Adolf Meyer, grand nom de l’histoire de la psychiatrie aux États-Unis

Abstract

Adolf Meyer (1866–1950) is considered one of the most famous psychiatrists in the United States and his influence was preponderant, particularly between 1895 and the Second World War. In the early 1900s, Meyer undertook a restructuring of the asylums system and, under his leadership, insane asylums began, at least in some places, to become institutions of care. After overseeing its construction, Meyer was appointed in 1913 as superintendent of the first psychiatric clinic in the United States – Henry Phipps Psychiatric Clinic – which would become one of the most prestigious psychiatric researches and training centers in the years that followed. It was at the Henry Phipps Psychiatric Clinic that Meyer was able to promote what he called “the new psychiatry” in 1901 and then psychobiology in 1908. Psychobiology has become synonymous with Meyerian psychiatry. Meyer has made a significant contribution to ensuring that mental disorders are the subject of scientific and clinical research, specific medical training and appropriate treatment.