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There was an error in the September 5 issue. The Minnesota Board of Medical Practice has renewed my license even as it demands the records of the psychiatrist who is treating me for type II bipolar disorder.
Sadly, the publicity engendered by my case has confirmed that clinicians have avoided treatment from fear of the board’s highly invasive and misconceived policies. Several such persons have subsequently committed suicide. The public is not protected when health professionals are afraid to seek treatment or are unwilling to be frank in confidential therapeutic relationships. Occupational impairment cannot be predicted from diagnosis or treatment or from a review of medical records. In too many cases, psychiatrists or lawyers who are inadequately informed of the protections available under the Americans With Disabilities Act have cooperated with policies that are destructive of the necessary trust and confidentiality of mental health treatment. I urge mental health and legal professionals to be more vigilant in reforming these outdated policies still practiced by medical, nursing, and social work boards.
I am deeply grateful for the many letters of support from the public and mental health groups, including APA, the Minnesota Psychiatric Association, the Minnesota Psychologists Association, the Mental Health Association of Minnesota and its national office, the Alliance for the Mentally III of Minnesota, Suicide Awareness/Voices of Education (SAVE), and the Minnesota Medical Association.
Steve Miles, M.D.
Minneapolis, Minn.