Dr. David Shaffer, an internationally renowned expert on child and teenage suicide, has passed away at the age of 87. His groundbreaking research into the causes and prevention of suicide among young people has had a profound impact on the mental health sector worldwide.
Dr. Shaffer was born in Pennsylvania in 1934 and attended both Columbia University and Harvard University Medical School before forming his own practice in New York City in 1965. Throughout his career, he wrote extensively on the psychological causes of suicide and provided pioneering critical analysis of the societal factors that shape childhood behaviour. He retired in 2004, although remained active in sharing his expertise throughout his later years.
Dr. Shaffer was renowned for his pioneering approach to suicide prevention. He believed that it was important to understand and address the underlying causes of suicidal behaviour in children and teenagers and advocated for better approaches to early intervention and support for young people at risk. He was also an outspoken advocate of better emotional education in the school curriculum and campaigned for more mental health discussions in the classroom.
His work has fundamentally influenced the way suicide is understood and discussed in the mental health field. He was a founding member of the American Association of Suicidology, a leader in the field of identifying risk factors for suicide, and served as an editor for several important volumes on the issue. In addition, Dr. Shaffer served as an advisor for the National Institute of Mental Health, as well as organizations such as the World Health Organization.
The global psychological community has lost a giant in the field of suicide prevention and grieving families everywhere have lost a great mentor and healer. He will be remembered for his pioneering approach to understanding and addressing suicide in young people and his countless contributions towards saving countless lives.
