Opinion: The Goldwater rule is broken. Here’s how to fix it
Psychiatrists have a social responsibility to sound an alarm when they recognize danger. Such speech is an ethical imperative, not a transgression.
The once-obscure Goldwater rule, propounded by the American Psychiatric Association in 1973 to prevent reckless speculation by psychiatrists about public figures, has become a flashpoint. The timing, of course, is no coincidence: Donald Trump’s presidency has shattered the broad agreement among psychiatrists about whether it is ethical to comment on individuals they haven’t personally examined.
The rule was created in response to a 1964 survey conducted by the editors of Fact magazine. They asked 12,356 psychiatrists, “Do you believe Barry Goldwater is psychologically fit to serve as President of the United States?” Some of the answers printed in the magazine clearly reflected bias. The episode chastened the APA,
