Michael J. Fitzpatrick,
executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) today
offered the following statement:
A media circus and reckless speculation has surrounded events in the
life of pop singer Britney Spears and her family. Professional ethics
require that mental health professionals who have not examined or treated
individuals not presume to diagnose them. A person's treatment and recovery
from any illness also is entitled to privacy -- which in fact may be an
important factor in recovery.
In the case of Britney Spears, professional ethics also are involved
which the media must confront. Roy Peter Clark, vice-president of the
Poynter Institute, a leading center of journalism training and ethics,
recently wrote. "There is clearly a danger zone, when life and health are
at stake, when the best thing the press can do is back off. That time for
Spears is probably now."
At the same time, the case is an opportunity for public discussion
about mental illness, which many ordinary Americans confront every year.
NAMI believes it is important that such discussions in our homes, offices,
schools, and stores, as well as in the media, be based on facts.
What is needed--for anyone--is understanding and support. We encourage
everyone to focus not on Britney Spears, but on all the ordinary people in
our own communities who deserve our attention.
Getting well can be a difficult process. It takes time. It may involve
relapses.
Involuntary treatment may be necessary in some instances, but only as a
last resort, and over time, a person's insight often returns and treatment
becomes voluntary.
There should be no stigma for a person being hospitalized or treated
for mental illness, voluntary or otherwise. Treatment represents medical
intervention for a life-threatening medical condition. Treatment also
works.
Doctors and families often respond to other kinds of medical
emergencies, such as brain seizures or diabetic shock. Being admitted to a
hospital under any circumstance should never be a cause for stigma.
Source: NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness
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