Andrei Snezhnevsky
Encyclopedia
Andrei Vladimirovich Snezhnevsky (7 (20) May 1904, Kostroma — 12 July 1987, Moscow) was a Soviet psychiatrist notorious for expanding the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia
, a step that allowed for arbitrary labeling of political dissidents as having sluggishly progressing schizophrenia
. Despite being associated with the authoritarian politics of using the psychiatry in USSR as a system of oppression
, Snezhnevsky today is still respected by some Russian psychiatrists for his theoretical work.
In 1968 Snezhnevsky wrote of a distinction between the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia, a concept that came to be increasingly used in schizophrenia research and classification since 1970's, citing his colleague I.F. Ovchinnikov that the symptoms appear to exist "as if on two levels".
Helen Lavretsky suggests that a totalitarian regime, the lack of a democratic tradition in Russia, and oppression and “extermination” of the best psychiatrists during the 1930-50 period prepared the ground for the abuse of psychiatry and Russian-Soviet concept of schizophrenia.
Snezhnevsky was long attacked in the West as an exemplar of psychiatric abuse in the USSR. He was charged with cynically developing a system of diagnosis which could be bent for political purposes, and he himself diagnosed or was involved in a series of famous dissident cases, including those of the biologist Zhores Medvedev
and the mathematician Leonid Plyushch
.
In 1980, the Special Committee on the Political Abuse of Psychiatry, established by the Royal College of Psychiatrists
in 1978, charged Snezhnevsky with involvement in the abuse and recommended that Snezhnevsky, who had been honoured as a Corresponding Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists
, be invited to attend the College's Court of Electors to answer criticisms because he was responsible for the compulsory detention of this celebrated dissident, Leonid Plyushch
. Instead Snezhnevsky chose to resign his Fellowship.
On basis of the available data and materials accumulated in the archives of the International Association on the Political Use of Psychiatry, one can confidently conclude that thousands of dissenters were hospitalized for political reasons.
According to Moscow
psychiatrist Alexander Danilin
, the so-called ‘nosological’ approach in the Moscow psychiatric school established by Snezhnevsky boils down to the ability to make an only diagnosis, schizophrenia; psychiatry is not science but such a system of opinions and people by the thousands are falling victims to these opinions—millions of lives were crippled by virtue of the concept ‘sluggish schizophrenia’ introduced some time once by Andrei Vladimirovich Snezhnevsky, academician, whom Danilin called a political offender.
St Petersburg academic psychiatrist professor Yuri Nuller
notes that the concept of Snezhnevsky’s school allows, for example, to consider schizoid psychopathy or schizoidism as the early, sluggishly progressing stages of an inevitable progredient process rather than the personality characteristics of an individual, which may not develop along the path of schizophrenic process at all. That results in the extreme expansion of diagnosing sluggish schizophrenia and the harm it has done. Nuller adds that within the scope of the sluggish schizophrenia concept, any deviation from the norm evaluated by a doctor can be regarded as schizophrenia, with all the ensuing consequences for an examinee. That creates ample opportunity for voluntary and involuntary abuses of psychiatry. However, neither Snezhnevsky nor his followers, according to Nuller, found civil and scientific courage to review their concept that clearly reached a deadlock.
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
, a step that allowed for arbitrary labeling of political dissidents as having sluggishly progressing schizophrenia
Sluggishly progressing schizophrenia
Sluggishly progressing schizophrenia or sluggish schizophrenia was a category of schizophrenia diagnosed by psychiatrists in the Soviet Union...
. Despite being associated with the authoritarian politics of using the psychiatry in USSR as a system of oppression
Oppression
Oppression is the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner. It can also be defined as an act or instance of oppressing, the state of being oppressed, and the feeling of being heavily burdened, mentally or physically, by troubles, adverse conditions, and...
, Snezhnevsky today is still respected by some Russian psychiatrists for his theoretical work.
In 1968 Snezhnevsky wrote of a distinction between the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia, a concept that came to be increasingly used in schizophrenia research and classification since 1970's, citing his colleague I.F. Ovchinnikov that the symptoms appear to exist "as if on two levels".
Helen Lavretsky suggests that a totalitarian regime, the lack of a democratic tradition in Russia, and oppression and “extermination” of the best psychiatrists during the 1930-50 period prepared the ground for the abuse of psychiatry and Russian-Soviet concept of schizophrenia.
Snezhnevsky was long attacked in the West as an exemplar of psychiatric abuse in the USSR. He was charged with cynically developing a system of diagnosis which could be bent for political purposes, and he himself diagnosed or was involved in a series of famous dissident cases, including those of the biologist Zhores Medvedev
Zhores Medvedev
Zhores Aleksandrovich Medvedev is a Russian biologist, historian and dissident. His twin brother is the historian Roy Medvedev.-Biography:Zhores Medvedev and his twin brother Roy Medvedev were born on 14 November 1925 in Tbilisi, Georgia, USSR....
and the mathematician Leonid Plyushch
Leonid Plyushch
Leonid Plyushch is a mathematician and Soviet dissident.- Early life and career :Leonid Plyushch was born into a Ukrainian working-class family in 1939 in Naryn, Kirghizia. His father worked as railway foreman, and was killed at the front 1941...
.
In 1980, the Special Committee on the Political Abuse of Psychiatry, established by the Royal College of Psychiatrists
Royal College of Psychiatrists
The Royal College of Psychiatrists is the main professional organisation of psychiatrists in the United Kingdom responsible for representing psychiatrists, psychiatric research and providing public information about mental health problems...
in 1978, charged Snezhnevsky with involvement in the abuse and recommended that Snezhnevsky, who had been honoured as a Corresponding Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists
Royal College of Psychiatrists
The Royal College of Psychiatrists is the main professional organisation of psychiatrists in the United Kingdom responsible for representing psychiatrists, psychiatric research and providing public information about mental health problems...
, be invited to attend the College's Court of Electors to answer criticisms because he was responsible for the compulsory detention of this celebrated dissident, Leonid Plyushch
Leonid Plyushch
Leonid Plyushch is a mathematician and Soviet dissident.- Early life and career :Leonid Plyushch was born into a Ukrainian working-class family in 1939 in Naryn, Kirghizia. His father worked as railway foreman, and was killed at the front 1941...
. Instead Snezhnevsky chose to resign his Fellowship.
On basis of the available data and materials accumulated in the archives of the International Association on the Political Use of Psychiatry, one can confidently conclude that thousands of dissenters were hospitalized for political reasons.
According to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
psychiatrist Alexander Danilin
Alexander Danilin
Alexander Gennadievich Danilin is a Russian psychiatrist and physician-narcologist, author of nine books, numerous articles, lectures and trainings on addiction psychology and existential psychotherapy.He is married and has two sons....
, the so-called ‘nosological’ approach in the Moscow psychiatric school established by Snezhnevsky boils down to the ability to make an only diagnosis, schizophrenia; psychiatry is not science but such a system of opinions and people by the thousands are falling victims to these opinions—millions of lives were crippled by virtue of the concept ‘sluggish schizophrenia’ introduced some time once by Andrei Vladimirovich Snezhnevsky, academician, whom Danilin called a political offender.
St Petersburg academic psychiatrist professor Yuri Nuller
Yuri Nuller
Yuri Lvovich Nuller was a Soviet and Russian psychiatrist and professor. He spent many years investigating the problem of anxiety....
notes that the concept of Snezhnevsky’s school allows, for example, to consider schizoid psychopathy or schizoidism as the early, sluggishly progressing stages of an inevitable progredient process rather than the personality characteristics of an individual, which may not develop along the path of schizophrenic process at all. That results in the extreme expansion of diagnosing sluggish schizophrenia and the harm it has done. Nuller adds that within the scope of the sluggish schizophrenia concept, any deviation from the norm evaluated by a doctor can be regarded as schizophrenia, with all the ensuing consequences for an examinee. That creates ample opportunity for voluntary and involuntary abuses of psychiatry. However, neither Snezhnevsky nor his followers, according to Nuller, found civil and scientific courage to review their concept that clearly reached a deadlock.