Crises and Opportunities for Psychological Science under Fascism

Psychopathology research and treatment is at a crucial juncture. Particularly within the United States, funding for scientific research has been cut drastically; academic freedom is under attack; and efforts to diversify our workforce and mitigate our field's contributions to systemic oppression have been banned outright. Ideologies vie for dominance, with reactionary centrism and institutional capitulation increasingly evident. Gaslighting plays a central role in our politics (academic, national, and beyond), but it is virtually unacknowledged within our science. At the same time, diamonds are formed under pressure. Our collective reckoning brings with it the potential for non-incremental improvements in our ability to assess, diagnose, and treat patients. These improvements arrive in the form of opportunities for paradigm shifts, particularly those involving acknowledging the gaslighting our field perpetuates; resourcefulness in conducting research; values-realignment; coalition-building within and across fields and institutions; and dissemination and outreach.