Is It Appropriate Or Useful To Question Candidates’ Mental Health In Clinical Terms?
Yale psychiatrist says there is danger in speculating about the mental health of candidates like Donald Trump.
We’ve all heard it, people speculating that Donald Trump’s antics and temperament can be attributed to some sort of mental illness.
And we’ve heard people speak about this in clinical terms — “He’s a narcissist!” “He’s a sociopath!”
But is this an appropriate way to discuss our presidential candidates or anyone who hasn’t been evaluated and diagnosed by a professional?
Matthew Goldenberg, assistant professor of psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine, wrote an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times titled “A professional opinion: You don’t need a psychiatrist to know there’s something wrong with Donald Trump.” He argues that this is not the right conversation to be having about Donald Trump and his candidacy.
Goldenberg joins host Stephen Henderson on Detroit Today to explore the issue. He says one danger is that clinical terms used to describe people with real mental illnesses can turn into pejoratives in popular culture.
“Describing Donald Trump as a narcissist is, in some ways, insulting to narcissists,” says Goldenberg.
To hear the full conversation, click on the audio player above.
