2016 James McKeen Cattell Fellow
Stephen P. Hinshaw
University of California, Berkeley
Stephen P. Hinshaw’s influence on psychological science spans two broad domains: developmental psychopathology and stigma, with distinguished contributions in each area. His multiple contributions in developmental psychopathology span mechanisms and treatments for externalizing behavior patterns, particularly attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). With respect to mechanisms, he has conducted some of the largest longitudinal studies of children with ADHD. He was among the first investigators to study girls with ADHD systematically, a group long neglected in the field. His ongoing Berkeley Girls with ADHD Longitudinal Study involves the largest longitudinal sample of girls with this disorder worldwide. Indeed, his work has shifted the narrative about ADHD from being a disorder affecting only boys to a disorder that has significant negative effects on girls. With respect to treatments, he is an expert in clinical trials methods. For example, he has been serving as the principal investigator for the University of California, Berkeley’s involvement in the Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD, the largest clinical trial for children.
Hinshaw’s work on mental illness stigma has had a similarly broad impact. In 2002, he published a book on his father’s life-long struggle with bipolar disorder, and in 2008, he coedited another book about the impact of mental illness on the lives of mental health professionals. His 2007 book, The Mark of Shame: Stigma of Mental Illness and an Agenda for Change provides a comprehensive history of research on mental illness stigma, along with a plan for conquering this pernicious form of stigma. His empirical work in this domain has focused on both dehumanization and the potential for youth-led groups to prevent stigmatization.
See Hinshaw’s award address presented at the 2016 APS Annual Convention in Chicago.