A position statement on the Prevent counter-extremism policy and its potential impact on the therapeutic relationship by the Royal College of Psychiatrists in the UK, this document, entitled Counter-Extremism and Psychiatry, highlights pressing concerns held by the RCP in relation to the Prevent strategy.
Published in published in September 2016, the document pays special attention to the variable quality of the evidence underpinning the Prevent strategy.
The RCP highlights several potential conflicts that Prevent poses to the duties of a doctor, and questions its application and impact in the therapeutic context.
The RCP also states that Prevent could reduce the willingness of people to access treatment; this has recently been echoed by other health professionals, specifically in the mental health sector.
The document is available HERE.
Related Resources
- Browse our full Resources for related work on the collision between counter-extremism and mental health.
- Revealed: Secretive Vulnerability Support Hubs (Report, 2021)
- The ‘Psychologisation’ of Counter-Extremism: Unpacking Prevent (Journal Article, 2021)
- The ‘Science’ of Pre-Crime: The Secretive Study Underpinning Prevent (Report, 2016)
