Destructive Trends In Mental Health: The Well-intentioned Path To Harm

Is there a crisis in mental health? If there isn't one now, Nick Cummings and Rog Wright will surely make some waves with this collection of essays commenting on the state of the field in tones ranging from constructive criticism to defiant rebellion. No topic is too politically correct, no tenet too sacred, and no reputation too aloof from these probing writers with an eye for controversy. And yet, in this unique instance, the accusations, questions, doubts and call-to-arms come from insiders, indeed central players, within the very organizations they attack. Among the contributors to the book are two past presidents of the American Psychological Association, four past members of the APA board of directors, and two recipients of the American Psychological Foundation's Gold Medal for Lifetime Achievement In Practice, the organization's highest honor. The editors, Cummings and Wright, are each dynamos in the field, and two of the infamous "dirty dozen" who fought for practitioner representation within theAPA governance, more rigorous training standards, professionalism, and stronger advocacy at the national level. All of which begs the question, in Dr. Cummings' own words, "why would two lifelong activists edit this controversial book when our lives have been characterized by progressive social and political advocacy?" Their answer - because no one else could, and it is time that someone did.
This book takes as its inspiration the assumption that the atmosphere of intellectual openness, scientific inquiry, aspiration towards diversity, and freedom from political pressure that once flourished in the American Psychological Association has been eclipsed by an "ultra-liberal agenda,"in which voices of dissent, controversial points of view, and minority groups are intimidated, ridiculed and censored. Chapters written by established and revered practitioners explore these important issues within the contexts of social change, the ways in which mental health services providers view themselves and their products, and various economic factors that have affected healthcare cost structure and delivery. In short, this book is intended to help consumers, practitioners, and policy makers to become better educated about a variety of recent issues and trends that have significantly changed the mental health fields.