An independent report has concluded that individuals with the American Psychological Association colluded with U.S. government officials to justify the use of what critics say is torture.

APA commissioned the report last year after media reports surfaced accusing the group of working with U.S. officials to bolster the case for using enhanced interrogation techniques against prisoners captured as part of the war on terror. The association brought in an outside attorney to lead the independent investigation. The results were made public Friday.

The report found evidence that individuals within APA colluded with U.S. Department of Defense officials in order to "curry favor" with the government. As a result, an APA document that was supposed to guide psychologists' role in the treatment of prisoners was based "at least as much on the desires of DoD as on the needs of the psychology profession and the APA's commitment to human rights."

"Our internal checks and balances failed to detect the collusion, or properly acknowledge a significant conflict of interest, nor did they provide meaningful field guidance for psychologists," Nadine Kaslow, chair of the independent review's Special Committee, said in a statement. "The organization's intent was not to enable abusive interrogation techniques or contribute to violations of human rights, but that may have been the result."

The report noted that APA's ethics director, Stephen Behnke, coordinated the group's public policy statements on interrogations with a military psychologist, the New York Times reported. Behnke later received a Pentagon contract to help train interrogators while he was with the association, but APA's board of directors didn't know about the deal. http://nyti.ms/1TxhHSg

The report cleared APA of some of the worst charges made against the association. The organization did not work with the CIA in developing interrogation techniques, and there was no evidence that APA officials were seeking to bolster the U.S. Justice Department's legal rationale for the use of enhanced interrogation.

Given what the report did find, APA's board of directors is promising several changes at the organization as a result:

• The board will consider adopting a policy prohibiting psychologists from participating in interrogation of persons held in custody by military and intelligence authorities, whether in the U.S. or elsewhere.
• APA is exploring creating a commission to evaluate and recommend changes to APA ethics processes.
• The organization also will work to increase collaboration with human rights organizations. http://bit.ly/1JdQz3s

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