Summary
The May 1970 issue of HealthPAC Bulletin critiques the use of psychiatry and psychology as tools of social repression, particularly in the context of civil commitment laws and the treatment of dissenters. It highlights how these disciplines are employed to control individuals deemed 'deviant' by society, often obscuring the social roots of their issues. Notable articles discuss the implications of proposed changes to New York's mental hygiene laws, which could expand the state's power to involuntarily commit individuals, and the role of mental health professionals in perpetuating societal norms. The issue also reflects on the broader political climate of the time, including the Nixon administration's approach to dissent and the intersection of mental health with civil liberties.
Topics
Articles · 6
An analysis of how psychiatry and psychology are used as tools of social control and repression in society.
unsigned
A critical examination of civil commitment laws and their implications for individual rights and societal control.
An exploration of the role of psychiatrists in prisons and their complicity in the oppressive nature of the prison system.
A discussion on the collaboration between police and mental health professionals in managing social unrest.
A critique of the New York Times' editorial stance on the appointment of Dr. Ivan Bennett at NYU amidst student protests.
unsigned
A report on the Women's Health Collective's protest at the Sixth World Congress of Gynaecology and Obstetrics.
unsigned
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