Abstract
Objective. An attempt was made in the paper to re-discuss principles that might protect psychiatrists from such conflicts as that des-cribed below.
Case. Medical history of MH, treated since 1991 in the Provincial Mental Hospital (PMH) in Toruń, is presented together with press articles of2007 concerning thispatient. Diagnosticprocedures used in the PMH, as well as subseąuent discrepant diagnoses made in other psychiatric facilities are outlined. Criteria for the assessment of these diagnoses in terms of possible medical malpractice are proposed. Moreover, the issues of the relationship amongpsychiatrists and the way of presenting mental health problems by mass media are discussed.
Commentary. The diagnostic procedures currently in force allow to increase compatibility of diagnoses made in different centers, but are not sufficient for their unification.