Isaac Marks
Encyclopedia
Isaac Meyer Marks was born in Cape Town
, South Africa
. He trained in medicine there, qualifying in 1956. His training as a psychiatrist
began in 1960 at the University of London
(at the Bethlem
-Maudsley Hospital
) and was completed in 1963. In 1971 he was a founder Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists
, and in 1976 he was elected a Fellow.
Between 1964 and 2000 he conducted clinical research at the Institute of Psychiatry
, University of London
, and the Bethlem-Maudsley Hospital. He became Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist at the Institute in 1968, and Professor of Experimental Psychopathology in 1978. In 2000 he became Professor Emeritus.
From 2000-2003 he ran a computer-aided self-help clinic at Imperial College, London, where he was a Visiting Professor. He is now also Honorary Professor at the Free University of Amsterdam
.
Marks’ research included the treatment of anxiety
, phobic
, obsessive-compulsive and sexual
disorders; interactions between drugs and behavioral psychotherapy
; development of a nurse behavioral psychotherapist training program (in relation to which he coined the term 'barefoot therapist', modelled on Mao Zedong
's term Barefoot Doctor
); community care of serious mental illness; and health care and cost-effectiveness evaluation. He has developed computer aids both to evaluate treatment outcome and for self-help - matters which continue to be a central interest.
He was also instrumental in the creation of the self-help organisation Triumph Over Phobia and was a founding member of the BABCP
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. He trained in medicine there, qualifying in 1956. His training as a psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
began in 1960 at the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
(at the Bethlem
Bethlem Royal Hospital
The Bethlem Royal Hospital is a psychiatric hospital located in London, United Kingdom and part of the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. Although no longer based at its original location, it is recognised as the world's first and oldest institution to specialise in mental illnesses....
-Maudsley Hospital
Maudsley Hospital
The Maudsley Hospital is a British psychiatric hospital in South London. The Maudsley is the largest mental health training institution in the country...
) and was completed in 1963. In 1971 he was a founder Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists
Royal College of Psychiatrists
The Royal College of Psychiatrists is the main professional organisation of psychiatrists in the United Kingdom responsible for representing psychiatrists, psychiatric research and providing public information about mental health problems...
, and in 1976 he was elected a Fellow.
Between 1964 and 2000 he conducted clinical research at the Institute of Psychiatry
Institute of Psychiatry
The Institute of Psychiatry is a research institution dedicated to discovering what causes mental illness and diseases of the brain. In addition, its aim is to help identify new treatments for them and ways to prevent them in the first place...
, University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, and the Bethlem-Maudsley Hospital. He became Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist at the Institute in 1968, and Professor of Experimental Psychopathology in 1978. In 2000 he became Professor Emeritus.
From 2000-2003 he ran a computer-aided self-help clinic at Imperial College, London, where he was a Visiting Professor. He is now also Honorary Professor at the Free University of Amsterdam
Vrije Universiteit
The Vrije Universiteit is a university in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Dutch name is often abbreviated as VU and in English the university uses the name "VU University". The university is located on a compact urban campus in the southern part of Amsterdam in the Buitenveldert district...
.
Marks’ research included the treatment of anxiety
Anxiety
Anxiety is a psychological and physiological state characterized by somatic, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components. The root meaning of the word anxiety is 'to vex or trouble'; in either presence or absence of psychological stress, anxiety can create feelings of fear, worry, uneasiness,...
, phobic
Phobia
A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder, usually defined as a persistent fear of an object or situation in which the sufferer commits to great lengths in avoiding, typically disproportional to the actual danger posed, often being recognized as irrational...
, obsessive-compulsive and sexual
Sexual dysfunction
Sexual dysfunction or sexual malfunction refers to a difficulty experienced by an individual or a couple during any stage of a normal sexual activity, including desire, arousal or orgasm....
disorders; interactions between drugs and behavioral psychotherapy
Behavioral psychotherapy
Behavioral psychotherapy is one of two streams of thought that have come together to produce cognitive behavioral therapy....
; development of a nurse behavioral psychotherapist training program (in relation to which he coined the term 'barefoot therapist', modelled on Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
's term Barefoot Doctor
Barefoot doctors
Barefoot doctors are farmers who received minimal basic medical and paramedical training and worked in rural villages in the People's Republic of China. Their purpose was to bring health care to rural areas where urban-trained doctors would not settle...
); community care of serious mental illness; and health care and cost-effectiveness evaluation. He has developed computer aids both to evaluate treatment outcome and for self-help - matters which continue to be a central interest.
He was also instrumental in the creation of the self-help organisation Triumph Over Phobia and was a founding member of the BABCP
Writings
- Living with Fear: Understanding and Coping with Anxiety (1978) ISBN 0070403961
- Cure and Care of Neuroses (1988) ISBN 0880481625
- The Practice of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy (foreword) (1991) ISBN 0521417414
- Hands-on Help: Computer-aided Psychotherapy (2007) ISBN 978-1-84169-679-9
- Fears, Phobias, and Rituals: Panic, Anxiety, and Their Disorders (1987) ISBN 0-19-503927-0