London, ON. – A researcher at The University of
Western Ontario will be conducting further
investigation into how people suffering from
mental illness become attached to the psychiatric
label used to diagnose their illness.
“Though much has been studied on the
application of psychiatric labels, little ethical
debate has taken place on the removal of labels
and the identity these sufferers form around the
label,” says Louis Charland, Western philosophy
professor who is also joint-appointed professor of
health sciences and cross-appointed professor of
psychiatry.
Charland has been interested in this area of
research for many years. He recently wrote a paper
that appeared in the Philsophy, Psychiatry and
Psychology journal. His paper, entitled A Madness
for Identity: Psychiatric Labels, Consumer
Autonomy, and the Perils of the Internet,
examines how many who suffer from mental
illness are reticent or even resistant to have their
psychiatric label changed or removed. He says
new forms of this resistance have taken to the
Internet, with the formation of private chat rooms
and virtual communities. These developments, he
says, present complex ethical problems for
researchers and mental health care professionals.
May 1 to 7 is National Mental Health Week.
Charland can be reached at 519-661-2111
ext 86445.
For more information, please contact Christine
Roulston, Communications and Public Affairs at
519-661-2111 ext 85165.