Are psychiatrists short of patients?

Kids in the United States, some as young as three, have depression. Craegmoor Healthcare had the story which went like this, "According to lead author Dr Joan Luby, a psychiatrist at Washington University in St Louis, people have not really paid much attention to depressive disorders in children under the age of six because it was thought they were too emotionally immature to experience it."

I'd like to know what the shrinks use to work out a three-year-old is depressed. I'd also like to ask Dr Luby what she has planned for the toddlers. Antidepressants? The ones that create violence and suicide? Adults have done it in the workplace, teenagers have done it in the schoolyard. How about a three-year-old brandishing a gun in kindergarten? Possible?

I've got a really nice brain

Those boffins who do the clandestine laboratory experimentation, you know, the stuff you see in old Hammer films, have come up with a claim that brain scans can show up whether you've got a psychopath brain or an ordinary brain. At least that's what the boffins are saying in the Times. Psychopath brain, ordinary brain: how d'you know that then?

Dr Craig, one of the boffins, said "...the results were interesting because of the function of the two brain regions connected by the UF (uncinate fasciculus). The amygdala is involved in emotional responses such as fear, disgust and pleasure, while the OFC (orbitofrontal cortex) is involved in higher decision-making." That's some clever-sounding stuff doc with some pretty fancy words. But down to the business question again: how d'you know that then?

And Professor Murphy, another boffin, said "...the findings offered the most compelling evidence yet that altered brain anatomy might be involved in psychopathy." One more time, how d'you know that then?

Psychopathy is reported as being "...a disorder in which people struggle to control their impulses, and behave manipulatively, aggressively, dishonestly or exploitatively towards others. They rarely show remorse for their actions." What about looking in a mirror boffs?

D'you remember Road Runner? Doc, I think it's Wylie Coyote...

The Independent carried a story about the secrets of how to interpret the Rorschach test. The secrets were revealed after the ink spillages or whatever they're called and their interpretations, were posted on Wikipedia. According to Herman Rorschach, the intepretation of the splodges can tell what the person is thinking. Paddy Mac would like to ask: "How d'you know that then?"

It's yet another brilliant example of the make-it-up-as-you-go-along brigade claiming this and that when they have absolutely no idea. I guess I leave myself open on this one as any psychiatrist could come along and tell me I'm wrong, or that I'm not an expert in the field. Fine by me. What I could do is make up an equally stupid test and like Dr Rorschach, put it out there and tell others what they should think about this or that.

Then the shrinks out there could come and ask me, "How d'you know that then?" My answer: I made it up in my spare time so I could make a bit of beer money.

Shenanigans and mental health... Again

A 'psychiatric' worker was exposed in The Weston and Somerset Mercury for "...'sex' shame with patient." Female 50-year-old psychiatric worker had sex with 28-year-old patient.

There's an awful lot of this stuff going on.

Another mental health nurse out of a job

The latest mental health nurse to lose his job is James Duggan. He was caught out after sexually assaulting a teenager at a Cambridge psychiatric hospital. He was jailed for 18 months last June, and now he's lost his license to practise.

I've blogged about quite a few of these now, but I continue to be amazed at how many male and female mental health nurses are up to no good with male and female patients.

I never get tired of this story... Rosenhan and friends

Thank you David Rosenhan and friends for executing what can only be described as pure genius. Claudia Hammond in a series at BBC Radio 4 called Mind Changers has covered the story, "...gaining access to his [Rosenhan's] unpublished personal papers to discover how it changed our understanding of the humna mind, and its impact 40 years on."

This story was also covered on BBC 2 a while ago. David Rosenhan himself was interviewed to give his input on 'The Thud Experiment' in a series called The Trap.

Sure, Rosenhan and his friends got the rough end of the stick, there's no doubt about that. But if he and his friends hadn't done it, we wouldn't have the opportunity to categorically state, with certainty, that psychiatry really is fake, stupid and a fraud.

And thank you Miss Hammond for giving this story even more air time which it justly deserves.

What? Psychiatrists who don't agree?

Dr Joseph's very busy, which must mean he's raking in the cash by giving his opinions in legal arenas around the country. Kerching!

Dr Joseph's been in Swansea this week giving his opinion on Llanelli man Wayne Bowen who killed his 15-year-old stepson to punish his wife when he feared she was going to leave him.

Dr Joseph, who interviewed Bowen in custody to prepare a report for the court, said the defendant's personality was "characterised by extreme jealousy and possessiveness". Does it really need a highly paid psychiatrist to say that?

Dr Joseph also said, "People can do some very evil and wicked things without being mad." He said this to reject claims made by psychiatrists, relied on by the defence, who were claiming Bowen was "in a delusional state and probably psychotic".

What d'you know? Psychiatrists who can't agree on a person's mental state. I think we can safely say it's all about the highest bidder. Psychiatrists will say anything the paymaster requires. After all, it's only an opinion.