This post is from over 2 years ago. I do hope that this sort of mocking behaviour, by some professionals in the mental health field, has stopped. We need to be kinder to one another. It is reasonable to expect healthcare professionals to understand this and to promote the values of the caring profession*.
A recent thread on Twitter, involving a number of UK mental health professionals, denigrated those who, like myself, live with prescribed harm. The thread was quite frankly nasty. It seemed deliberately provocative. Those involved in this thread equated those who have had less than positive experience of psychiatry as “Trolls”.
Several of the contributors to this thread [UK mental health professionals] have had the behaviour and language that they use on social media described as “vile”. One contributor joked about a ‘vile on’. This was a reference to “pile ons” [that users of Twitter will be familiar with].
Prof Rob Howard, 14 February 2022: “‘Vilegate’. What’s going to happen next?”
Prof Rob Howard, 14 February 2022: “[Vilegate] is far better than Bollywood“
Dr Annie Hickox, 4 March 2022: “That is one of the most vile things I have had the misfortune to encounter on Twitter, Rob” [sarcasm]
Prof Rob Howard, 4 March 2022: “I have a reputation to maintain. As do you, Annie”
Dr Annie Hickox, 3 April 2022: “I’m the vilest. @ProfRobHoward is only the second vilest”
Prof Rob Howard, 3 April 2022: “I am so disappointed. Always runner up”
Dr Annie Hickox, 3 April 2022: “Try harder”
Prof Rob Howard, 3 April 2022: “I think vileness has to come naturally. You can’t force it”
Prof Rob Howard, 12 June 2022: “This, I’m afraid is Vile Cake Talk”
Twitter contributor #1: “Utter FILTH. I love it.”
Twitter contributor #2: “We shall be suspended from Twitter. We are Vile and Proud”
Dr Annie Hickox, 12 June 2022: “The Vile Bodies Club continues to grow apace”
Dr Samei Huda, 25 July 2022: “I’m mediocre at being vile”
Prof Rob Howard, 25 July 2022: “You are too modest”
“VILEGATE”: Dr Annie Hickox argues that this use of language and behaviour is appropriate and has made clear her concerns about “tone policing”. But professional values matter. That is why organisations have collectively agreed the values that matter to the profession:
Such as these:
and these:
In 2018, this guidance was issued: Guidelines are recommendations and need not be followed. As anybody on Twitter will know. Furthermore, no organisation seems willing to hold professionals to account if they routinely ignore their guidelines. *The Royal Colleges, the GMC, and employers are turning a blind eye to what the former President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists described as “all this nastiness”.
I am not sure if any action is possible, and if one dares to put a head above the parapet, invariably you will be described as a “Troll”, or maybe as I have, find yourself diagnosed on Twitter as mentally disordered [in my case by a senior UK psychiatrist that I have never met]. This abuse of power is seriously damaging the reputation of the profession of psychiatry.
This post urges those in positions of power to remind professionals of organisational values. Otherwise the ‘vile-on’ culture will continue and harm will be perpetuated. We need to be kinder to one another. It is reasonable to expect healthcare professionals to understand this and to promote the values of the caring profession.
*In January 2024 the Royal College of Psychiatrists rewrote its social media policy:
The major change in this “updated” College policy is that the vast majority of it only applies to “any member of the College who is a Senior College Office Holder or Other College Post Holder.”
Previous College social media policies, including upholding the values of the College, had applied to the entire membership. The new policy introduces an interesting re-definition of what is commonly understood as membership. As well as removing the College’s responsibility for oversight this policy change appears to give the wider membership licence to depart from College values when using social media.
In a time where the impact on mental health of online behaviour is being increasingly recognised as a society-wide issue surely the College should be taking a more proactive role rather than retreating from taking responsibility for the behaviour of its full membership.
Prof Howard on “fellow mental health professionals” who have expressed concern about his unprofessional behaviour and abusive language on social media. The following material refers to the ‘keeper’ of Hole Ousia:
