Simon Wessely: A man with “a joking seriousness”

Biography

Simon Wessely is a psychiatrist who is unafraid to investigate conditions that excite great passion, such as chronic fatigue syndrome and Gulf war syndrome. He is professor of psychological medicine at the Institute of Psychiatry in London and consultant adviser on psychiatry to the British Army. His tin hat came in handy when he was attacked for his views on chronic fatigue syndrome, which he believes has an organic trigger but can be perpetuated by social and psychological factors. He is sceptical of the value of brief counselling for those who have just experienced trauma, believing that most people have more resilience than they are given credit …