Sociologist David Mechanic Receives Institute Of Medicine's 2009 Sarnat Prize In Mental Health

Main Category: Mental Health
Also Included In: Psychology / Psychiatry
Article Date: 13 Oct 2009 - 4:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

The Institute of Medicine today awarded the 2009 Rhoda and Bernard Sarnat International Prize in Mental Health to David Mechanic, University Professor and René Dubos Professor of Behavioral Sciences; and director, Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J. The Sarnat Prize, consisting of a medal and $20,000, was presented to Mechanic at IOM's annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

"Through his prolific research, teaching, and writings, David Mechanic has helped to define and build the field of medical sociology," said Harvey V. Fineberg, president of the Institute of Medicine. "Dr. Mechanic has greatly influenced thinking in areas ranging from mental health to health policy, providing a sociological perspective that has complemented and enriched medical and psychological approaches to these subjects. In addition, he has been an exemplary professional colleague, teacher, and mentor."

The Sarnat Prize was presented to Mechanic in recognition of his decades of effort to increase scientific knowledge about the causes and factors shaping mental health and to improve mental health care services. His books on medical sociology, mental health, and social policy laid a foundation for looking at mental illness through a sociological lens. His early research in social psychology focused on how patients' behavior can affect their ability to obtain care, pioneering a line of research that has extended to other areas of medicine where behaviors such as medication compliance and smoking cessation affect the success of treatment. His work on factors that contribute to high rates of unmet treatment needs has been influential in guiding policy planners in improving mental health care and has been especially important in the treatment of persistent and severe mental disorders.

With his skills in translating research into effective policy recommendations, Mechanic has been a valued adviser to several state, federal, and private mental health system developers. He has also been an influential mentor to many researchers and clinicians through the National Institute of Mental Health-sponsored training programs in mental health services that he has led for years at Rutgers University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and through his direction of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Investigator Awards Program in Health Policy Research.

Mechanic received his undergraduate degree from City College of New York and his Ph.D. in sociology from Stanford University. He has earned many professional honors, including his election as one of the first nonmedical members of the Institute of Medicine in 1971. He is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has received numerous awards including the American Sociological Association's Distinguished Career Award for the Practice of Sociology, its Distinguished Medical Sociologist Award, and its Lifetime Contributions Award in Mental Health; the Health Services Research Prize from the Association of University Programs in Health Administration and the Baxter Allegiance Foundation; the Distinguished Investigator Award from AcademyHealth; the first Carl Taube Award for Distinguished Contributions to Mental Health Services Research and the Rema Lapouse Award for Scientific Contributions to the Epidemiology and Control of Mental Illness from the American Public Health Association; and the Benjamin Rush Award from the American Psychiatric Association. He also was selected for the first annual Riley Award and Lecture by the National Institutes of Health. He has been a Guggenheim Fellow and a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University.

Since 1992, the Institute of Medicine has presented the Sarnat Prize to individuals, groups, or organizations that have demonstrated outstanding achievement in improving mental health. The prize recognizes -- without regard for professional discipline or nationality -- achievements in basic science, clinical application, and public policy that lead to progress in the understanding, etiology, prevention, treatment, or cure of mental disorders, or to the promotion of mental health. As defined by the nominating criteria, the field of mental health encompasses neuroscience, psychology, social work, nursing, psychiatry, and advocacy.

The award is supported by an endowment created by Rhoda and Bernard Sarnat of Los Angeles. Rhoda Sarnat is a licensed clinical social worker, and Bernard Sarnat is a plastic and reconstructive surgeon and researcher. The Sarnats' concern about the destructive effects of mental illness inspired them to establish the award. Nominations for potential recipients are solicited every year from IOM members, deans of medical schools, and mental health professionals. This year's selection committee was chaired by Jack D. Barchas, Barklie McKee Henry Professor and chair, department of psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, and psychiatrist-in-chief, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York City.

Source
National Academy of Sciences