born Feb. 21, 1892, Norwich, N.Y., U.S.
died Jan. 14, 1949, Paris, France
U.S. psychiatrist.
He engaged in clinical research at the Pratt Hospital in Maryland (1923–30), pursuing his interest in the use of psychotherapy to treat schizophrenia , which he viewed as stemming from disturbed interpersonal relationships in early childhood. He asserted that psychiatric symptoms arise out of conflicts between the individual and his human environment and that personality development likewise stems from a series of interactions with other people. He helped establish the William Alanson White Psychiatric Foundation (1933) and the Washington School of Psychiatry (1936), and he also founded (1938) and served as editor of the journal Psychiatry . His works include The Interpersonal Theory of Psychiatry (1953) and The Fusion of Psychiatry and Social Science (1964).