Elissa P. Benedek

Elissa Panush was born in Detroit, Michigan on September 28, 1936{{sfn|Edison Press|1973|p=95}} to Louis and Tillie Panush.{{cite web |url=http://obits.mlive.com/obituaries/annarbor/obituary.aspx?pid=145324719|title=Obituary|publisher=MLive.com|year=2016|access-date=20 June 2017}} Her father was a school principal and science teacher, and her mother taught in elementary school. She had three sisters. She graduated from Central High School in Detroit in 1954 and won a scholarship to the University of Michigan.{{cite news |url=http://news.arcasearchdev.com/usmidjn-new/browse/pdf/djn-1954-06-25-0-010 |title=Central High Activities|first=Judy|last=Alzofon|newspaper=The Detroit Jewish News|date=25 June 1954|page=10}}

She earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan and went on to attend the medical school on the same campus.{{cite journal|title=Elissa P. Benedek, M.D.: One hundred nineteenth president, 1990–1991|first=Carolyn B.|last=Robinowitz|date=September 1991|journal=The American Journal of Psychiatry|volume=148|issue=9|pages=1135–7|doi=10.1176/ajp.148.9.1135|pmid = 1882989}} She chose to specialize in psychiatry since it was one of the few specialties open to women physicians in that era, and would also allow the flexibility of maintaining a medical practice while raising a family. She trained in general psychiatry at the medical school's neuropsychiatric institute and in child psychiatry at the Children's Psychiatric Hospital on campus. She earned her M.D. in 1960, and completed her residency in 1962 and a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry in 1964.

After finishing her residency, she began working as a psychiatrist at the York Wood Center, a residential treatment facility for youth in Ypsilanti. She next moved to the Center for Forensic Psychiatry to become associate director of child psychiatry and the center's first director of training and research. During her tenure, she helped formulate a forensic fellowship program which later became a joint venture with the University of Michigan. In 1975 she performed a preliminary evaluation of as-yet uncharged serial killer Coral Watts at the center.{{sfn|Mitchell|2006|p=38}}

By 1991 she was a full professor in clinical psychiatry at the University of Michigan and Wayne State University School of Medicine. She is also a faculty member of the University of Michigan Comprehensive Depression Center.{{cite web|url=http://www.depressioncenter.org/about-us/members/directory/|title=Active Faculty|publisher=depressioncenter.org|year=2016|access-date=21 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170627171941/http://www.depressioncenter.org/about-us/members/directory/|archive-date=27 June 2017}} She maintains a private practice in Ann Arbor for child, adolescent, adult, and forensic psychiatry.

She is regarded as an expert on child abuse and trauma, and also focuses on ethics, the psychiatric aspects of disasters and terrorism, and domestic violence. She has testified in numerous high-profile court cases. In 1975 she testified for the defense in the murder trial of Ruth Childers, advancing the psychological theory of battered woman syndrome, first developed by Lenore E. Walker.{{sfn|Springer|Roberts|2007|page=96}} In the 1980s she testified in the Wee Care Nursery School abuse trial,{{sfn|Crowley|1991|p=248}} and was the primary psychiatric witness for Dr. Eric Foretich in his February 1987 civil court proceeding related to the Morgan v. Foretich child custody case.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/05/21/magazine/who-s-to-judge.html?pagewanted=all|title=Who's to Judge|first=Marianne |last=Szegedy-Maszak|date=21 May 1989|access-date=21 June 2017|newspaper=The New York Times}} She was accused of child abuse by Foretich's ex-wife Elizabeth Morgan, who surreptitiously filmed Benedek during her examination of her daughter, and was accused of perjury by Morgan's mother, who filed a complaint with the APA over Benedek's testimony that Morgan had probably been abused by her own father.{{cite web |url= http://www.ipt-forensics.com/journal/volume5/j5_2_br9.htm|title=Book Review: Hilary's Trial: The Elizabeth Morgan Case|first=LeRoy|last=Schultz|date=15 April 2014|access-date=21 June 2017|publisher=Institute for Psychological Therapies}}{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1990/02/28/elder-morgan-first-to-say-hilary-was-sexually-abused/9263b66b-2030-4f9c-948f-cbda747faaf8/|title=Elder Morgan First to Say Hilary Was Sexually Abused|first1=Elsa|last1=Walsh|first2=Saundra|last2=Torry|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=28 February 1990|access-date=21 June 2017}} She testified for the U.S. government in a 1998 lawsuit against Playboy Television about signal bleed of adult material on cable television.{{sfn|Heins|2007|p=191}}

Benedek mentors medical students, psychiatry residents, and forensic psychiatry fellows at the University of Michigan, allowing the latter to "shadow" her during her courtroom appearances.

Benedek was president of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) from 1990 to 1991. She was only the second woman to be named to this post since the association was founded in 1844. Previously, she served as vice president (1983–1985), secretary (1985– ), and trustee of the APA.{{sfn|Barton|1987|pages=340–341}}

In 2001 she was appointed as a director of the American Council on Science and Health.{{cite web |url=http://www.acsh.org/news/2001/04/16/american-council-on-science-and-health-names-new-directors|title=American Council on Science and Health Names New Directors (press release)|date=16 April 2001|access-date=21 June 2017|publisher=American Council on Science and Health}}

In 2016 Benedek received the Alexandra Symonds Award from the APA and the Association of Women Psychiatrists in recognition of her "significant contributions to promoting women's health and the advancement of women".

She met her husband, Richard Sandor Benedek, at the University of Michigan, where he was studying law.{{cite web |url= http://www.psych.med.umich.edu/alumni/profile/elissa-benedek.asp |title=Alumni Profile: Elissa Benedek, M.D.|publisher=University of Michigan Department of Psychiatry|year=2016|access-date=20 June 2017}} He received his J.D. in 1958{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UW6fAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA8-PA55 |title=University of Michigan Official Publication|publisher=UM Libraries|year=1947|page=55}} and they married between Elissa's sophomore and junior years. They have four children. Richard maintains a law practice in Ann Arbor. The couple has collaborated on studies of divorce, child custody, and child abuse.

• {{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=m7yNCmcJrgkC |title=Principles and Practice of Child and Adolescent Forensic Mental Health|year=2009|publisher=American Psychiatric Pub.|isbn=978-1-58562-901-5}} (with Peter Ash and Charles L. Scott)
• {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2GNrAAAAMAAJ |title=Principles and Practice of Child and Adolescent Forensic Psychiatry|year=2002|publisher=American Psychiatric Pub.|isbn=978-0-88048-956-0}} (with Diane H. Schetky)
• {{cite book|title=New Directions for Mental Health Services, Emerging Issues in Forensic Psychiatry|year=1999|isbn=978-0-7879-9901-8|last1=Benedek|first1=Elissa P.}}
• {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MQPdogWDTxEC |title=How to Help Your Child Overcome Your Divorce|year=1995|publisher=American Psychiatric Pub.|isbn=978-0-88048-565-4}} (with Catherine F. Brown) Revised ed. 2001
• {{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780683075892 |url-access=registration |title=Clinical Handbook of Child Psychiatry and the Law|year=1992|publisher=Williams & Wilkins|isbn=978-0-683-07589-2}} (with Diane H. Schetky)
• {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G_wGGAmJ6J4C |title=Juvenile Homicide |year=1989|publisher=American Psychiatric Press|isbn=978-0-88048-145-8}} (with Dewey G. Cornell)
• {{cite book|title=The Secret Worry|year=1984|publisher=Human Sciences Press|isbn=978-0-89885-133-5}}
• {{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/emergingissuesin0000unse|url-access=registration|title=Emerging Issues in Child Psychiatry and the Law|year=1985|isbn=978-0-87630-393-1|publisher=Brunner/Mazel}} (with Diane H. Schetky)
• {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5ixHAAAAMAAJ|title=What Would You Do? A child's book about divorce|year=1976|publisher=Saturday Evening Post Co.|isbn=978-0-88048-300-1}} (with Barbara S. Cain)

• {{citation|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Rd7VBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA159|chapter=Female Offenders|last=Benedek|first=Elissa P.|title=Women's Progress: Promises and Problems|editor-first=Jeanne |editor-last=Spurlock|editor2-first=Carolyn B. |editor2-last=Robinowitz|publisher=Springer Science+Business Media|year=2013|isbn=978-1-4899-0855-1|page=159}}
• {{citation|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wbvSBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA205 |chapter=Voluntary Childlessness|first1=Elissa|last1=Benedek|first2=Richard|last2=Vaughn|title= Women's Sexual Experience: Explorations of the Dark Continent|editor-last=Kirkpatrick|editor-first=Martha|year=2012|publisher=Springer Science+Business Media|isbn= 978-1-4684-4025-6|page=205}}
• {{citation|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ke4-AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA323|chapter=The Psychiatrist's Role After a School Shooting: The Emergency Room and Beyond|first1=Elissa P.|last1=Benedek|first2=Praveen|last2=Kambam|title=School Violence and Primary Prevention|editor-first=Thomas W.|editor-last=Miller|year=2008|publisher=Springer Science+Business Media|isbn=978-0-387-77119-9|page=323}}
• {{citation|chapter=Children and Psychic Trauma: A brief review of contemporary thinking|first=Elissa P.|last=Benedek|editor-first=S.|editor-last=Eth|editor2-first=R. S.|editor2-last=Pynoos|year=1985|title=Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Children|publisher=American Psychiatric Press}}

• {{cite journal|first=Elissa P. |last=Benedek|title=Premenstrual Syndrome: A view from the bench|volume=49 |journal=The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry|year=1988|issue=12|pages=498–502|pmid=3058681}}
• {{cite journal|title=The Role of the Child Psychiatrist in Court Cases Involving Child Victims of Sexual Assault|first=Elissa P.|last=Benedek|date=September 1982|journal=Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry|volume=21|issue=5|pages=519–520|doi=10.1016/S0002-7138(09)60805-0|pmid=7130565}}
• {{cite journal|title=Children of Divorce: Can we meet their needs? |first1=Richard S.|last1=Benedek |first2=Elissa P.|last2=Benedek|date=October 1979|journal=Journal of Social Issues|volume=35|issue=4|pages=155–169|doi=10.1111/j.1540-4560.1979.tb00819.x}}
• {{cite journal|title=The Child's Preference in Michigan Custody Disputes| first1=Richard S.|last1=Benedek |first2=Elissa P.|last2=Benedek|year=1979|journal=American Journal of Family Therapy|volume=7|issue=4|pages=37–43|doi=10.1080/01926187908250335}}
• {{cite journal| first1=Elissa P.|last1=Benedek|first2=Richard S.|last2=Benedek|year=1979|title=Joint Custody: Solution or illusion?|journal=The American Journal of Psychiatry|volume=136|issue=12 |pages=1540–4|doi=10.1176/ajp.136.12.1540|pmid=507203}}
• {{cite journal|title=Postdivorce Visitation: A child's right|first1=Richard S.|last1=Benedek |first2=Elissa P.|last2=Benedek|date=Spring 1977|journal=Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry|volume=16|issue=2|pages=256–271|doi=10.1016/S0002-7138(09)60041-8|pmid=874219}}
• {{cite journal|jstor=581769|title=Michigan's Friends of the Court: Creative programs for children of divorce|first1= Richard S. |last1=Benedek|first2=Robert L. |last2=Del Campo |first3=Elissa P. |last3=Benedek|journal=The Family Coordinator|volume=26|issue=4|date=October 1977|pages=447–450 |doi=10.2307/581769}}
• {{cite journal|title=New Child Custody Laws: Making them do what they say|first1=Elissa P.|last1=Benedek|first2=Richard S.|last2=Benedek|date=October 1972|journal=American Journal of Orthopsychiatry|volume=42|issue=5|pages=825–834|doi= 10.1111/j.1939-0025.1972.tb00769.x|pmid=4653319}}

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{cite book |ref={{harvid|Edison Press|1973}} |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3bhCAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Benedek |title=International Who's who in Community Service |volume=1 |publisher=Edison Press |year=1973}}
• {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1U0tVByXLNkC&pg=PA340|title=The History and Influence of the American Psychiatric Association|first=Walter E.|last=Barton|year=1987|publisher= American Psychiatric Pub|isbn= 978-0-88048-231-8}}
• {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=psWtmUpaEU4C&q=elissa+benedek|title=Not My Child|first=Patricia|last=Crowley|year=1991|publisher=Avon Books London|isbn=978-0-380-71276-2}}
• {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3Phb_wsA1J8C&pg=PA191 |title=Not in Front of the Children: 'Indecency,' censorship, and the innocence of youth|edition=2nd|first=Marjorie|last=Heins|year=2007|publisher=Rutgers University Press|isbn=978-0-8135-4388-8}}
• {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=27ZqBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA38|title=Evil Eyes|first=Corey|last=Mitchell|year=2006|publisher=Pinnacle Books|isbn=978-0-7860-3780-3}}
• {{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=22dNLunuP58C&pg=PA96 |title= Handbook of Forensic Mental Health with Victims and Offenders: Assessment, Treatment, and Research|editor-first=David W.|editor-last=Springer|editor2-first=Albert R.|editor2-last=Roberts|year=2007|publisher=Springer Publishing Company|isbn=978-0-8261-0113-6}}

• [http://jaapl.org/content/jaapl/14/4/295.full.pdf "Forensic Child Psychiatry: An emerging subspecialty" by Elissa P. Benedek, MD] 1986

{{American Psychiatric Association presidents}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Benedek, Elissa P.}}

Category:1936 births

Category:Living people

Category:American women psychiatrists

Category:American forensic psychiatrists

Category:University of Michigan faculty

Category:University of Michigan Medical School alumni

Category:Presidents of the American Psychiatric Association

Category:Physicians from Detroit

Category:Jewish American social scientists

Category:Central High School (Detroit) alumni

Category:American women academics

Category:21st-century American Jews

Category:21st-century American women