John F. McDermott

John F. McDermott
Born	Hartford, Connecticut
Nationality	American
Education	Cornell University, A.B., 1947 - 1951 New York Medical College, 1951 - 1955
Occupation	Psychiatrist
Relatives	Sarah Noble Schemm (wife) Elizabeth C. (daughter) John F., III (son)
Medical career
Profession	Psychiatry
Institutions	American Psychiatric Association American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology

John F. McDermott is an American psychiatrist who lives in Honolulu, Hawaii. He is married to Sarah McDermott, and has two children - a boy named John F., III and a girl named Elizabeth C. He attended Cornell University and New York Medical College. He did his residency in Psychiatry and Child Psychiatry at the University of Michigan's Medical Center and Henry Ford Hospital and became a tenured professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In 1969 he moved with his family to Hawaii where he founded and served as Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaiʻi for 25 years. He has published twelve books, 150 peer reviewed scientific articles and contributed to a number of books and magazines, such as the New York Times Magazine and Parents Magazine. Some of his books include “Childhood Psychopathology: an anthology of basic readings", “People and Cultures of Hawaii: A Psychocultural Profile", and "Raising Cain (and Abel too): The Parents Book of Sibling Rivalry", which was praised for being easy for parents to understand. Andres Martin helped to create a mentorship program at the Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry for assistant editors in residence named after McDermott. He has participated in multiple organizations in the Hawaii area, including the Hawaii Opera Theater and the Hawaii Association for Children with Learning Disabilities.

Biography

Early life

John F. McDermott was born in Hartford, Connecticut, to parents John "Mac" McDermott and Camilla Rose Cavanaugh. His father Mac, an orthopedic surgeon, was the son of Anna Cain and Patrick McDermott who came alone to the United States from Roscommon, Ireland at the age of eight. His mother Camilla Rose was the youngest daughter of Mary Seery and Martin James Cavanaugh, a justice of the Michigan Supreme Court.

Education

McDermott attended Kingswood School in Hartford, Connecticut, received his B.A. from Cornell University in 1951 and his M.D. from New York Medical College in 1955. McDermott worked as an intern at Henry Ford Hospital from 1955 to 1956, and went on to serve as resident in psychiatry for the University of Michigan Medical Center from 1956 to 1958 and resident in child psychiatry 1960–1962. From 1958 to 1960 he served as a lieutenant commander with the United States Naval Reserve, acting as chief of neuropsychiatry at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Key West, Florida.

Career

McDermott's career began at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he was a tenured professor and up-and-coming clinician-scholar in the new field of child and adolescent psychiatry. .^[1] From 1960 to 1962, he served as a resident in child psychiatry for the University.^[1] He was also a director of inpatient services.^[2] In 1961, he had a fellowship in mental retardation in Letchworth Village in New York in 1961. He was the chief of neuropsychiatry at the U.S. Navy Hospital in Key West, Florida, from 1958 to 1960. From 1969 to 1995, McDermott served as the professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry from 1975 to 1995 at the University of Hawaiʻi after having resigned from the University of Michigan.^[1][3] He helped develop the University's psychiatry clinical section into a medical school department, alongside Dr. Walter Char.^[3] He retired and was named professor emeritus.

Community service

McDermott has participated in a variety of different institutions in Hawaii, including the Hawaii Opera Theater on its board of directors, the Episcopal Diocese of Hawaii on its commission on anti-racism and cultural diversity, the Hawaii Association for Children with Learning Disabilities on its advisory board, and more.

Psychological analysis

McDermott conducted an analysis of all of Emily Dickinson's poetry, their creation dates, biographical materials, and her letters due to speculation that she may have had mental health issues. He published his findings in the American Journal of Psychiatry under the title "Emily Dickinson Revisited: A Study of Periodicity in Her Work". He came to the conclusion that she may have suffered from bipolar disorder and seasonal changes in her productivity.^[4][5] The article was considered controversial according to author Paul Ruffin.^[4] He also did an analysis of the relationship between E.T. and Elliot from the film E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial. He stated: "E.T. looks like Elliot feels. He seems to express Elliot's own bottled-up loneliness as he gradually succumbs to the trauma of separation from a familiar milieu. E.T. is Elliot's alter ego. E.T. and Elliot are really one. They simply split into rescuer and victim as we move back and forth between them."^[6] The analysis was cited in the book “ Nursery Realms: Children in the Worlds of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror.”^[6]

Bibliography

• “Psychiatry for the pediatrician”^[7]
• "Childhood Psychopathology: an anthology of basic readings"^[8]
• "Mental Health Education in New Medical Schools"
• "Roles and Functions of Child Psychiatrists"
• "Psychiatric Treatment of the Child"^[9]
• "Adjustment in Intercultural Marriage"^[10]
• "Raising Cain (and Abel too): The Parents Book of Sibling Rivalry"^[11]
• "New Directions in Childhood Psychopathology Volume 1: Developmental Considerations"^[12]
• "People and Cultures of Hawaii: A Psychocultural Profile"^[13]
• "Culture, Mind and Therapy: Introduction to Cultural Psychiatry"
• "People and Cultures of Hawaii: The Evolution of Culture and Ethnicity"^[14]\

McDermott also contributed chapters to a number of other books and magazines, including an article titled “The Violent Bugs Bunny et al. for New York Times Magazine.^[15]

Licensing and certification

• Diplomate, National Board of Medical Examiners (1956)
• Diplomate, American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology (1962)
• Diplomate, American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology (1965)

Recognition and accolades

Andres Martin, the Assistant Editor for the Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, secured funds for a mentorship program after McDermott called the "John F. McDermott assistant editor in residence program".^[16] Naleen N. Andrade, M.D., the Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the Jon A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa gave credit to McDermott – who she regards as a “great mentor in [her] life” - with her participation in academia.^[17] He has been published in a variety of books about psychiatry and psychology, including the book “Psychology Today Here to Help: Taming the Bipolar Discord”.^[5] He was also featured in the first volume of the “Dictionary of Modern American Philosophers”.^[18] The authors of “Chinese Culture and Mental Health” gave thanks to McDermott (among others) for helping make possible the book and the Conference on Chinese Culture and Mental Health held in Hawaii that lead to the creation of the book.^[19] His book “Raising Cain (and Abel too): The Parents Book of Sibling Rivalry” received praise from Abigail Van Buren for being easy to understand for parents.^[20] His work was quoted in an article for The New York Times by Lawrence Kutner that discusses the nature of teasing and how it relates to a parent-child relationship.^[21] His “The Violent Bugs Bunny et al.” article for The New York Times Magazine was cited by multiple books covering violence on television, including “Violence on Television: Congressional Inquiry, Public Criticism, and Industry Response”, “America Toons In: A History of Television Animation”, and “Saturday Morning Fever: Growing Up with Cartoon Culture”.^[15][22][23]

References

1. The President's Report to the Board of Regents for the Academic Year ... Financial Statement for the Fiscal Year, Volume 2. University of Michigan Libraries. 1968. p. 5. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
2. McDermott, John F.; Harrison, Saul I.; Schrager, Jules; Wilson, Paul; Killins, Elizabeth; Lindy, Janet; Waggoner, Raymond W. (April 1967). "Social Class and Mental Illness in Children – the Diagnosis of Organicity and Mental Retardation". Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 6 (2): 309–20. doi:10.1016/s0002-7138(09)61667-8. PMID 6042021. Retrieved 2015-10-13.
3. "Department of Psychiatry History". University of Hawaiʻi Psychiatry Residency Program. Retrieved 2015-10-13.
4. Ruffin, Paul (2012). Travels with George in Search of Ben Hur and Other Meanderings. University of South Carolina Press. ISBN 978-1611171211. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
5. Oliwenstein, Lori (2004). Psychology Today Here to Help: Taming the Bipolar Discord. Penguin. pp. 50, 51. ISBN 1592572855. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
6. Westfahl, Gary; Slusser, George Edgar (1999). Nursery Realms: Children in the Worlds of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror. University of Georgia Press. p. 122. ISBN 0820321443.
7. McDermott, John F.; Finch, Stuart M. (1970). Psychiatry for the pediatrician. Norton. ISBN 9780393010794. Retrieved 2015-10-11.
8. McDermott, John F.; Harrison, Saul I. (1972). Childhood Psychopathology: an anthology of basic readings. International Universities Press. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
9. McDermott, John F. (1977). Psychiatric Treatment of the Child. J. Aronson. ISBN 0876682832. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
10. McDermott, John F.; Tseng, Wen-Shing; Maretzki, Thomas W. (1977). Adjustments in Intercultural Marriage. Dept. of Psychiatry, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaiʻi. ISBN 0824805798. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
11. McDermott, John F. (1980). Raising Cain (and Abel too): the parents' book of sibling rivalry. Wyden Books. ISBN 0872235769. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
12. McDermott, John F.; Harrison, Saul I. (1980). New Directions in Childhood Psychopathology: Developmental Considerations. International Universities Press. ISBN 0823635708. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
13. McDermott, John F.; Tseng, Wen-Shing; Maretzki, Thomas W. (1980). People and Cultures of Hawaii: A Psychocultural Profile. University of Hawaiʻi Press. ISBN 0824807065. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
14. McDermott, John F.; Andrade, Naleen Naupaka (April 25, 2011). People and Cultures of Hawaii: The Evolution of Culture and Ethnicity. University of Hawaiʻi Press. ISBN 978-0824835804.
15. Cooper, Cynthia A. (January 1, 1996). Violence on Television: Congressional Inquiry, Public Criticism, and Industry Response : a Policy Analysis. University Press of America. p. 58. ISBN 0761804773. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
16. Carrey, Normand (January 2008). "Interview with Andres Martin, new editor (January, 2008) of The Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry". J Can Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 17 (4): 212–8. PMC 2583920. PMID 19018325.
17. "Academy Honors 2008" (PDF). American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
18. Shook, John R. (2005). Dictionary of Modern American Philosophers, Volume 1. A&C Black. ISBN 1843710374. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
19. Tseng, Wen-Shing; Wu, David Y. H. (October 22, 2013). Chinese Culture and Mental Health. Academic Press. p. 16. ISBN 978-1483276274. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
20. Van Buren, Abigail (November 24, 1980). "The Cincinnati Enquirer from Cincinnati, Ohio". Cincinnati, Ohio: The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 42. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
21. Kutner, Lawrence (August 18, 1988). "Parent & Child". The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
22. Perlmutter, David (March 18, 2014). America Toons In: A History of Television Animation. McFarland. ISBN 978-0786476503. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
23. Burke, Timothy; Burke, Kevin (December 15, 1998). Saturday Morning Fever: Growing Up with Cartoon Culture. Macmillan. ISBN 0312169965. Retrieved 2015-10-14.