Unsung Hero: David Shaffer, Champion of Child and Teen Mental Health, Passes at 87

Dr. David Shaffer, a pioneering and internationally renowned psychiatrist known for his research and groundbreaking work on child and teenage suicide, has died at the age of 87. Shaffer’s work and his innovative approach to understanding destitution in young minds have changed the way we look at and address adolescent mental health across the world. A professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Shaffer was committed to improving mental health amongst adolescents, and during his 37-year long career, the professor wrote over 700 academic papers which continue to be studied and discussed today. The scholar was born in 1933 in Baltimore and attended Johns Hopkins University for a major in Biology. He graduated in 1953, and after a three-year stint in the US Navy as a medical doctor, he returned to Johns Hopkins where he earned his medical degree in 1960. Shaffer first became involved in the field of adolescent mental health when, in the 1960s, he could not find scientific evidence to explain the psychological states of those committing suicide. He decided to focus his research and study on children and teenagers and soon developed new theories on the topic, some of which continue to be used today as models for assessing risk and addressing emergent suicidal behaviors. This work made Shaffer the go-to source for adolescent suicide and mental health. He continued to specialize in the field until he retired from teaching. David Shaffer was an influential figure whose contributions to the field of mental health continue to benefit children, adolescents, and their families today. He is survived by his four sons, Brian, David, Christopher and Matthew, who are all proudly carrying on his legacy.