George W. Albee
George W. Albee was a prominent American psychologist known for his pioneering work in the field of social psychology and mental health prevention. He graduated from Bethany College in West Virginia with a degree in psychology in 1943, later earning his doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh in 1949. Albee's career included significant roles, such as serving as an assistant executive secretary for the American Psychological Association and a professor at Case Western Reserve University and the University of Vermont.
His research during the 1950s and 1960s challenged traditional psychiatric practices, emphasizing that mental illness arises not only from biological factors but also from societal issues like racism and poverty. Albee advocated for primary prevention through social change, believing this approach could more effectively address mental health issues than treating individuals in isolation. He played a key role in the establishment of community mental health centers and contributed to mental health policy under Presidents Eisenhower and Carter. Throughout his career, he published over two hundred works on mental illness prevention and was recognized with several awards, including the Distinguished Professional Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association. Albee retired in 1992 and passed away in 2006 from liver cancer.
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Subject Terms
George W. Albee
American clinical psychologist
- Born: December 20, 1921
- Birthplace: St. Mary’s, Pennsylvania
- Died: July 8, 2006
- Place of death: Longboat Key, Florida
Type of psychology: Social psychology
Albee was a pioneer in the study of the psychology of prevention of mental illness.
Life
George W. Albee graduated from Bethany College in West Virginia with a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1943. After serving in the US Army for three years during World War II, he attended the University of Pittsburgh and earned his doctorate in psychology in 1949. Between 1951 and 1953, Albee served as an assistant executive secretary for the American Psychological Association. In 1954, he accepted a position as an associate professor of psychology at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.
During the 1950s and 1960s, Albee authored groundbreaking studies in the field of social psychology showing that psychologists would never cure psychiatric disorders by treating one patient at a time. He believed that not only biological disorders but also societal and environmental factors, including racism, sexism, poverty, child abuse, and any other condition that allowed the exploitation of individuals, were responsible for promoting mental illness. Because there are too few qualified practitioners to treat the enormous number of mental and emotional disorders on an individual basis, Albee concluded that the most effective and humane way to reduce mental illness is by primary prevention brought about by social changes. Just as preventive medicine lowers the risk that a person may experience an illness or injury later in life, preventive social change can allow each person the resources and freedom to cope successfully with life’s challenges.
Under President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Albee served as the director of the Task Force on Manpower of the Joint Commission on Mental Illness and Health in 1957. His report on the shortage of mental health providers in the United States led to the development of community mental health centers. In 1971, he accepted a position as professor of psychology at the University of Vermont. In 1975, he established the Vermont Conference on the Primary Prevention of Psychopathology (VCPPP), one of the leading forums in the world for discussion and dissemination of information on all aspects of preventive psychopathology.
In 1975, Albee received the Distinguished Professional Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association. From 1977 to 1978, he served under President Jimmy Carter as coordinator of the Task Panel on Prevention for the President’s Commission on Mental Health. During his distinguished career, Albee published more than two hundred articles and book chapters about mental illness prevention. He retired in 1992 and died from liver cancer in 2006.
Bibliography
Kendler, Kenneth S. Genes, Environment, and Psychopathology. New York: Guilford, 2006. Print.
Kessler, Marc, Stephen E. Goldston, and Justin M. Joffe, eds. The Present and Future of Prevention: In Honor of George W. Albee. Thousand Oaks: Sage, 1992. Print.
Melchert, Timothy P. Foundations of Professional Psychology. Waltham: Elsevier, 2011. Print.
Simonton, Dean Keith. Great Psychologists and Their Times: Scientific Insights into Psychology’s History. Washington: American Psychological Association, 2002. Print.
U'Ren, Richard. Social Perspective: The Missing Element in Mental Health Practice. Toronto: U of Toronto P, 2011. Print.
Vera, Elizabeth, ed. The Oxford Handbook of Prevention in Counseling Psychology. New York: Oxford UP, 2013. Print.