Italian psychiatry and Fascism: racial laws and life in psychiatric hospitals during World War II
نویسندگان
چکیده
Objectives: After the establishment of Mussolini’s dictatorship, Italian psychiatry gave a significant contribution to the promotion of eugenics principles and of fascist racism. Materials and Methods: In 1938 the Italian Society of Psychiatry (SIP), embodied by its president Arturo Donaggio, signed the Manifesto of Racist Scientists. Results: This document provided scientific justification to the forthcoming Italian racial laws. During World War II patients admitted to psychiatric hospitals suffered from severe deprivations, which caused a 60-fold increased mortality as compared to the general population. However, Italian historiography and the SIP have for long failed to recognize and properly discuss these events. Conclusions: The authors argue that,in order to prevent further misuse in the future, Italian psychiatry need to gain a full awareness of its history and take responsibilities for the crimes committed. This will allow to achieve a stronger professional integrity and to deal with future ethical challenges in a proper and informed way.
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