She told me that the event seemed to have had quite an impact on attendees, most of whom had no idea of how desperate our situation has become.
That's the thing, isn't it. I'm sure most people in the biomedical world simply don't realise what's going on. They see 'psychomedical' stuff as essentially harmless — sort of a quaint, touchy-feely adjunct for making people feel a bit better. They just don't realise that there are groups of very sick people who are being offered nothing else and who are absolutely desperate for real medical help. I don't think they realise, either, just how much influence the psychological lobby is now exerting within healthcare systems, especially the NHS.
On which subject, the British Psychological Society's Strategic Plan, 2015-20, includes the following 'strategic goal':
- Maximise the impact of psychology on public policy.
They also include the following under 'Values':
• honesty and integrity;
• transparency;
• respect for a diversity of viewpoints;
[source:
http://www.bps.org.uk/system/files/Public files/2014_strategic_plan_web.pdf]
Seems like not all their members got that memo.