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Lies And Coercion: Why Psychiatrists Should Not Participate in Police and Intelligence Interrogations

Dr. Janofsky is Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, and Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Address correspondence to: Jeffrey S. Janofsky, MD, Meyer 4-181, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287. E-mail: jjanofsky{at}jhu.edu

Police interrogators routinely use deceptive techniques to obtain confessions from criminal suspects. The United States Executive Branch has attempted to justify coercive interrogation techniques in which physical or mental pain and suffering may be used during intelligence interrogations of persons labeled unlawful combatants. It may be appropriate for law enforcement, military, or intelligence personnel who are not physicians to use such techniques. However, forensic psychiatry ethical practice requires honesty, striving for objectivity, and respect for persons. Deceptive and coercive interrogation techniques violate these moral values. When a psychiatrist directly uses, works with others who use, or trains others to use deceptive or coercive techniques to obtain information in police, military, or intelligence interrogations, the psychiatrist breaches basic principles of ethics.

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