David Shaffer, an American psychiatrist and pioneering expert on child and teenage suicide, passed away on Wednesday, at the age of 87, after a lengthy illness.
Known for his work as an esteemed researcher in child and adolescent psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center, Shaffer tirelessly worked to explore andolve the problem of suicide in young people. He was the first researcher to take seriously the risk of suicidal ideation in children, later authoring the landmark book “All My Feelings: Suicide in Adolescents” in 1995, which has since become a essential text to the field of psychiatry.
Shaffer also had a passion for mental health advocacy, lending his expertise to medical journal articles, television shows, and national organizations. He served as President of the American Association of Suicidology in 1987, the National Mental Health Association in 1998, and was the Vice President of the American Psychiatric Association in 2008.
Shaffer’s life’s work shows a dedication to preventing deaths by suicide, illuminated by his own personal story of tragedy. His son Glenn died by suicide in 1988, just three months after beginning college, which Shaffer attributed to his lack of preparedness for a new academic environment. Later, in his book “Surviving a Child’s Suicide: A Guide to Healing and Hope”, Shaffer wrote of her time with his son, trying to make sense of it all, saying, “The struggles, the moments of joy, the challenges, the hopes, the sorrows—all came to one final, devastating outcome.”
Unfortunately, despite his unwavering commitment to trying to understand and prevent suicide in young people, the prevalence of suicide among youth has still not significantly improved. Perhaps this is because of the compounded complexities of human psychology, or simply just deeply rooted feelings of hopelessness or despair.
In the wake of his passing, many colleagues and peers have come forward to pay tribute to David Shaffer’s legacy. He was remembered as a leader and champion in the mental health world, and his institution has shared their condolences.
David Shaffer will be sorely missed, but his decades of research and dedication to the field of psychiatry, and prevention of suicide deaths in youth, will live on.