Faculty Bibliography

This paper reviews current understandings of the psychology of suicide terrorism for psychiatrists and other mental health professionals to help them better understand this terrifying phenomenon. After discussing key concepts and definitions, the paper reviews both group and individual models for explaining the development of suicide terrorists, with an emphasis on "collective identity." Stressing the importance of social psychology, it emphasizes the "normality" and absence of individual psychopathology of the suicide bombers. It will discuss the broad range of terrorisms, but will particularly emphasize terrorism associated with militant Islam. The article emphasizes that comprehending suicide terrorism requires a multidisciplinary approach that includes anthropological, economic, historical, and political factors as well as psychological ones. The paper concludes with a discussion of implications for research, policy, and prevention, reviewing the manner in which social psychiatric knowledge and understandings applied to this phenomenon in an interdisciplinary framework can assist in developing approaches to counter this deadly strategy.

Reviews the book, The Mind Has Mountains: Reflections on Society and Psychiatry by Paul McHugh (see record 2006-01579-000). Paul McHugh does not want to cuddle up with warm and calming notions about psychiatry, as if the field were a cup of hot chocolate on a cold day. Psychiatry has great potential as a science and it has limitations in its practice: McHugh argues that we should be transparent and forthright about both its potential and its practice, and he believes that this can be partly achieved by reconceptualizing how the field is organized. If the author targets "three common medical mistakes--oversimplification, misplaced emphasis, or pure invention" in psychiatry with relentless accuracy and steely calm, he quite willingly indulges in all three when it comes to his polemics. Another example of misplaced emphasis is McHugh's use of "common sense." It may be common, but "common sense" is frequently not good sense; indeed, as an empiricist, McHugh ought to recognize that one of the great triumphs of the empirical approach is its demand that "common sense" be scrutinized and tested.

Reviews the book What I learned in medical school edited by K. M. Takakuwa, N. Rubashkin and K. E. Herzig (2004). The editors solicited writings from medical students, some of whom describe encounters with racism and sexism as well as less well-chronicled bigotries like chauvinism towards the overweight or people with mental illnesses. One of the challenge in this edited book is the narrative projects about medical school is to resist the auto-hagiography. A second challenge is that the privileging of previously marginalized voices need not necessarily be accompanied by an abrogation of critical entanglement. Difficult questions deserve to be asked. The ambiguity feels welcome in the book that generally shies away from open-ended readings of situations. A third challenge is language itself, which can always do more or less than one expects of it. All in all, this is a brave book, courageous in taking on difficult challenges, and is an important addition to medical student narratives.

Reviews the book, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Second Edition. (Blackwell's Neurology and Psychiatry Access Series) by S. B. Sexson (Ed.) (2005). This edited book focuses on its many tables which are organized into four different formats that have already proved useful in other books in the Blackwell Access Series. 'Pearls and Perils' are especially welcome additions topics and very amenable to the table format. 'Monitor and deal with negative reactions to minimize impact on patient care' is one common peril; the authors' wording may be more palatable to the non-psychiatrist than the more commonly seen 'countertransference', which might be too easily dismissed as obscure. This volume seems optimally suited for a paediatrics or family-practice readership; it may find a home with students taking child and adolescent psychiatry electives, or with general psychiatry residents covering their child requirements. Among child and adolescent psychiatrists, it may prove useful as an organizing axis from which to develop lecture materials.