American Psychiatric Association tells doctors not to publicly analyze Donald Trump, cites 'Goldwater Rule'

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This year's presidential campaign has become so chaotic it has prompted the president of the American Psychiatric Association to issue a reminder to professionals not to publicly analyze the candidates.

Maria A. Oquendo, MD, president of the APA, did not mention the name of any specific candidate in her August 3 blog, but was clearly referring to Republican nominee Donald Trump in reminding fellow psychiatrists not to break a 43-year old rule forbidding them from airing their expert opinions.

"Every four years, the United States goes through a protracted elections process for the highest office in the land," Oquendo wrote. "This year, the election seems like anything but a normal contest, that has at times devolved into outright vitriol. The unique atmosphere of this year's election cycle may lead some to want to psychoanalyze the candidates, but to do so would not only be unethical, it would be irresponsible."

From recent comments about a crying baby at one of his rallies and questioning why a Muslim Gold Star mother did not speak at the Democratic convention, to past remarks about Rosie O'Donnell and other women, including his own wife Melania, Trump has raised more than a few eyebrows.

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Some have raised the spectre of a psychological condition, ranging from narcissistic personality disorder to questioning whether Trump fits the definition of a sociopath.

Trump has fired back at critics as he has done throughout his campaign through social media, tweeting on August 6, "I am not just running against Crooked Hillary Clinton, I am running against the very dishonest and totally biased media - but I will win!"

Media analysis of the personality of a presidential candidate is nothing new, but the tone of this year's race has not been seen since another Republican sought office in 1964.

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The right-wing views of Arizona Senator and GOP nominee Barry Goldwater got him the label of extreme by Democratic rival Lyndon Johnson, critics and the media. As is what's happening with Trump, Goldwater's own divisive remarks had reporters questioning his mental ability to be president.

In 1964, as Oquendo said in her blog, Fact magazine published a survey of psychiatrists who responded to the question of whether Goldwater was psychologically fit to be president. Of the 2,417 psychiatrists who answered, 1,189 said Goldwater was unfit to assume the presidency, Oquendo said.

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Some responding doctors issued specific diagnoses without ever having examined Goldwater personally, and the danger became immediately clear, she said.

"This large, very public ethical misstep by a significant number of psychiatrists violated the spirit of the ethical code that we live by as physicians, and could very well have eroded public confidence in psychiatry," Oquendo said in her blog.

Since 1973, the American Psychiatric Association and its members have abided by "the Goldwater Rule," which prohibits psychiatrists from offering opinions on someone they have not personally evaluated.

Her blog warns psychiatrists from giving their opinion about an individual who is in the light of public attention or who has disclosed information about himself/herself through public media.

"In such circumstances, a psychiatrist may share with the public his or her expertise about psychiatric issues in general," she said. "However, it is unethical for a psychiatrist to offer a professional opinion unless he or she has conducted an examination and has been granted proper authorization for such a statement."

Twitter: @SusanJMorse