Robert Spitzer (psychiatrist)

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Robert Spitzer
Born
Robert Leopold Spitzer

(1932-05-22)May 22, 1932
DiedDecember 25, 2015(2015-12-25) (aged 83)
NationalityAmerican
Alma materCornell University (BA),
New York University School of Medicine (MD)
Known forModernizing classification of mental disorders, recognizing homosexuality as a non-mental disorder
Spouse(s)Janet Williams
(?-2015; his death)
Scientific career
FieldsPsychiatry
InstitutionsColumbia University
InfluencesWilhelm Reich

Robert Leopold Spitzer[1] (May 22, 1932 – December 25, 2015) was an American psychiatrist. He was a professor of psychiatry at Columbia University in New York City. He was a major figure in the development of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). He helped remove homosexuality as a mental disorder.

Spitzer was born in White Plains, New York. He studied at Cornell University and at New York University School of Medicine. He worked at Columbia University until his retirement in 2010. Spitzer died of heart disease at his home in Seattle, Washington at the age of 83.[2]

References[change | change source]

  1. Professional License Verification Archived 2016-01-13 at the Wayback Machine, New York State Education Department
  2. "Robert Spitzer, 'Most Influential Psychiatrist,' Dies at 83". NBC News. 2015. Retrieved December 27, 2015.

Other websites[change | change source]