On June 1, 1978, Dr. Herbert Pardes, a psychoanalyst, was named head of the National Institute of Mental Health. In announcing Dr. Pardes' appointment HEW Secretary Califano said, “He joins us at a time when we have the unique opportunity to re-evaluate and re-invigorate our Federal mental health efforts, based on the recommendations of the President's Commission on Mental Health.” (HEW News, 6/1/78)
Dr. Pardes brings to this new post an impressive list of credentials. Most recently he was Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado Medical School, and before that, Chairman of Psychiatry at Downstate Medical Center, SUNY. He has been a teacher and esearcher, co-author with Richard C. Simons of Understanding Human Behavior in Health
and Illness, the author of numerous journal articles, and chairperson or participant in a wide array of committees and organizations. A graduate of Rutgers and SUNY College of Medicine, Dr. Pardes served his psychiatric residency at Kings County Hospital, Brooklyn, and received analytic training at the New York Psychoanalytic Institute, graduating in June, 1970.
It is from this latter training and perspective that Dr. Pardes was asked to comment concerning psychoanalysis as it might relate to the NIMH. Dr. Pardes views analysis as a psychological system which helps understand behavior. As such, it and other systems should be encouraged, although he further emphasized that the NIMH is not in the business of endorsing any one philosophy or psychology. Psychoanalysis and medicine would both benefit, he contends, from increased study into the outcome of analysis. Any kind of research that holds the promise of adding to the medical armamentarium should be encouraged.
Dr. Pardes endorses George Pollock's view (Newsletter, July 1978) that psychoanalysts should become busier collecting data
in order to aid in public policy decisions. The psychoanalytic community should be stimulated to work at ways to make contributions to general mental health, including ways to make psychiatric intervention more accessible to lower socioeconomic groups.
“This is a time of considerable discussion and review of a variety of mental health programs and issues,” Dr. Pardes wrote in a letter to American Psychoanalytic Association Pesident, Alex Kaplan. “I look forward to the contribution made by you and other members of the American Psychoanalytic Association in addressing many of these questions before us.”