American Psychoanalytic Association Statement on “Goldwater Rule”
New York – July 25th, 2017 – The American Psychoanalytic Association (APsaA) seeks to clarify statements made in a recent article in STAT.
APsaA is an autonomous mental health professional association which represents psychoanalysts from all mental health professions and academia. Our members include psychiatrists, psychoanalysts, psychotherapists, and social workers.
In an email to association members, our leadership did not encourage members to defy the “Goldwater Rule” which is a part of the ethics code of a different mental health organization, the American Psychiatric Association (APA). Rather, it articulated a distinct ethics position that represents the viewpoint of psychoanalysts. The field of psychoanalysis addresses the full spectrum of human behavior, and we feel that our concepts and understanding are applicable and valuable to understanding a wide range of human behaviors and cultural phenomenon. Our position statement regarding commenting on public figures is available here.
Some of APsaA’s members are psychiatrists, and some of these psychiatrists are members of the APA and other professional organizations. Any member of a professional organization is responsible for following the ethics code of every organization they belong to. APsaA has not made any statement that would intrude in the internal rules and governance of another organization.