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== content to consider merging back into page == [[User:Notjusttired|notjusttired]] ([[User talk:Notjusttired|talk]]) 13:54, July 17, 2019 (EDT) [https://www.me-pedia.org/index.php?title=Simon_Wessely&oldid=60437 Previous content link] *4.1 Accusations of abuse *4.2 Evidence of abuse and threats *4.3 Accusation of "blocking research" *4.4 Accusations of poor quality research *4.5 Camelford water supply contamination *4.6 Past beliefs of stress in Gulf War Illness *4.7 Scotsman retracts article criticizing Wessely *4.8 Negative stereotyping and comments about patients with ME/CFS **4.8.1 Denigration by Design Update (Vol 2): A Review of the Role of Simon Wessely in the Perception of ME 1996-1999 **4.8.2 The Mental Health Movement: Persecution of Patients *Quotes by Simon Wessely Complied by charities and advocates critical of Wessely. '''Original content ''' Added for reference - Njt Aug 8, 2019 {{collapse top}} === Accusations of abuse === Professor Wessely stated in summer 2011 that he had been the subject of abuse and threats of violence by patients objecting to his research.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/society/2011/aug/21/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-myalgic-encephalomyelitis | title =Chronic fatigue syndrome researchers face death threats from militants | last =McKie | first = Robin | date = Aug 20, 2011|website=The Guardian|language=en|access-date=2018-08-29|authorlink=Robin McKie|archive-url=|archive-date=|url-status=}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite web|url=http://www.meassociation.org.uk/2011/08/interview-with-professor-simon-wessely-the-times-6-august-2011/ | title =Interview with Professor Simon Wessely {{!}} The Times {{!}}6 August 2011 | last =Marsh | first = Stefanie | date = Aug 6, 2011|website=[[ME Association]]|language=en-US|archive-url=|archive-date=|url-status=|access-date=2018-08-29|authorlink=Stefanie Marsh}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-14326514 | title ='Abuse' hindering ME research | last = Feilden | first = Tom| date = Jul 29, 2011|work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=2018-08-29|language=en-GB|quote=|author-link=Tom Feilden|archive-url=|archive-date=|url-status=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.spectator.co.uk/2011/10/mind-the-gap/ | title =Mind the gap | last =Ross | first = Deborah| date = Oct 2011|website=[[The Spectator]]|language=en-US|archive-url=|archive-date=|url-status=|access-date=2018-08-29|authorlink=Deborah Ross|publisher=[[The Spectator]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2020241/Scientists-investigating-ME-death-threats-investigating-psychological-causes.html| title =Death threats to scientists who say ME may be 'all in the mind' | last =Hope | first = Jenny | date = |work=Daily Mail Online|access-date=2018-08-29|archive-url=|archive-date=|url-status=|quote=|author-link=Jenny Hope}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/8641007/Protesters-have-got-it-all-wrong-on-ME.html| title =Protesters have got it all wrong on ME | last =Pemberton | first = Max| date = Aug 29, 2011|access-date=2018-08-29|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235|work=[[The Telegraph]]|quote=|author-link=Max Pemberton|archive-url=|archive-date=|url-status=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KP0q7MtANM|title=BBC News: Scientists working on ME/CFS are abusing and intimidating patients | last = | first = | date = Jul 29, 2011|website=YouTube|publisher=|archive-url=|archive-date=|url-status=|access-date= | author-link=IloveCBT}}</ref> Professor Wessely claimed in an interview that research into [[CFS/ME]] made him feel unsafe, stating that specializing in the problems of war veterans "I now go to Iraq and Afghanistan, where I feel a lot safer."<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal | last =Hawkes | first = Nigel | author-link=Nigel Hawkes| date = Jun 22, 2011 | title = The dangers of research into CFS/ME|url=https://www.bmj.com/bmj/section-pdf/187262?path=/bmj/342/7812/Feature.full.pdf|journal=[[BMJ]]|volume=342|issue=d3780|pages=1392-1384|quote=|via=|doi=10.1136/bmj.d3780}}</ref> === Evidence of abuse and threats === In 2017, King's College London, Sir Wessely's employer, received a '''Freedom of Information Act''' request asking if any King's College had a record of any "substantiated claims of harassment of allegations of threats" to staff, which King's College refused to disclosure, claiming this information was exempt from from FOIA disclosure.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/370916/response/921879/attach/3/F366.16%20Response.pdf | title =Freedom of Information Act request 370916, response 921879 | last = King's College London | first = |authorlink=King's College London | date = Jan 17, 2017 | website = |archive-url=|archive-date=|url-status=|access-date=}}</ref> In 2012, the year after publication of the [[PACE trial]], King's College London responded to a Freedom of Information Act request stating it held information on threats to Simon Wessely from "a range of individuals".<ref name=":8">{{Cite web|url=https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/138299/response/341512/attach/html/2/Response%20Letter.pdf.html| title =Freedom of information act request 138299, response 341512 | last = King's College London | first = |authorlink=King's College London | date = Dec 12, 2012 | website = whatdotheyknow.com|archive-url=|archive-date=|url-status=|access-date=2019-03-22}}</ref> The college refused to confirm or deny whether it has a record of Simon Wessely taking private legal advice about the alleged intimidation or whether he had reported any to the police, but the response implied that legal advice had not been provided by King's College London.<ref name=":8" /> ===Accusation of "blocking research" === Dr [[Ian Gibson]] has criticized Professor Wessely's purely [[Biopsychosocial model|psychological approach]] to the disease.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkbvSEmEZMk "Dr. Ian Gibson on BBC radio: Prof Simon Wessely has been blocking proper research into ME for years"]</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkbvSEmEZMk | title =Dr. Ian Gibson on BBC radio: Prof Simon Wessely has been blocking proper research into ME for years | last =Gibson | first = Ian | date = Dec 14, 2011|website=YouTube|publisher=ILoveCBT|archive-url=|archive-date=|url-status=|access-date=}}</ref> === Accusations of poor quality research=== In 2000 Wessely & fellow researchers were accused of "unsupported conclusions derived from faulty analyses", and responded that [https://www.me-pedia.org/index.php?title=Talk:Biopsychosocial_model&oldid=38848#We_have_been_attacked_by_gremlins "we've been attacked by gremlins"]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://me-pedia.org/wiki/Biopsychosocial_model#We_have_been_attacked_by_gremlins | title =Biopsychosocial model - MEpedia|website=me-pedia.org|language=en|access-date=2018-08-29}}</ref> who changed the data on their manuscript. This was later revealed to have been happened at the [[BMJ]], although Wessely was criticized for not keeping the original manuscript or data. === Done: Camelford water supply contamination === In 1988 the public water supply in Camelford in England was accidentally contaminated with [aluminium sulfate.<ref>{{Cite journal| date = 2018-07-14 | title =Camelford water pollution incident|url=title=Camelford_water_pollution_incident&oldid=850253425|journal=Wikipedia|language=en}}</ref> Professor Wessely published a paper in 1995 playing down the effects of the pollution and suggesting significant psychological factors were involved.<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/15439490_The_Legend_of_Camelford_Medical_Consequences_of_a_Water_Pollution_Accident|title=The Legend of Camelford: Medical Consequences of a Water Pollution Accident | last =David | first=Anthony | last2 = Wessely | first2 = Simon | date = 1995-02-01|volume=39}}</ref> The government formally and unreservedly apologized in 2013, 25 years later, to those whose health was affected by the water supply contamination.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cornwall-24164253 | title = Apology over 1988 water poisoning| date = 2013-09-19|work=BBC News|access-date=2018-08-29|language=en-GB}}</ref> ===Covered already: Past beliefs of stress in Gulf War Illness === Professor Wessely believed that [https://me-pedia.org/wiki/Gulf_War_Illness#Simon_Wessely.27s_past_stress_related_beliefs_in_GWI stress was involved in Gulf War Illness],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://me-pedia.org/wiki/Gulf_War_Illness#Simon_Wessely.27s_past_stress_related_beliefs_in_GWI|title=Gulf War Illness - MEpedia|website=me-pedia.org|language=en|access-date=2018-08-26 | date = | last = | first = |archive-url=|archive-date=|url-status=}}</ref> with an long-term psychiatric paradigm research and public view on it. === Scotsman retracts article criticizing Wessely === In 2003, Dr Margaret Cook, a hospital consultant, wrote an article in the ''Scotsman'' newspaper entitled ME sufferers have found an enemy in Wessely – so they need friends, which was quickly retracted.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1105122003 | title = ME suffers have found an enemy in Simon Wessely – so they need friends - The Scotsman | last =Cook | first = Margaret | authorlink=Margaret Cook| date = Oct 6, 2003 | website = news.scotsman.com|language=en|archive-url=http://www.whale.to/a/me12.html|archive-date=Oct 2003|url-status=dead|access-date=2018-11-27}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.whale.to/a/me12.html| title =ME sufferers have found enemy in Simon Wessely - so they need friends | last =OneClickGroup | first = | date = |website=whale.to|archive-url=|archive-date=|url-status=|access-date=2018-11-27}}</ref> ===Negative stereotyping and comments about patients with ME/CFS === Sir Simon Wessely, in an interview for the highly influential [[The BMJ|BMJ]], referred to patients with ME/CFS, stated "[w]ith these people, it isn't that they don't want to get better but if the price is recognising the psychiatric basis of the condition, they'd rather not get better".<ref name=":1" /> A number of patients and some patient organizations have been critical of Sir Wessely's views and have highlighted certain comments made by Professor Wessely, including sections of his published academic writing, and summarized them.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.meactionuk.org.uk/wessely.html| title =Weasel Words | last =ME Action Network | first = | date = 2017-03-27 | website = |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327233955/http://www.meactionuk.org.uk/wessely.html|archive-date=2017-03-27|url-status=dead|access-date=2018-12-03}}</ref><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=http://www.investinme.org/Article-130%20Williams%20Hooper%20Wesselys%20Ways.htm|title=Invest in ME - Margaret Williams - Wesselys Ways: Rhetoric or reason? | last =Williams | first = Margaret | authorlink=Margaret Williams | last2 = Hooper | first2 = Malcolm | authorlink2 = Malcolm Hooper | date = |website=[[Invest in ME Research]]|archive-url=|archive-date=|url-status=|access-date=2018-12-03}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite news | url=https://twitter.com/MEawareness/status/746682786833141760 | title = Letter to Mansel Aylward | last =Murray | first = Robin | date = Oct 1993|work=|access-date=2018-08-29|archive-url=|archive-date=|url-status=|publisher=Twitter|language=en|quote=|author-link=Robin Murray | last2 = David | first2=Anthony | author-link2 = Anthony David | last3 = Wessely | first3 = Simon | author-link3 = Simon Wessely}}</ref> ====Denigration by Design Update (Vol 2): A Review of the Role of Simon Wessely in the Perception of ME 1996-1999==== Written by [[Margaret Williams]], this contains many quotes by Simon Wessely, including some from his research or interviews, and highlights many of the generalized comments that Wessely has made about criticizing patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, including his agreement with negative comments made by other professionals, and his views that CFS is neither a serious nor a disabling condition.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=http://www.margaretwilliams.me/2003/mental-health-movement-persecution-of-patients-select-ctte.pdf | title =THE MENTAL HEALTH MOVEMENT: PERSECUTION OF PATIENTS?<br>A consideration of the role of Professor Simon Wessely and other members of the "Wessely School" in the perception of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) in the UK<br>Background Briefing for the House of Commons Select Health Committee | last =Hooper | first = Malcolm | authorlink=Malcolm Hooper| date = 2003 | website = |archive-url=|archive-date=|url-status=|access-date=Dec 1, 2018}}</ref> ====The Mental Health Movement: Persecution of Patients==== Professor [[Malcolm Hooper]]'s report, subtitled ''A consideration of the role of Professor Simon Wessely and other members of the "Wessely School" in the perception of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) in the UK'' was written as a briefing for the UK government’s House of Commons Select Health Committee. The Mental Health Movement: Persecution of Patients describes how Simon Wessely, psychiatrists of the [[Wessely school]] and a few other professionals have "denigrated" patients over a long period of time, presenting patients as manipulating others for "secondary gain", and Wessely's attempts to re-classify [[myalgic encephalomyelitis]] as simply a [[fatigue]] condition called [[chronic fatigue syndrome]], presenting it as a psychiatric rather than physical, neurological condition–even misusing the [[World Health Organization]] logo and incorrectly presenting the WHO classification of ME/CFS to do so.<ref name=":6" /> {{collapse bottom}}
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