Helping the Helpers Not to Harm

by Gerald Caplan, Ruth B. Caplan

Overview

The authors of this controversial volume have collected case studies and observational accounts of caregivers for over 15 years. Iatrogenic harm is a serious and widespread problem that many have been reluctant to speak out about for fear of being blacklisted by their colleagues. In writing this book the authors hope to establish guidelines that will help caregivers to recognize and deal with potentially harmful behavior thereby improving the standards of care for all patients.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781583910955
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	11/02/2001
Pages:	258
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Gerald Caplan (Author) , Ruth B. Caplan (Author)

Table of Contents

Introduction. An Overview of Some Causative Factors. Some Typical Features of Iatrogenically Damaging Behavior. Professionals' Stereotypes, Premature Closure, and a Pre-planned Outcome. Adoption, Secrecy, and the Hidden Agenda. A Loss of Professional Objectivity. Kafka's World. The Difficulties of Preventing Iatrogenic Damage. Some Suggested Solutions. Adapting Techniques of Mental Health Consultation to Influence Unwelcoming Agencies. Involvement of Judges. Our Response to Some Critics. Helping the Victims of Iatrogenic Damage. Bibliography. Index.

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: William Miles, MD (Rush University Medical Center)
Description: The authors describe and discuss the iatrogenic damage that mental health intervention can cause in a book that does not limit its focus to physicians, but includes social workers, judges, and other sources of iatrogenic harm.
Purpose: The purpose is to heighten awareness of the potential for iatrogenic harm, especially in the mental health field, and to highlight the fact that physicians are not the only source of iatrogenic damage.
Audience: The book is targeted to all professionals who may inadvertently cause iatrogenic damage to mental health patients. The book clearly has a clinical bias, and therefore is geared more towards physicians and other mental health workers than those, say, in the legal profession.
Features: The authors define iatrogenic harm and discuss the many potential causes. This book focuses on iatrogenic harm in mental health practice, and in particular on children and families. Behaviors and other warning signs/symptoms of iatrogenic harm are offered. Several clinical examples are presented. The book then goes on to address the necessity of recognizing and ultimately preventing iatrogenic harm. The book concludes with some possible solutions to this problem. A bibliography is offered at the end, as is an index. One complaint I have is that the references should have appeared at the end of each chapter and cited throughout the text appropriately.
Assessment: Iatrogenic literally means "healer produced" and, though widely recognized and discussed in other fields of medicine, it is not discussed much in relation to psychiatry. However, the potential for iatrogenic damage is high in psychiatry and this needs to he recognized and discussed. This book is a start, addressing the potential for iatrogenic harm in children and families entering the mental health system. I hope the authors expand their book to include the more than 70 percent of psychiatric patients who are either misdiagnosed or on insufficient medication.

Doody's Review Service

"The authors of this book are to be commended for addressing the oft taboo topic of unintended harm to the very individuals we seek to help. Ruth and Gerald Caplan have done a service by addressing this subject. This is a work which would be of interest to many professionals who interface with child protective services." — Psychiatric Services

From the Publisher

3 Stars from Doody