Letter

Racism in psychiatry

Dear healthmatters — I have considerable sympathy with Dr Sashidharan’s views, and an even greater vested interest in helping to reduce any racial tensions produced or aggravated by, psychiatrists.

Psychiatry is the activity by which society tries medically to change or control behaviour it doesn’t like, but for which it seems unable to blame people.

The fact is that psychiatry always comes on the scene too late, its hands are partially tied, and to my mind its ideology is over-influenced by general medicine.

Psychiatrists must look very carefully at what they do and be as aware as possible of racial stereotyping, but by becoming psychiatrists they have already accepted a role in dealing with the consequences of difficulties caused by factors outside their specific orbit of interest. As well-rewarded professional members of society, they have duties outside their immediate remit, and one of these is to comment on the causes of mental disorder.

I agree that psychiatrists still over-use physical treatments and under-rate what can be humanly understood if one takes enough time and develops one’s imagination. That is more needed in the case of people with different backgrounds.

However, here I can only respond rather generally to the debate raised by Dr Sashidharan’s interesting article, and agree that the debate should continue.