuff is within usual psychiatry too. It seems like it's getting more focus, or the focus it deserves now. This is as it should be.

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

I agree that it's good to ask questions. I think it's just an issue of the extent of the beliefs. Szasz, for example, has long felt that suicide is a human right and that it should not receive forcible or involuntary treatment.

[newtinmpls, BSN, RN]

I've only read one book by Szasz "the myth of mental illness: foundations of a theory of personal conduct" and he starts strong, but doesn't really have any allowance for legitmate mental illness. Yes, I think that some is cultural BS, but when I've spent 3 days listening to a raving schizophrenic hallucinate and slowly get helped by medication, yes, I think some mental illnes is legit.

I agree with some of his critiques of the system, and I too think that suicide should be an option (with penalities/fines if you hurt others or cause expensive damage) IF the person is in a proper state to choose it. That's a hard call, though.

dian