E. Fuller Torrey

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Edwin Fuller Torrey, M.D. (b.September 6, 1937, Utica, New York), is an American psychiatrist and schizophrenia researcher. He is Associate Director for Laboratory Research at the Stanley Medical Research Institute (SMRI). Torrey is considered by some as perhaps the United States' premier psychiatrist.

Torrey is president of the board of the Treatment Advocacy Center (TAC), which describes itself as being "a national nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to eliminating legal and clinical barriers to treatment of severe mental illnesses."[1] TAC supports involuntary treatment when deemed appropriate by a judge (at the urging of the patient's psychiatrist and family members). Dr. Torrey’s sister, Rhoda, has schizophrenia. Torrey has written several best-selling books on mental illness, including Surviving Schizophrenia.

Dr. Torrey stands in opposition to the anti-psychiatry views of Thomas Szasz, a libertarian psychiatrist who asserts mental illness is a myth, and the late R. D. Laing, a British psychiatrist who suggested schizophrenia may offer a chance to grow, as well as survivors of involuntary psychiatric treatment, anti-psychiatry advocates, many civil libertarians, critics of the pharmaceutical industry and Scientologists.

Education and early career

Torrey earned his bachelor's degree, Magna Cum Laude, from Princeton University, and his medical doctor's degree from the McGill University School of Medicine. Torrey has also earned a master's degree in anthropology from Stanford University, and was trained in psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine. He practiced general medicine in Ethiopia for two years as a Peace Corps physician, in the South Bronx, and in Alaska in the Indian Health Service. From 1970 to 1975, he was a special assistant to the NIMH director.

The Stanley Medical Research Institute

Torrey is the Associate Director for Laboratory Research of the Stanley Medical Research Institute, the largest private provider of research on schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in the US. SMRI also maintains a collection of postmortem brain tissue from individuals with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression and from unaffected controls, which are made available to researchers without charge. The institute has been sued for allegedly taking brains for use in research without proper consent; one lawsuit was settled out of court.[2]

The Treatment Advocacy Center

Torrey is a founder of the Treatment Advocacy Center, a national non-profit organization that supports outpatient commitment for certain people with mental illness who, in view of their treatment history and present circumstances, are judged unlikely to survive safely in the community without supervision. TAC has been credited by New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer and others with helping pass Kendra's Law in the state. Kendra's Law allows court-ordered involuntary treatment of people diagnosed with schizophrenia or other severe mental illness who have a history of noncompliance with psychiatric advice, i.e., individuals who are, "as a result of his or her mental illness, unlikely to voluntarily participate in the recommended treatment pursuant to the treatment plan."[3] Previously, only inpatient programs were available to submit a patient to involuntary treatment. TAC's efforts to pass Kendra's Law led to similar successful passage of Laura's Law in California, and similar laws in Florida and elsewhere. Torrey has testified numerous times in front of Congress.

NAMI

Torrey was for many years an active advisor for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Although Torrey, TAC, and NAMI remain aligned, NAMI may have tried to distance itself from TAC in 1998. One source The Psychiatric Times, reported that TAC was designed from the start to be "a separate support organization with its own source of funding."[4] According to MindFreedom International, an association of survivors of psychiatric treatment opposed to involuntary treatment, NAMI severed its relationship with TAC because of pressure from groups opposed to Torrey both from within NAMI and outside NAMI. Torrey is according to MindFreedom one of 'the most feverishly pro-force psychiatrists in the world'. MindFreedom suggests that the 'links between NAMI and TAC are simply going from overt to covert.'[5].

In response to a Morley Safer 60 Minutes piece 2002, NAMI provided Torrey with a partial defense of comments made by Torrey on 60 Minutes defending NIMH programs Torrey attacked, such as a study on adolescent romantic relationships and studies on the brains of snails, newts and birds but NAMI stated also Torrey was for 'true recovery'. [6].

Torrey was also the keynote speaker at the 23rd annual NAMI convention in 2002. [7].

In 2005, NAMI gave Dr. Torrey the following tribute on its 25th Anniversary Celebratory Donor Wall:

In Tribute To E. Fuller Torrey, M.D.: For his tireless work as a trailblazing researcher, scientist, author and advocate. He has contributed to the field and to NAMI members in so many ways, including: As a groundbreaking researcher -- treading where most were afraid to go, investigating theories at which the mainstream scoffed but that today are among the most promising clinical leads in the field; As a ferociously resolute advocate -- fervently and incessantly pressing for better treatment and services for people with serious mental illnesses - always unwilling to back away from his ideals, never afraid to be politically incorrect for his passionately held cause; As a prominent and admired author of dozens of books -- including the Bible of hope for so many people with schizophrenia and their families, Surviving Schizophrenia; and As a dedicated practicing clinician - somehow carving out time to provide uncompensated psychiatric care to the most vulnerable and disenfranchised individuals with serious mental illnesses in homeless shelters, in jails and in third world countries. Dr. Torrey, it is no wonder that the Washington Post judged you "the most famous psychiatrist in America." You have touched the lives of countless NAMI members throughout this nation. Thank you for all you have done.


Evidence of NAMI's continuing links to TAC can be found on their board of directors.[8] One individual, Frederick Frese, is presently on both the NAMI and TAC boards. TAC has two other former NAMI board members on their board and Laurie Flynn, the former NAMI executive director, is part of the TAC Honorary Advisory Committee.

Research

When Torrey first became a psychiatrist, it was commonly thought schizophrenia was caused by 'bad parenting'. The fact he had a sister with schizophrenia led him to question evidence for this theory. As a result of research by Torrey and others, it is now commonly accepted that schizophrenia is a biologically-based illness, although there is still no biological diagnostic test for schizophrenia, nor any other mental illness.

In searching for a cure for schizophrenia, Torrey has studied whether a parasite in cat droppings causes schizophrenia. He is testing antibiotics against the feline parasite Toxoplasma gondii to treat schizophrenia patients. Torrey told The New York Daily News his wife thinks he is going to be assassinated by cat lovers.[[9]]


Criticism

Torrey as a Social Activist

Torrey claims people with serious mental illness are prone to violence. Torrey's studies on mental illness and violence fail to make important distinctions. Resarch suggests that rather than the mentally ill being abnomally violent only a small subset of the mentally are more violent that the mentally healthy. There is research which indicates the seriously mentally ill absent a substance abuse problem are no more dangerous than anyone else. [[10]]

Other research shows violence by people with schizophrenia is confined to a small subgroup and there are various predictors of violence such as alcohol abuse and past violence.[[11]] Torrey takes no account of these predictors of violence. Torrey has added to the stigma that people with serious mental illnesses now face. Generally people with drug and substance abuse orders are more violent than people with schizophrenia.[[12]]When people with mental illnesses are perceived as violent stigma against the mentally ill increases. [[13]] Torrey personally expresses sympathy for the plight of those with major mental illnesses.

Torrey is for 'Reinventing Mental Health Care'.[[14]]. Torrey is for ending SSI and SSDI for the mentally ill. 'The vast SSI and SSDI disability programs—together they paid out more than $17 billion in 1997 to those suffering from mental disorders—have added to the federal damage to mental health services' says Torrey in City Journal. Torrey argues that the SSI and SSDI 'system makes sense when the recipient is rational' but the mentally ill are irrational and are unable to handle SSI and SSDI checks. Torrey is for block grants to the states. Torrey also argues for more long term mental hospitals for the mentally ill in the the City Journal article. Long term mental hospitals have always been afflicted by severe difficulties and very recently too. [[15]] Medical costs have skyrocketed and there is no reason to conclude that such facilities would be appropriately funded today. Torrey argues that the mentally disabled are irrational, able to hold jobs and require daily services from a team. The Torrey plan calls for a team (PACT Team) being assinged to each patient. More coercion rather than more money is the answer to problems of the mentally ill for Torrey. Torrey nowhere explains how these daily services for the mentally ill disabled can be done on less money that SSI and SSDI which now provide an income of between 6000 and 8400 for those who are mentally disabled. The funding implications of 'Reinventing Mental Health Care' are a tranfer of funds to PACT teams from the mentally disabled and further impoverishment which is already dire of the mentally disabled or a vast increase in spending on the mental health system. Compulsory community treatment orders have been proven to be ineffective.[[16]]

Torrey as a Biological Researcher

Most recent work on major mental illnesses being caused by infectious agents has either been done by Torrey or stimulated by Torrey. Given the genetics of major mental illnesses it is clear that there are environmental components to major mental illnessess such as schizophrenia. [[17]] Studying infectious agents as contributing factors in major mental illnessess is of merit.

Torrey was as recently as 2005 Associate Director for Laboratory Research at the Stanley Medical Research Institute. The Stanley Medical Research Institute is the largest private provider of research on schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in the United States. The Stanley Medical Research Institute has provided some back up studies on drugs already developed. Torrey has come up with no new and now accepted biologcal treatments. Clearly though Torrey is strongly for new innovative biological treatments for major mental illnesses. Torrey critizes the research strategy of the NIMH. [[18]] The main complaint of Torrey is that NIMH focuses on more basic research than Torrey is for and fails to target the treatment of major mental illnessess. The NIMH undertakes basic brain studies. On the assumption that major mental illnessess are infectious diseases criticizing basic research on the brain is logical. There is no strong evidence that major mental illness is primarily an infectious disease. As Torrey points out most studies show no correlation between bipolar or schizophrenia and viruses. [[19]] As Torrey says the virus hypothesis just is 'an attractive hypothesis with scattered interesting findings'.

There have been allegations that the Stanley Foundation at the behest of Torrey misappropriated brains of the deceased mentally ill. [[20]]

Torrey claims schizophrenia is a recent disease. [[21]]. Torrey also claims cats are etiologically associated with schizophrenia. These two claims are in conflict with each other as cats have been domesticated for more than 8000 years. [[22]][[23]]

Many infectious diseases run the gamut from no symptoms, to mild symptoms to severe disabilty and even death. Toxoplasmosis gondii is clearly an infection with a range of symptoms.[[24]] Torrey studies common infectious agents and tries to tie these infectious agents to mental illness. For example, Torrey has studied human herpesvirus-6 for a connection to schizophrenia.[[25]] Human herpesvirus-6 causes roseola infantum (or rose rash of infants) a benign disease of infants; Torrey has apparently concluded that it is feasible that the symptoms of human herpesvirus-6 range from baby rash to schizophrenia.

Recognition

Torrey received two Commendation Medals from the U.S. Public Health Service. In 1999, he received a research award from the International Congress of Schizophrenia. In 2005, a tribute to Torrey was included in NAMI's 25th Anniversary Celebratory Donor Wall.

Books

  • 1975, Why did you do that?: Rainy day games for a post-industrial society, Chilton Book Company, ISBN 0801961432
  • 1980, Schizophrenia and Civilization, Jason Aronson Publishers
  • 1983, Surviving Schizophrenia: A Manual for Families, Consumers, and Providers, Harper and Row, ISBN 0060959193
  • 1983, The Roots of Treason: Ezra Pound and the Secret of St. Elizabeths, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, ISBN 0156790157
  • 1986, The Mind Game: Witchdoctors and Psychiatrists, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc, ISBN 0876686897
  • 1986, Care of the Seriously Mentally Ill: A Rating of State Programs, with Sidney M. Wolfe and Laurie Flynn, ISBN 9991796223
  • 1988, Nowhere to Go: The Tragic Odyssey of the Homeless Mentally Ill, Harper Collins, ISBN 0060159936
  • 1992, Criminalizing the Seriously Mentally Ill: The Abuse of Jails As Mental Hospitals (senior author/editor), ISBN 0788142798
  • 1992, Freudian Fraud: The Malignant Effect of Freud's Theory on American Thought and Culture, Harper Collins, ISBN 1929636008
  • 1994, Schizophrenia and Manic-Depressive Disorder: The Biological Roots of Mental Illness as Revealed by a Landmark Study of Identical Twins (senior author), with Irving I. Gottesman, Edward H. Taylor, Ann E. Bowler, Perseus Books Group
  • 1996, Out of the Shadows: Confronting America's Mental Illness Crisis, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., ISBN 0471245321
  • 2002, Surviving Manic-Depressive Illness, Basic Books, ISBN 0465086632
  • 2002, The Invisible Plague: The Rise of Mental Illness from 1750 to the Present, with Judy Miller, Rutgers University Press; ISBN 0813530032
  • 2005, Beasts of the Earth : Animals, Humans, and Disease, with Robert H. Yolken, Rutgers University Press, ISBN 0813535719
  • Ethical Issues in Medicine
  • Frontier Justice: The Rise and Fall of the Loomis Gang, North Country Books Inc, ISBN 0932052916
  • Ride with the Loomis Gang
  • Surviving Manic Depression : A Manual on Bipolar Disorder for Patients, Families and Providers, with Michael B. Knable, Basic Books, ISBN 0465086640
  • Surviving Schizophrenia for the Lay Reader, Harpercollins Publishers, ISBN 0060912170
  • Schizophrenia and Manic-Depressive Disorder: The Biological Roots of Mental Illness as Revealed by the Landmark Study of Identical Twins, Group, ISBN 0465072852
  • The Death of Psychiatry
  • Witchdoctors and Psychiatrists: The Common Roots of Psychotherapy and Its Future (revised edition of The Mind Game), Harper Collins, ISBN 0060970243

See Also

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