More on Liptzin Case

Psychiatrists everywhere should be quaking in their boots over the verdict against Dr. Myron Liptzin. Dr. Liptzin was held responsible for a patient who murdered two people eight months after termination. Also, the jury awarded $500,000 to the murderer. Psychiatrists are not mind readers or fortune-tellers, yet the world would have us presume the role of omniscience and omnipotence in regard to our patients. I believe this thinking is symptomatic of the vast public misunderstanding about psychiatry, mental health, and the limits of our abilities.

It seems highly inconsistent that, in an era when the concept of physician-assisted suicide is gaining momentum, psychiatrists are held increasingly accountable for patients who take their own or someone else's life without our help.

I believe the verdict against Dr. Liptzin is an assault on the integrity of our profession. It sets us up as scapegoats for all sociopaths who can con us into pitying them when they commit irresponsible acts.

I hope APA and the North Carolina Psychiatric Association recognize the dangers inherent in this verdict and take decisive action in support of Dr. Liptzin's appeal.

Katharine C. Otto, M.D.
Savannah, Ga.