At the December, 1971 meeting of the Executive Council President-Elect Joseph introduced a subject which has been of world-wide concern, and is of particular moment to psychiatrists and psychoanalysts: the fact that in the Soviet Union commitment to mental hospitals has been used as a way of suppressing dissent. This practice, which has been widely reported in the world press, as well as in books published by the brothers

Roy and Zhores Medvedev, has been discussed and condemned in a variety of psychiatric bodies. Council discussed this matter and expressed its repugnance at the corruption of psychiatric practice for the political purposes. A resolution was unanimously adopted reading as follows: “The American Psychoanalytic Association, in keeping with its concerns for standards of ethical conduct, deplores the misuse of psychiatric hospitalization as a political device wherever and whenever this occurs. We encourage our members to inform themselves of such activities in order to be able effectively to express their concern.” A similar resolution was unanimously adopted at the Business Meeting of members two days later.