Whatever one's perspective, research and science deserve an increasingly important place in the Association. More than a decade ago, the Association undertook a brave leap forward to implement exactly this point of view—the Omnibus Science Initiative. That task force, chaired by Allan Compton, developed a series of integrated recommendations designed to give science a greater prominence and more active role in the Association. Many innovations were implemented; some, though important, were not. And it is clear, in evaluating the current functioning of research and science within the Association, that we have not yet found the optimum structures. Coordination, prioritization, and communication to members remain as challenges to the science division. Furthermore, we need a consistent means to inform entities with responsibility for initiating projects of the research needs of the Association. And, as we mature in research and science, our vision must expand: How do we attract young researchers to psychoanalysis? How do we foster collaboration with neighboring disciplines?
Since enhancing the place of research and science in the Association was one of my major presidential goals, this column announces the initiatives that I have set in motion or helped facilitate to date.
I am pleased to announce the formation of the Task Force on Research and Science made up of the following distinguished scientists, APsaA members and non-members: Stuart Ablon, Jacques Barber, John Clarkin, Bertram Cohler, Stuart Hauser, Linda Mayes, Bradley Peterson, David Reiss, and Steven Roose. Allan Compton and Eric Nuetzel will serve as consultants. This team has a one-year timeline to complete its charge and report to Council at the June 2008 meetings.
The task force is charged to resurrect the mandate of the original Omnibus Science Initiative, examine the current status of research and science within the Association, and recommend optimal structures within APsaA to:
Foster and coordinate research and science within the Association.
Promote research and science among our members.
Make the Association and our meetings welcoming and user-friendly (even essential) to young researchers from all related fields.
Promote research and science collaboration with both related organizations and neighboring disciplines.
We will welcome suggestions from the task force on enhancing research and science teaching in our institutes as well.
Since enhancing the place of research and science in the Association was one of my major presidential goals, this column announces the initiatives that I have set in motion or helped facilitate to date.
Science was very much on my mind as I planned and ran for office, was elected, and served my term as president-elect. By serendipitous good fortune, honorary member Nancy McWilliams and I discovered this mutual interest and commitment. Since McWilliams became president of Division 39, she and I have worked together and with our respective Program Committees to plan a first-ever joint venture: two jointly sponsored scientific meetings with a science focus. Part A will occur in April 2008 at Division 39's annual meeting in New York; Part B will occur in January 2009 at APsaA's winter meeting in New York. APsaA will co-sponsor and participate in Division 39's science meeting, and they will co-sponsor and participate in ours.
We are hopeful that this experiment will lay the groundwork for other initiatives of mutual interest and benefit.
The results of the 5-year research concerning the pilot project in “child-only training” were presented at the Denver meetings. The research found that the child-only candidates at the four institutes that participated in the project were judged by faculty and program directors to perform at least at the level of the cohort of traditionally trained candidates at those institutes. This formative research allowed BOPS to approve what will be called “child-focused training” for inclusion in the approved training programs of the Association. [See page 20, New Child and Adolescent Psychoanalysis Training Program Wins Approval.] This will allow other institutes that are eager to start such training to collaborate with the Committee on Child and Adolescent Analysis (COCAA) in developing these programs locally. Congratulations and thanks are due to Jill Miller, Bob Emde, and all the faculty and candidates who took part in this intensive study.
This project demonstrates a research-based approach to thoughtful evaluation of innovations in our training standards and recommendations. Not only has this project allowed us to respond to new training opportunities, but it supports the value of training at venerable child-focused centers—e.g., the Hanna Perkins School and the Anna Freud Centre—
Lynne Moritz, M.D., is president of the American Psychoanalytic Association.
whose graduates have not previously met our training standards. The Council may wish to take a fresh look at membership criteria in light of this study.
A pilot study to determine the feasibility of randomization for an outcome study that has been in the works for two years is now making its way through our research review processes. As you may remember from our recent Strategic Planning Study, members specifically flagged outcome studies of psychoanalysis as an urgent priority for the Association. Steve Roose is chairing this project with distinguished researchers from each of the three disciplines. The intent is to study patients who present with chronic, complicated depression, who will be randomly assigned to the three modalities and treated by graduate clinicians at multiple sites for four years. The primary outcome measures will assess satisfaction with interpersonal relationships, self-esteem and identity, and pleasure and gratification in work and relationships. I was privileged to be present at the first organizational meeting of the research consortium—a thrilling weekend indeed!
The initiatives described above represent just a few of the endeavors that are currently under way in the Association. Part II will highlight the accumulating arsenal of structures and resources that mark our Association's science commitment—resources that are available to researchers, to our institutes, and to all members.