Positive Psychiatry in the Life of Jimmy Carter

Psychiatry & Society

Being president might be the hardest job in the world, says H. Steven Moffic, MD. During former president Jimmy Carter's term, he sought to spread positive psychiatric impacts.

He demonstrated positivity through:

• He exemplified love via his loving relationship with his wife.
• He emphasized truth in his campaign and presidency.
• He achieved a peace accord between Egypt and Israel in 1978-1979.
• He devoted himself to climate change and sustainability, even getting solar panels for the White House.
• He was concerned with human rights, and continued advocacy following his presidency.
• He exhibited great resilience following his defeat to Ronald Reagan.

Dr Moffic is an award-winning psychiatrist who specialized in the cultural and ethical aspects of psychiatry and is now in retirement and retirement as a private pro bono community psychiatrist. A prolific writer and speaker, he has done a weekday column titled “Psychiatric Views on the Daily News” and a weekly video, “Psychiatry & Society,” since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. He was chosen to receive the 2024 Abraham Halpern Humanitarian Award from the American Association for Social Psychiatry. Previously, he received the Administrative Award in 2016 from the American Psychiatric Association, the one-time designation of being a Hero of Public Psychiatry from the Speaker of the Assembly of the APA in 2002, and the Exemplary Psychiatrist Award from the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill in 1991. He presented the third Rabbi Jeffrey B. Stiffman lecture at Congregation Shaare Emeth in St. Louis on Sunday, May 19, 2024. He is an advocate and activist for mental health issues related to climate instability, physician burnout, and xenophobia. He is now editing the final book in a 4-volume series on religions and psychiatry for Springer: Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, Christianity, and now The Eastern Religions, and Spirituality. He serves on the Editorial Board of Psychiatric Times.