The Hidden Tragedy of Invisible Victims
Medical policy makers often prioritizes visible victims—those whose harm is immediate and apparent—at the expense of invisible victims, individuals harmed indirectly by such a system. Using mandatory reporting laws as a case study, this commentary highlights how such policies can discourage diagnosi...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Levy Library Press
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Scientific Innovation in Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://account.journalofscientificinnovationinmedicine.org/index.php/ll-j-jsim/article/view/249 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849229995398922240 |
|---|---|
| author | Jacob M. Appel |
| author_facet | Jacob M. Appel |
| author_sort | Jacob M. Appel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Medical policy makers often prioritizes visible victims—those whose harm is immediate and apparent—at the expense of invisible victims, individuals harmed indirectly by such a system. Using mandatory reporting laws as a case study, this commentary highlights how such policies can discourage diagnosis and treatment, ultimately increasing harm. Because these victims do not self-identify and their suffering is diffuse, the outcomes for these invisible victims are rarely measured. A cultural shift is needed in medicine and public health in order to both acknowledge and to account for these hidden casualties. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-20d6a9838ddf428e845d8ed0b7657c0d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2579-0153 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Levy Library Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Scientific Innovation in Medicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-20d6a9838ddf428e845d8ed0b7657c0d2025-08-21T12:43:55ZengLevy Library PressJournal of Scientific Innovation in Medicine2579-01532025-07-01815510.29024/jsim.249248The Hidden Tragedy of Invisible VictimsJacob M. Appel0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3523-9145Professor of Psychiatry and Medical Education, Director of Ethics Education in Psychiatry, Medical Director, Mental Health Clinic, East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership; Associate Director, Academy for Medicine & the Humanities, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Attending Physician, Mount Sinai Health SystemMedical policy makers often prioritizes visible victims—those whose harm is immediate and apparent—at the expense of invisible victims, individuals harmed indirectly by such a system. Using mandatory reporting laws as a case study, this commentary highlights how such policies can discourage diagnosis and treatment, ultimately increasing harm. Because these victims do not self-identify and their suffering is diffuse, the outcomes for these invisible victims are rarely measured. A cultural shift is needed in medicine and public health in order to both acknowledge and to account for these hidden casualties.https://account.journalofscientificinnovationinmedicine.org/index.php/ll-j-jsim/article/view/249resouce allocationinvisible victimsbioethicsmedical ethics |
| spellingShingle | Jacob M. Appel The Hidden Tragedy of Invisible Victims Journal of Scientific Innovation in Medicine resouce allocation invisible victims bioethics medical ethics |
| title | The Hidden Tragedy of Invisible Victims |
| title_full | The Hidden Tragedy of Invisible Victims |
| title_fullStr | The Hidden Tragedy of Invisible Victims |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Hidden Tragedy of Invisible Victims |
| title_short | The Hidden Tragedy of Invisible Victims |
| title_sort | hidden tragedy of invisible victims |
| topic | resouce allocation invisible victims bioethics medical ethics |
| url | https://account.journalofscientificinnovationinmedicine.org/index.php/ll-j-jsim/article/view/249 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jacobmappel thehiddentragedyofinvisiblevictims AT jacobmappel hiddentragedyofinvisiblevictims |