Psychiatry and Public Affairs : Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry

This stimulating collection bears witness to the insight that psychiatrists, with their special training and background and concern for human relationships, can contribute solutions to major problems of public affairs and public policy. The contributors represent the summation and distillation of the best thinking of psychiatry's leaders. They represent a variety of experiences and viewpoints, making possible a many-faceted approach to problems of national and international concern. Based on completely documented reports of individual members and symposium discussions, __Psychiatry and Public Affairs__ examines four major areas of public interest: the social responsibility of psychiatry, emphasizing the psychiatric aspects of school desegregation; psychiatry's role in international relations and understanding cross-cultural communication and working abroad; studies of forceful indoctrination or "brainwashing" and the social and psychiatric implications of the threat of nuclear war. Contributors and contributions included here are "Physical and Social Isolation," Jack Vernon; "Psychiatric Aspects of Chinese Thought Reform," Robert J. Lifton; "Patterns of Reactions to Severe Chronic Stress in American Army POWs to the Chinese," Edgar H. Schein; "The Coming Struggle for More Responsibility," Pare Lorentz; "Some Implications of the Fall-Out Problem," Maurice B. Visscher; "Psychological Aspects of the Nuclear Arms Race," Franklin C. McLean; "Solitary Confinement," Milton Meltzer; and "Sleep Deprivation," David Tyler. __Psychiatry and Public Affairs__ explores ideas and problems on the advancing edge of psychiatry. The Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry (GAP) envisages a continuing program of work according to the following aims: to collect and appraise significant data in the field of psychiatry, mental health, and human relations; to re-evaluate old concepts and to develop and test new ones; and to apply the knowledge thus obtained for the promotion of mental health in good human relations. Originally published in 1966, __Psychiatry and Public Affairs__ documents the GAP's efforts. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 CONTENTS 6 Preface 10 1. Introduction: The Social Responsibility of Psychiatry 16 Relationship Between Personality and Society 20 Individual Personality and “Social Role" 20 “Social Reality” 21 Opportunity for Self-Fulfillment 22 The Role of Social Danger 23 Social Environment, Healthy or “ Sick” 24 The Basis of Evidence for Concepts Concerning Society and Personality 25 Concepts Concerning Mental Illness and Mental Health 26 Social Psychiatry and Social Action 26 Part I. PSYCHIATRY AND DESEGREGATION 28 2. Psychiatric Aspects of School Desegregation 30 I. Introduction 34 Emphasis on psychiatric principles 35 Desegregation as a process 36 Psychosocial ills arising from segregation 39 Attitudes not necessarily pathological 41 II. Psychodynamics of Responses to Desegregation 45 A. Functions of Racial Myths and Prejudices 45 B. Psychodynamics of Changing Attitudes 59 C. Responses of Various Groups to Desegregation 87 III. Summary and Discussion 105 IV. Annotated Reading List 110 BIBLIOGRAPHY 110 PERIODICALS 118 REPORTS AND PAMPHLETS 119 Part II. PSYCHIATRY AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 122 3. The Position of Psychiatrists in the Field of International Relations 124 4. Application of Psychiatric Insights to Cross-Cultural Communication 129 INTRODUCTION 129 Toward a Science of Transnational Communication 131 The Psychiatric Approach to Communication 131 Problems of Transcultural Communication 132 General Approaches to Communication 135 A Little Experiment 136 Establishing Communication 136 Exploration and Clarification 137 Physical and Emotional Responses 138 Psychiatric Contributions 140 Interpersonal Relationships between Indians and Americans in India 143 Variables Influencing Interaction 145 Variables Affecting Interpersonal Relationships Outside of Regularized Channels 148 The Social Characteristics of Americans 151 The American’s Acceptability to Indians in the “Mediator” Role 152 Conclusion 154 Some Problems in Transnational Communication (Japan-United States) 157 Stages in Communication 158 Observations on Japanese Attendants with Patients 160 Observations on Doctor-Patient Relationship 161 Nature of the Relationship 162 Behavior Outside the Hospital 164 Mutual Dependence 164 Mother-Child Closeness 165 Final Stage in Communication 165 The Communication Process 166 Emotional Meanings of Words 167 An “Expectable Map” 168 Summary 170 Classification of Kinds of Communication 171 Anxieties of Americans Abroad 172 Questions Yet Unformulated 173 5. Working Abroad: A Discussion of Psychological Attitudes and Adaptation in New Situations 174 FOREWORD 174 I. Significance of the Problem 174 A. Numbers and Distribution 174 B. Motives and Expectations 177 II. Satisfaction and Stress in Working Overseas 180 A* Environmental Changes and “ Culture Shock" 180 B. The Role of the Family 182 C. Varying Patterns in Overseas Services 184 III. Problems of Personal Relationships Abroad 191 A. Natural Difficulties 191 B. Distortions and Prejudices 193 IV. Factors in Adaptation to Overseas Service 195 V. Discussions and Recommendations 199 A. Selection 199 B. Orientation and Training 204 Bibliography 215 Part III. FORCEFUL INDOCTRINATION 218 6. Factors Used to Increase the Susceptibility of Individuals to Forceful Indoctrination: Observations and Experiments 220 Physical and Social Isolation 221 Solitary Confinement 227 Sleep Deprivation 234 Brain Injury (Confabulation) 243 Semi-Starvation 247 Pain 254 PSYCHOLOGICAL CHANGES 238 I. Psychoneurotic 238 II. Schizophrenia-like reactions 239 III. Paranoid Reactions 239 DISCUSSION OF DR. TYLER’S PAPER 246 Design of the Experiment 250 PSYCHOMETRIC DATA 250 COMMON REACTION PATTERNS OF SEMISTARVATION 251 SEVERE PERSONALITY DISTURBANCES 252 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 252 7. Methods of Forceful Indoctrination: Observations and Interviews 261 Psychiatric Aspects of Chinese Thought Reform 262 Patterns of Reactions to Severe Chronic Stress in American Army 281 Prisoners of War to the Chinese 281 United States Air Force Prisoners of the Chinese Communists 298 THE REVOLUTIONARY COLLEGE 264 1. The Great Togetherness— Group Identification 265 2. The Closing in of the Milieu— The Period of Emotional Conflict 267 3. Submission and “Rebirth”— the Final Confession 271 COMMENT 272 Part IV. THE THREAT OF NUCLEAR WAR 328 8. The Psychological and Medical Aspects of the Use of Nuclear Energy 330 Psychological Aspects of the Nuclear Arms Race 332 Some Implications of the Fall-Out Problem 346 The Concern of Science with Nuclear Development 352 Confusions in the Radiation Field 363 The Coming Struggle for More Responsibility 370 9. Psychiatric Aspects of the Prevention of Nuclear War 381 I. Introduction 381 II. War and the Nature of Man 387 War and Human Aggressiveness 388 War and Fear 390 War and Other Aspects of Human Nature 390 Stereotypes Concerning War 391 Some Differences Implicit in Nuclear War 392 III. Some Psychological Factors Contributing to the Nuclear Arms Race 395 The Effects of Fear 395 Other Psychological Patterns of Response to Danger 399 IV. Dehumanization—Another Psychological Factor Bearing on Modern War 403 Maladaptive Aspects of Dehumanization 409 Increasing Importance of Dehumanization in Contemporary Society 411 Results and Implications of the Increased Use of Dehumanization as a Defense 413 Importance of “Re-humanization” 413 V. Some Distortions of Perception and Their Consequences in Relation to War 415 Ethnocentric Perception 415 Stages of Social Perception 417 Problems of Communication 418 Stereotyping 418 Mutuality of Distortions 419 The Effects of Mutual Distrust 422 Interrelationships Between Leaders and Their Followers 422 VI. Some Psychological Considerations Concerning Deterrence and Civil Defense 425 Deterrence 425 Some Psychological Aspects of Civil Defense 433 VII. Some Considerations Related to the Conduct of International Conflict without Violence 441 Conflict as a Stimulus to Adaptation 441 Conflict and Unconscious Motivation 443 Management of Conflict 444 General Field Factors Common to Conflict Situations 445 Some Alternatives in the Management of Conflict 450 Actions Taken by One Party in Conflict Management 451 Actions Taken by Two Parties in Conflict Management 457 Roles of Third Parties in Conflict Management 463 VIII. Summary and Conclusions 469 References 472 Statement of Purpose of GAP 476 List of Members and Committees of GAP 478 "This stimulating collection bears witness to the insight that psychiatrists, with their special training and background and concern for human relationships, can contribute solutions to major problems of public affairs and public policy. The contributors represent the summation and distillation of the best thinking of psychiatry's leaders. They represent a variety of experiences and viewpoints, making possible a many-faceted approach to problems of national and international concern. Based on completely documented reports of individual members and symposium discussions, Psychiatry and Public Affairs examines four major areas of public interest: the social responsibility of psychiatry, emphasizing the psychiatric aspects of school desegregation; psychiatry's role in international relations and understanding cross-cultural communication and working abroad; studies of forceful indoctrination or "brainwashing" and the social and psychiatric implications of the threat of nuclear war. Contributors and contributions included here are "Physical and Social Isolation," Jack Vernon; "Psychiatric Aspects of Chinese Thought Reform," Robert J. Lifton; "Patterns of Reactions to Severe Chronic Stress in American Army POWs to the Chinese," Edgar H. Schein; "The Coming Struggle for More Responsibility," Pare Lorentz; "Some Implications of the Fall-Out Problem," Maurice B. Visscher; "Psychological Aspects of the Nuclear Arms Race," Franklin C. McLean; "Solitary Confinement," Milton Meltzer; and "Sleep Deprivation," David Tyler. Psychiatry and Public Affairs explores ideas and problems on the advancing edge of psychiatry. The Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry (GAP) envisages a continuing program of work according to the following aims: to collect and appraise significant data in the field of psychiatry, mental health, and human relations; to re-evaluate old concepts and to develop and test new ones; and to apply the knowledge thus obtained fo"--Provided by publisher.