Goldwater rule

Meaning

Proper Noun

• A section of the American Psychiatric Association's code of ethics, stating that it is unethical for a psychiatrist to give a professional opinion about a public figure they have not examined in person, and whose mental health they have not received consent to discuss.

Origin

• Named after US presidential candidate Barry Goldwater, who successfully sued for libel over a 1964 article that polled psychiatrists on his fitness for presidency.