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International Forum of Psychoanalysis, like other psychoanalytical and medical journals, has to rethink its policy on publication of clinical material. The reason is the changing relationship between the analyst and his patient. The feminist movement has focused its critic on paternalistic patterns and on the right of each individual to her and his subjectivity. Therefore we find it adequate to consider involving the patient in the decision to publish clinical material. Another reason is the fact that psychoanalytical journals nowadays are published not just as hard copies, but are also in electronic media and the material is available through different search engines on Internet. Thereby the material in our journals is accessible to a broader public outside the professional realm.
As a consequence of this development publication of case material has been extensively discussed at the latest two meetings (2000 and 2001) of the Council of Editors of Psychoanalytic Journals in New York. At the meeting in December 2001 it was suggested that the council would issue a policy declaration on this topic. The desirability of a common declaration of the psychoanalytic journals has been emphasized since the Medical Journals have decided on a publishing policy stating that:
Case publication always requires informed patient consent.
No disguise of data is permitted.
Objections to both of these guidelines can be raised with regard to the special circumstances of the psychoanalytic and psychotherapeutic disciplines. We need to express the ethical and other considerations we must observe when publishing personal data, especially in connection with extended case presentations. It is thus of great importance that the psychoanalytic movement agrees on standards for publication in this very delicate question.
After discussions in the editorial board, with our regional and corresponding editors and in a workshop at the IFPS Oslo Forum 2002 we have decided on the following policy for our jour