"The election of Donald Trump in 2016 raised profound ethical questions for many psychiatrists. Is it ethical to diagnose a public figure without examining him or her? If so, why? If not, why not? Are there compelling reasons for a psychiatrist to comment on a president's mental health if nuclear warfare or the conduct of an unjust war is at stake? Is the media the right place for such comment? Under what circumstances, and in the name of what higher principles, may a psychiatrist violate the ethical code of her own professional organization? In Diagnosis from a Distance I explore and reflect on these ethical questions using a historical and philosophical lens. This book is a study of the development of professional ideas in a political context-and ultimately an argument about how we might approach the ethics of psychiatric comment on public figures"-- Provided by publisher.

Introduction: An ethical dilemma -- Psychoanalysis, media, and politics from the rise -- Ralph Ginzburg : provocateur -- "To remove this precedent" : Barry Goldwater sues for libel -- Ginzburg, Goldwater, and the Supreme Court -- "To protect public figures" : the APA and the Goldwater Rule -- The CIA and the White House : adventures in assess -- Furor : the debate over Donald Trump -- Conclusion: On history, ethics, and pluralism.