A Statement on the Use of Psychiatric Opinions in the Political Realm by the American Psychoanalytic Association

Comments solicited from psychiatrists have been used in a recent article to support conclusions about the mental stability of a political candidate. The American Psychoanalytic Association views with concern such use of professional opinion; unverified impressions, when offered by specialists in any field, may be regarded as authoritative and scientific when in fact they can be neither.

It is understandable that some members of the professions dealing with mental illness might wish—out of a sense of social responsibility—to share their knowledge with the public in order to make a contribution to one of the most important activities in a democracy: the choice of a leader. However, professional judgments regarding the mental stability of any person have to be based on carefully evaluated psychological data which must be secured through a detailed review of the life history and a thorough clinical examination. Such information is most reliable when obtained in a therapeutic relationship in which there is the expectation of confidentiality and the wish to be relieved from emotional suffering as a motivation for self-revelation. These conditions do not exist in a political campaign. Not only are the available data about the emotional stability of a public figure different from those wit h which the psychiatrist and psychoanalyst usually work, but the strong feelings aroused impair that objectivity which is necessary for scientific assessment of behavior. Psychiatrists and psychoanalysts, no less than other people, are subject to the insecurities and emotions which may distort judgment and are inevitably stirred up during a political campaign.

Although the presence of severe and crippling mental illness is, of course, disqualifying, these conditions do not escape public recognition. Apart from such instances, however, there are no valid, well-established psychological criteria which can be applied in the evaluation of the personality of a political leader. It is no