Psychiatric terms need clarification

I WAS interested to read the letter by Fiona Crowley, of Amnesty International Ireland (Irish Examiner letters, January 3), in which she outlined the organisation’s position on the use of forced psychiatric interventions involving electroconvulsive ‘therapy’ (ECT).

She states that “it should only be administered after obtaining informed consent — whether from the person or, if they lack capacity, their personal representative — and where the decision has also been confirmed by an independent authority”.

I object to the use of psychiatric terminology such as “capacity” and “informed consent” which has often been used to argue that a person lacks “insight” into their “illness” and which is then used to justify psychiatric force against those who resist the medicalisation of their mental and emotional distress.