Evolution of the National Institutes of Mental Health Revolving Door
Managing Editor's Note: Thank you to Adriana for this series of five infographics that we hope you will share. They show the "evolution" of the public service to profit model prevalent in American government, and are a result of the recent departure of Dr. Tom Insel, from the National Institutes of Mental Health where he was chairman of IACC - the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee. Mind you, autism rates increased from 1 in 150 when Insel joined NIMH to a staggering 1 in 68, 1 in 42 boys. Is this Insel's idea of a "high point" and a "bright future?"
Why am I leaving? I had always planned to depart after 10 years. I stayed longer because of the fun of first launching a new Institute, the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), and then the BRAIN Initiative, as well as my passion for what we have been doing at NIMH. I am not leaving because of a problem or crisis. Indeed, I chose this moment because I wanted to leave at a high point: for the first time in many years we have a complete and completely outstanding leadership team at NIMH, we have excellent engagement from the advocacy community, we have unprecedented support from Congress, and we have an inspiring strategic plan. I want to step away at the best of times with all signs pointing to a bright future.
By Adriana Gamondes
And the Apes get smaller as the years pass. Is that an indication that the System is getting more powerful, and each sequential director has less impact? It's a great graphic depiction of the corrupt system as well as the corrupt directors. Thanks!
Posted by: Betty Bona | September 29, 2015 at 02:26 PM
Tinsel is portrayed as a less powerful creature. Was that on purpose?
Posted by: Betty Bona | September 29, 2015 at 01:36 PM
Oh, Wow! Tom Insel; yeah that was all he was just showy, bright, cheap dollar store Tinsel!
Adriana; Thanks for filling us in on the history of NIMH.
Tom Insel said on his Ted Talk that with numbers like he quoted for mental illness, and rising;
and him being the head of NIMH he should be fired -- and then that little giggle-- It was a joke - right? Right? For those on the outside maybe, but not for us who have actually watched him work.
Posted by: Benedetta | September 26, 2015 at 09:33 PM
Jeannette-- pretty creepy, right? I was thinking the same thing and also wondering if this meshes somehow with nonviolent domestic activists being targeted for surveillance. The next step on the totalitarian slide would naturally be to start diagnosing those dissents en masse with mental abnormalities. I was wondering how that would work with the Goldwater rule stating that it's unethical for professionals to diagnose people without their consent, but if they tie a project to Homeland Security, they can do anything they want.
Posted by: Adriana | September 26, 2015 at 08:14 PM
Adrianna, your work effectively conveys the spirit behind all of this...
"Insel proposed to use Google's ... capabilities to diagnose ..."
So, instead of using the DSM to diagnose we'll just have what? Diagnosis based on what one puts out/tries to put out over the net?
Posted by: Jeannette Bishop | September 25, 2015 at 11:10 AM
Mary
Yes, I guess the levels of mental illness have never been higher - it might be a measure of NIMH's ever extending empire of misery, and for T.Insel there is a "feel-good" factor. What a buffoon, and how inappropriate!
Posted by: John Stone | September 25, 2015 at 06:11 AM
Honest and truly when reading the "Leaving on a high note" i could not tell if it was a satire or a genuine quote.That's how surreal all of Tinsel's remarks are.
Posted by: mary w maxwell | September 24, 2015 at 11:58 PM
Fabulous as always, Adriana. However, I have two questions for you. How difficult was it for you to select apes to represent these neanderthals? Was it at all tempting for you to consider portraying them as squealing, fat, ugly pigs, instead, for example?
(Just kidding. Those were rhetorical questions. You are the artist and author, and I am not complaining in the least.)
Posted by: Someone | September 24, 2015 at 07:22 PM
Adriana
Beautifully done as ever.
John
Posted by: John Stone | September 24, 2015 at 04:48 PM
Thanks all!
Steven Paul was really tempting but didn't quite make the grade as director of the agency. Poor little monkey.
Posted by: Adriana | September 24, 2015 at 04:12 PM
PHantastic Adriana ,shared on Facebook and I have had a T-Shirt printed from your last post on Pharma,which I wear and I had some scowl's, from various people at the shopping mall.
great
MMR RIP
Posted by: Angus Files | September 24, 2015 at 04:01 PM
We need to add to this infamous NIMH Pantheon dr. Steven M. Paul (head of one of the NIMH departments), who later became director of E. Lilly, the manufacturer of autism causing thimerosal.
Posted by: no-vac | September 24, 2015 at 02:56 PM
Loved these Infographics, Adiana! Such corruption so well illustrated.
Posted by: susan | September 24, 2015 at 02:15 PM
It is nice that Dr. Insel is leaving on “a high note” from the NIMH.
1) The IACC has not met in 14 months.
2) He has provided 10 years of “the worthless search for the Autism gene.”
3) A major CDC scientist has stated that Autism research is corrupt and that the CDC is lying to the public.
4) Millions of American children are on heavy duty chronic psychological medications.
Dr. Insel has done about enough...
Posted by: go google | September 24, 2015 at 11:40 AM
First rate! There is simply no accountability in any part of the DHHS. The whole outfit is a cesspool of corruption, and a gross waste of taxpayers money. Tar and feather em', I say.
Posted by: Gary Ogden | September 24, 2015 at 10:54 AM
Adriana have you written any books ?
Have you any plans to write any books ?
I encourage you to please document your knowledge
Posted by: Sophie Scholl | September 24, 2015 at 07:16 AM
Extremely hard hitting . And educational for me . thankyou.
Great to see the new names I was unaware of (that presumably were involved before I was dragged in).
regarding the fake grassroots patient groups - this is plainly still going on today .
Posted by: Sophie Scholl | September 24, 2015 at 06:23 AM
That is some track record of dismal leadership at NIMH .. and .. in my personal opinion .. these pitiful men deserve to have their photos displayed on US Post Office walls .. alongside other notorious "wanted" criminals.
Posted by: Bob Moffitt | September 24, 2015 at 06:20 AM