Did Military Psychiatry Fail to Detect Major Hasan's Emotional Turmoil?

By Ronald W. Pies, MD | November 6, 2009

Dr Pies is professor of psychiatry at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, and clinical professor of psychiatry at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston. He is also Editor in Chief of Psychiatric Times.

Some would ask whether the psychiatric system at Ft. Hood adequately assessed the mental state of Army Maj Nidal Malik Hasan, the man accused of yesterday's shooting rampage on the base.

Maj Hasan, 39, was reportedly about to be deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, despite his vehement and public objections to the wars both on the Internet and to colleagues.¹ It is not clear to what extent Maj Hasan's clinical supervisors were monitoring his emotional state prior to the rampage, or whether timely intervention might have averted the tragedy.

While prediction of individual violent acts remains extraordinarily difficult, it is fair to ask if Maj Hasan belonged in a "high risk" category that should have provoked greater scrutiny from supervising medical
personnel.

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Reference
1. Blackledge BJ. Details emerge about Fort Hood suspect background

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Did Military Psychiatry Fail to Detect Major Hasan's Emotional Turmoil?

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