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The Growing Regulation of Conversion Therapy
Jack Drescher1, Alan Schwartz2, Flávio Casoy3
1Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, New York Medical College, and Adjunct Professor, New York University.
Journal of Medical Regulation
|October 19, 2016
Summary
Conversion therapy attempts to change sexual orientation but is ineffective and harmful. Major mental health organizations and several US states and Canadian provinces now ban these practices, especially for minors.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Medical Ethics
- Public Health Policy
Background:
- Conversion therapy encompasses various treatments aiming to change homosexual to heterosexual orientation.
- Major mental health organizations repudiate conversion therapy due to evidence of ineffectiveness and harm.
- Legislation banning conversion therapy for minors is increasing in US states and Canada.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the history of conversion therapy practices.
- To examine the clinical, ethical, and research issues associated with conversion therapy.
- To inform regulatory bodies for adjudicating public complaints.
Main Methods:
- Historical review of conversion therapy.
- Analysis of clinical evidence regarding efficacy and harm.
- Examination of ethical guidelines and research findings.
Main Results:
- Conversion therapy lacks scientific validity and is associated with adverse psychological outcomes.
- A growing legal and professional consensus opposes conversion therapy, particularly for minors.
- Regulatory bodies face challenges in addressing complaints due to unfamiliarity with the practice.
Conclusions:
- Conversion therapy is widely discredited by scientific and ethical standards.
- Legal bans on conversion therapy reflect growing public health concerns.
- Education on conversion therapy's history and harms is crucial for regulatory bodies.
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