Law & Politics
Involving Physicians in Military Interrogations
A recent New England Journal of Medicine article questions the ethics of psychiatrists being involved in interrogations. In 2006 the American Psychiatric Association (APA), the American Medical Association (AMA), and the American Psychological Association (APA) issued statements that it is unethical for doctors and psychologists to be directly involved in the interrogation process. Directly involved also includes viewing the interrogation with the “intention of intervening.” Physicians are allowed to train interrogation personnel but are not supposed to tailor interrogation protocols to specific prisoners or detainees.
In 2006, the military outlawed harsh interrogation techniques such as waterboarding, hooding, and using military dogs. However, detainees can be kept in complete isolation for up to 30 days, which could result in post-traumatic stress. Some military psychiatrists and psychologists have been involved in teaching specific psychological concepts, such as learned helplessness, to military personnel. Physicians and psychologists do have a responsibility, not only ethically, but also mandated by the military to report inappropriate and coercive interrogations to the proper authorities. However, that means that the physicians have to be involved on some level in the interrogation, even if it only viewing it, which goes against the issued statements by the APA and AMA.
Some military psychologists have argued that they should be involved to make sure that the detainees and prisoners are treated well. In other words, they feel that if they were not there to supervise, the interrogations of the prisoners would be harsher than necessary. However, this position goes against what the professional organizations recommend. This leaves some military physicians and psychologists in a bind; on one hand they feel morally obligated to monitor the well-being of detainees but on the other hand, it is unethical for them to do so.
Many physicians believe that treating prisoners well, being kind to them is much more effective than harsh interrogation or even other more mild but aversive interrogation techniques. There is evidence so support that belief. Information given when under duress is often unreliable; social psychologists have been studying a related topic –- eyewitness testimony –- for a number of years. They have found that individuals under a lot of stress, such as having a gun pointed at them, are much more unreliable than outside observers. So, there is considerable theoretical evidence that treating prisoners as humanely as possible both inside and outside interrogations leads to the most reliable information.
Should medical and health care professionals be directly or indirectly involved in interrogation? If so, what should their roles be? If not, why shouldn’t they be involved? Do you agree with the position of the APA and AMA? Should physicians and psychologists even be involved in the general training of military interrogators?
Reference
J. H. Marks, M. G. Bloche (2008). The Ethics of Interrogation — The U.S. Military’s Ongoing Use of Psychiatrists New England Journal of Medicine, 359 (11), 1090-1092 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp0806689
1 Comment/Trackback
Leave a Reply
Monday, March 22, 2010
- Religion - A "Natural" Phenomenon?
- Psychotropics and Youth, Part 1 - The Five Myths
- How Culture Shapes Our Mind and Brain
- Sex, Violence and The Male Warrior Hypothesis
- The Secret to Good Health – Listen to the Data
- If Herbal Medicine is Medicine, Shouldn't it be Treated as Such?
- Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Neuroscience Conferences for 2010
- Too Much Information?
- "I Feel Your Pain" - The Neural Basis of Empathy
- Income Inequality and Health Outcomes
- The Evolution of Depression
- Journal Retracts Autism Research
- Speaking in Tongues - A Neural Snapshot
- Why Some Human Brains Become Leaders, While Others Followers?
- Post-Partum Psychosis - Rare but Real
- Is Your Doctor Happy or Burnt-Out?
- Worried Well on the Web
- Ginkgo Biloba Ineffective... Again
- Psychotropics and Youth, Part 2 - The Solutions
- Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction
- Empathy – How Much is Too Much?
- Let the Matches Begin!
- My Nephew and his Brain, Part 4 – Their Life Today
- My Nephew and his Brain, Part 3 – Try to Work Out their Troubles
- My Nephew and his Brain, Part 2 – Revealed to be Complicated
- My Nephew and his Brain, Part 1 – Introduction
- Deep Brain Stimulation – A New Frontier in Psychiatry
- Psychotropics and Youth, Part 3 – Equip Teachers with Prescription Pads?
- Why Some Human Brains Become Leaders, While Others Followers?
- Brain Blogger Finalist for Two 2010 Research Blogging Awards in Neuroscience and Psychology
- Tall Tales of Diabetic Amputations
- Psychotropics and Youth, Part 2 – The Solutions
- Brain Blogging, Forty-Ninth Edition
- How Your Brain Groups Words
- The Child Brain and the Playing Teacher
- You Have a Right to Choose if we Agree
- Measuring Quality in Primary Care
- Matchmaker, Matchmaker Make Me A Match – The NRMP Main Residency Match
- Psychotropics and Youth, Part 1 – The Five Myths
- When It Comes to Aging, Size Matters
- Often, patients report persistent physical symptoms, but no somatic ...
- Great help, understood who is a LEADER & a FOLLOWER. Is there a category wh...
- Don't agree, to my opinion empathy is not easily learned, it's a quality not eve...
- Thanks, got the meaning of INTELLIGENCE/IQ....
- I'm a 54 yrs old woman .i was working for a retail company for 5 yrs ,my husbend...
- Thanks so much for sharing. My daughter began having seizures when she was 17. S...
- yea ur right lol lughter the best medicine i cnt do without it in a day!!!!!!!!!...
- Very touching story. My heart goes out to your family. Seizures are tough. And ...
- Thank you for sharing your nephew's story. So hard on those who love him, but I...
- Congratulations to all who've matched! Although the results of NRMP Main Residen...
- It's been almost 25 years since my son suffered a TBI in an accident. He was onl...
- I tend to agree with the teachers.But a teacher can only keep a record about the...
- Very interesting article, the 5th paragraph gets a little biased...but I still e...
- Dear Dan,There is certainly much clinical interest in this field. ClinicalTr...
- I recently commented on a sciencedaily.com article reporting success with TRD an...
- I have family members who are teachers. After sharing this article with them, th...
- It is great that people are challenging the use of this medication. As, a societ...
- I agree with the stand of the teachers and their children's that more than half ...
- I think that there’s also a social aspect to it. If you grow up in an area where...
- I have had epilepsy since I was 9 and am now 42. I have tried about every med. o...
Sponsored Links
Brain Fitness DVD, Home Care, Alcohol Rehab, Emergency Lighting, Online Criminal Justice Degrees, Tattoo, Diet and Health Supplements, Best vitamins supplements, Health Insurance, Electronic Accessory , Rollup Banner Stands , Biotherapeutic Product Information , Metastatic Breast Cancer , Solarcaine Spray , Cystic Fibrosis Lungs , Lung Cancer Treatment , Dallas health insurance , Hydrocephalus Treatment , Mail Order Pharmacy , Colon Cancer Treatment , auto accident attorneys Plano , What Causes Sinus Pain? , Edgepark Medical , Mattress , Hydroxycut, Astrology compatibility.
Neuroscience & Neurology
March 06, 2010 | 8 Comments | By Simi Agarwal, DDS
Why Some Human Brains Become Leaders, While Others Followers?
More In Neuroscience & Neurology
- How Your Brain Groups Words
- The Child Brain and the Playing Teacher
- “I Feel Your Pain” – The Neural Basis of Empathy
- Speaking in Tongues – A Neural Snapshot
- Neuro Case 1 – Using Transcranial Doppler for Basilar Artery Occlusion
Neuroscience & Neurology
Opinion
February 01, 2010 | 1 Comment | By Jennifer Gibson, PharmD
Crossing the Line from Physician to Journalist
More In Opinion
- Sex, Violence and The Male Warrior Hypothesis
- Bruxism and the Brain
- Religion – A “Natural” Phenomenon?
- Natural Good, Chemical Bad – Right?
- Time for a Change – Gender Reassignment
Opinion
Psychiatry & Psychology
March 21, 2010 | 1 Comment | By Jennifer Gibson, PharmD
Empathy – How Much is Too Much?
More In Psychiatry & Psychology
- Deep Brain Stimulation – A New Frontier in Psychiatry
- Psychotropics and Youth, Part 2 – The Solutions
- Psychotropics and Youth, Part 1 – The Five Myths
- Journal Retracts Autism Research
- White Bears – The Paradox of Mental Suppression


I, personally, believe there’s no harm in physicians training interrogators. The method that has the highest yield in this regard, should be employed.