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Congratulations to David Brent, MD (Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry, Pediatrics, Epidemiology, and Clinical and Translational Science and Endowed Chair in Suicide Studies), who has received the American College of Psychiatrists 2026 Award for Leadership in Child, Adolescent and Young Adult Psychiatry. The Award recognizes an individual who has made sustained and substantial contributions to child, adolescent and young adult mental health as evidenced by leadership in scholarly contributions, clinical service, education, and advocacy efforts.

As principal investigator of more than a dozen federally funded grants, and collaborator on numerous additional research studies, Dr. Brent has made multiple field-changing contributions to research on the causes and prevention of depression and suicide in children and adolescents. He has provided the empirical framework for the assessment and treatment of adolescent depression and suicidal behavior, which has served as the foundation for evidence-based care for at-risk youth worldwide. Among

Dr. Brent’s numerous important contributions is his finding that access to firearms is a risk factor for completed suicide, providing empirical evidence to support removal or securing of firearms in the homes of individuals at risk for suicide, and for public health initiatives aimed at restricting access or improving safe storage of firearms. While his work identified depression as a major risk factor for adolescent suicide, Dr. Brent was also among the first to identify additional factors that contribute to suicide risk, including impulsive aggression, behavior and substance use disorders, insomnia, and high suicidal intent. These domains are now widely recognized as important treatment targets for suicidal adolescents.

In addition, Dr. Brent and his group were among the first to conduct clinical trials using cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for depressed adolescents, leading a multi-site study of treatment-resistant depression in adolescents that established CBT as an effective means for preventing the onset of depression in high-risk adolescents. Dr. Brent’s adaptation of CBT to the developmental needs of depressed and suicidal adolescents and their families is now one of the most widely used methods of treatment of adolescent depression. Dr. Brent additionally conducted leading work on child and adolescent bereavement, helping to demonstrate that bereaved youth are at increased risk for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, and that the phenomenology of bereavement-related depression is similar to that of non-bereavement related depression. These findings helped to support the removal of the bereavement exclusion in DSM-V.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Brent!