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About the Publisher/Editor

 

Dr Martin Whitely is the publisher and editor of PsychWatch Australia. Martin is a researcher, author, former mental health patient's rights advocate (2014-18), teacher (1995-2000) and Member of the Western Australian (WA) State Parliament (2001-2013).  Martin can be contacted by email on psychwatchaustralia@gmail.com and welcomes contributions, feedback or other inquiries from patients, doctors, researchers, the media, or the public.

Martin Whitely HCC photo.jpg

While in politics Martin drove prescribing accountability measures that led to a 50% fall in WA ADHD child prescribing rates and a similar fall in teenage amphetamine abuse rates.  He also exposed ‘regulatory capture’, primarily by the pharmaceutical industry, of treatment guidelines, research, and prescription drug licensing and safety monitoring processes.  In addition he highlighted concerns about ‘diagnostic creep’ - the loosening of the diagnostic criteria of psychiatric disorders - potentially leading to inappropriate labeling and harmful over-medication.

 

After leaving politics Martin worked as a mental health consumer advocate, supporting ‘patients’ during psychiatric consultations. Martin was struck by the enormous variation in the quality of psychiatric practice: “Some psychiatrists were wonderful. They treated the consumer as an equal partner. However, others had absolutely no empathy. Worse still, some were bullies.”

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Martin’s first publication as an author/researcher was his book Speed Up and Sit Still – the controversies of ADHD diagnosis and treatment published in 2010 (UWA Publishing). His latest book Overmedicating Madness - what's driving Australia's mental illness epidemic was published in 2021. Martin completed his PhD (Public Policy) thesis titled Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Policy, Practice and Regulatory Capture in Australia 1992–2012, through John Curtin Institute of Public Policy (JCIPP) at Curtin University in 2014.

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Martin is an Adjunct Research Fellow at the JCIPP at Curtin University and has led award winning research demonstrating that the youngest children in a classroom both in Western Australia and globally are much more likely than their older classmates to be 'medicated' for ADHD. 

 

Martin has no connection with any business, religion or any other relevant conflict of interest. Dr Whitely has no medical training and Psychwatch Australia does not offer treatment advice.

 

Martin’s publications include:

 

Books and Book Chapters

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Journal Articles

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