MENTAL HEALTH AWARDS
Most people will have some degree of contact with mental illness in
their lifetimes, either directly or through family members. According to
the National Association of Mental Illness, more than 17 million American
adults have some type of affective or mood disorder in any given year.
Last year, David Satcher, M.D., issued the first Surgeon General's Report
on Mental Health, which indicated that mental disorders account for more
than 15% of all disabilities nationally. And mental illness isn't
restricted to the U.S.: 400 million people worldwide suffer mental or
neurological disorders or psychosocial problems, according to the World
Health Organization.
With depression and other behavioral and emotional disorders so
prevalent, Psychology Today is pleased to announce our Second Annual
Mental Health Awards, which recognize Americans, both celebrated and
unknown, who have helped improve mental health. Nominations were sought
in eight categories (advocate, business leader, caregiver, government
official, media professional, mental health professional, researcher and
survivor) from hundreds of top mental health professionals, with final
selections made by our editors, both psychologists and journalists. Our
eight winners will be presented with "The Psi," a statuette designed for
Psychology Today by California artist Richard Becerra that symbolizes
personal growth and renewal.
ALBERT ELLIS
Born in 1913 and raised in New York City, Albert Ellis, Ph.D.,
didn't always want to be a psychologist. After earning a business
administration degree, Ellis went into the business of matching pants to
old suit jackets. But he much preferred dispensing advice about sex, and
so enrolled at Columbia University in 1942 to study psychology.
Ellis soon opened a practice for family and sex counseling,
utilizing Freudian psychoanalysis. Frustrated with its passive nature, he
began developing Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), a much more
active and direct approach. With it, patients learn to recognize the
negative consequences of troubling past experiences and related
irrational beliefs, and are helped to understand the positive effects of
rational thinking. Ellis also stresses the importance of "unconditional
self-acceptance." Self-evaluation, he says, can lead to depression and
anger.
Since developing REBT, Ellis has published more than 60 books and
600 articles on the subject. He also established the Albert Ellis
Institute in NewYork City in 1959, where therapists are trained and
certified in REBT. According to the Institute, more than 12,000
psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers and counselors worldwide now
practice Ellis' approach.
At 87, Ellis still sees about 70 patients a week and lectures
worldwide. He recently disclosed to Psychology Today that advancing age
won't stop this determined therapist. When he can no longer tour, he
plans to give workshops in NewYork City, intending, as he says, "to die
in the saddle seat."
-- Kristen Monahan
BRIAN BAIRD
As former chairman of Pacific Lutheran University's psychology
department, Brian Baird, Ph.D. (D-WA), brings to Congress a unique
perspective on mental health. Since first elected to Congress in 1998,
Baird, a licensed clinical psychologist, has taken a leadership role on
mental health issues.
"When I was trying to choose a career in college, I wanted to make
a positive difference in peoples' lives," Baird recalls. "Psychology was
a natural vehicle to make a difference, and Congress is another
way."
Throughout his career, Baird has practiced privately and worked in
psychiatric hospitals, community mental health clinics and children's
psychiatric units. Since elected, he cosponsored the Mental Health Parity
Bill, designed to close the insurance gap between those receiving mental
health treatment and those receiving medical or surgical treatment. He
sponsored the Patients' Bill of Rights, which aims to allow greater
individual control over health care services and guarantees the right to
choose a doctor. Baird has also participated in White House conferences
to increase public understanding of mental illness and its societal
impact.
Recently, Baird assisted in developing the Congressional Caucus on
Health and Behavior, which will promote important research findings that
promise to improve Americans' health and quality of life. Baird also
strongly supports the Decade of Behavior, an initiative launched last
September that promotes public appreciation for behavioral and social
sciences' contribution to the nation's well-being.
Baird now focuses on improving mental health services to students,
and he encourages the public to get involved in the political process.
"Only through political involvement can we convince Congress and this
administration that mental health issues are absolutely critical," he
says.
-- Irena Choi Stern
CLAUDIA OSBORN
While riding her bicycle in 1988, Claudia Osborn, D.O., a professor
of osteopathic and clinical medicine at Michigan State University (MSU)
and a practicing physician, collided head-on with an automobile. In the
hospital, Osborn assured her doctors that she had suffered only a slight
concussion and would be fine. But that was far from the truth.
