From The Dr. Phil Show: Statement from Dr. Dean Hokanson, Ph.D, former Chief Psychologist, Connecticut Childrens Hospital, who treated Justina since 2006: I think about this a lot. I have always questioned the diagnosis. Even if you give them the diagnosis, I know of no place in the country where the treatment would be a locked removal and removal basically from contact from family. The idea is that a control blocked ward environment for a girl who is anything but a behavioral problem and giving her minimal contact with her family is out of the ordinary; I don’t know anyone for whom that becomes the treatment of choice. I know people who do family therapy and work with the family. This was an intervention based on two dimensions. One was to control the girl’s environment and the second was minimal contact with her family because they believe she regresses when they are around. The fact they have had this girl for 13 months daggers my imagination in what they are trying to do. I have trouble with the diagnosis, but I really have trouble with the treatment paradigm. I assume they were running some sort of research program and this was the protocol; Justina just got whisked into the protocol. There is a lot of interest in somatoform at BCH, more than any place that I know. In terms of Dr. Korson, I will leave Mitochondrial Disease diagnosis to him. I am only a psychologist. I thought she was depressed because she was in pain, and she couldn’t stay in school because of fatigue, despite desperately wanting to be at school and with her friends. I diagnosed her with low-grade depression, I think in this case secondary to her medical conditions (i.e. physical ailments) and the fact her daily life was so interrupted. I have totally lost an understanding of HIPPA and Gag orders. This thing has gone on so long I have no idea anymore what is OK to say and not to say. This is beyond anything that has been of my understanding.
Posted on: Mon, 31 Mar 2014 23:26:03 +0000