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Martial arts for psychiatrists

Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Science Institute, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland

Sir: Once a peer-reviewed article appears in a reputable journal it carries a certain cachet of validity, any editorial disclaimers to the contrary not-withstanding. The November 1999 issue of the Psychiatric Bulletin (23, 641-701) is a good example of this. The first three or four articles include stimulating discussions on evidence-based medicine in psychiatry (Laugharne) and a balanced and critical article on community treatment orders (Moncrieff & Smyth) with an equally penetrating commentary (Burns). Articles by Davies & Oyebode analyse the application of modern methods of risk management to psychiatric care. Then, quite suddenly, an extraordinary paper appears from Pereira et al giving (literally) blow-by-blow instructions on how to restrain and overcome protesting patients and force them to take clozapine therapy. Ethical considerations are dismissed in one sentence at the end. The commentary paper by Barnes also deliberately excludes any discussion of ethical aspects, but briefly sets out some practical reasons why it would not, in any case, work. Ironically, other papers in the same issue express concern at excessive dosages of antipsychotic medication being given to patients by some psychiatrists (Tyson et al) and another by Lawrie bemoans the stigmatising attitudes of the general public to psychiatric patients.

The martial arts manual by Pereira et al is provocatively entitled ‘When all else fails’. This letter is written in the same spirit. I am concerned that this article was published at all, since it could be interpreted as incitement to violence - by psychiatrists - and be endorsed as such. Any such endorsement, however inaccurate and misleading it might be, could conceivably bring psychiatry into disrepute. I sincerely hope my fears in this respect are unnecessary and in any case I cannot think what can now be done to remedy the situation. I shall have to content myself with writing to doctors Moncrieff & Smyth to ask for further details of the campaign mentioned by them to oppose the introduction of community treatment orders which, thankfully, are not included in new mental health legislation now being introduced in Ireland.

This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Fahy, T. J. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Fahy, T. J.