During times of crisis, institutions tend to focus on maintaining or restoring public trust, as well as on measures to insulate themselves (and their leadership) from potential legal liability. This is because institutions reflexively turn to lawyers, risk managers, crisis consultants, and public relations firms that focus on what they euphemistically call the “optics.” In this essay, I highlight the vital importance of addressing underlying reasons for an institution's loss of public trust—in particular, the loss (or erosion) of its integrity (...) and trustworthiness. Loss of public trust generates one kind of crisis—which I term “opsis.” But there is another kind of institutional crisis that so often remains unrecognized. Just as medical sepsis in the human body is a critical condition that endangers life, the loss of an institution's integrity and trustworthiness constitutes a type of sepsis—ethical sepsis—that poses an existential threat to the institution if unaddressed. (shrink)

In recent years, ethical concerns have emerged among psychologists, psychiatrists, and physicians about interrogating inmates detained at U.S. military prison camps, such as Guantanamo Bay, or consulting on such interrogations. These concerns have escalated to levels necessitating the three major associations—the American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the American Medical Association—to formulate position statements on these issues. Within the psychological community, two divergent schools of thought have developed, and this article explores the role of psychologists in these types (...) of interrogations and the related ethical concerns. Specifically, this article provides an overview of psychologists' roles in this area, presents an analysis of the ethical guidelines, discusses the implications of the American Psychological Association's position statement, and offers suggestions to reconcile the current ethical debate. (shrink)

This article examines why U.S. healthcare professionals became involved in “enhanced interrogation,” or torture, during the War on Terror. A number of factors are identified including a desire on the part of these professionals to defend their country and fellow citizens from future attack; having their activities approved and authorized by legitimate command structures; financial incentives; and wanting to prevent serious harm from occurring to prisoners/detainees. The factors outlined here suggest that psychosocial factors can influence health professionals’ ethical decision-making.

An examination of ethical and legal issues in intelligence interrogation tactics.