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Nancy Adler

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the professor of organizational behavior, see Nancy J. Adler.

Nancy Adler
Born(1946-07-26)July 26, 1946
New York City, U.S.
DiedJanuary 4, 2024(2024-01-04) (aged 77)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Alma materWellesley College
Harvard University
Known forHealth behavior
Social determinants of health
Awards
  • New York Academy of Medicine's Academy Medal for Distinguished Contributions in Biomedical Science (2017)
  • APS James McKeen Cattell Fellow Award (2013)
  • APA Newman-Proshansky Prize for Lifetime Achievement in Population Psychology (2011)
  • NAM David Rall Medal (2010)
  • APA Distinguished Scientific Award for the Applications of Psychology (2009)
Scientific career
FieldsHealth psychology
InstitutionsUniversity of California, San Francisco
ThesisReactions of women to therapeutic abortion: a social psychological analysis (1974)

Nancy Elinor Adler (July 26, 1946 – January 4, 2024) was an American health psychologist. She was the Lisa and John Pritzker Professor of Medical Psychology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and director of UCSF's Center for Health and Community Sciences.[1] Adler was known for her research on health behaviors, health disparities, and social determinants of health.[2][3][4]

Adler was the director of the MacArthur Foundation's Research Network on Socioeconomic Status and Health from its foundation to December 1996.[5] She was the director of the Evidence for Action (E4A), a UCSF health program funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.[6]

Biography

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Adler was born in Manhattan on July 26, 1946.[7] Her father was a salesman and clothing manufacturer and her mother was a teacher. The family later moved to Denver.[7]

Adler completed her undergraduate studies at Wellesley College, where she conducted research with Claire Zimmerman.[8] She entered the PhD Program in Social Relations at Harvard University in 1968 and was mentored by Herbert Kelman, an expert on social influence and cognitive dissonance.[8] For her 1974 PhD thesis titled "Reactions of Women to Therapeutic Abortion: A Social Psychological Analysis"[9] Adler interviewed women before and after having a therapeutic abortion (a pregnancy termination for medical reasons such as fetal abnormalities, as opposed to one for non-medical reasons such as financial worries). She found that women's reactions were generally positive and reflective of healthy coping strategies.[8]

Adler taught at the University of California, Santa Cruz prior to joining the faculty of UCSF. In 1980, she served a term as the President of Society for Environmental, Population, and Conservation Psychology (APA Division 34).[10] Adler has chaired multiple NAM committees and workshops on subjects including the Deepwater Horizon oil spill,[11] sexually transmitted diseases,[12] psychosocial treatments for cancer patients, and women's health.[13]

Research

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Adler was best known for her research demonstrating that people with more education and higher incomes, as well as a belief that they have higher social status than others, are healthier and live longer than less privileged people.[7]

Honors and awards

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Adler was a fellow of the American Psychological Society (APS) and the American Psychological Association (APA), as well as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences[14] and the National Academy of Medicine (NAM).[15]

Adler received the APA Distinguished Scientific Award for the Applications of Psychology in 2009.[16] The award cited her "research on reproductive health examining adolescent decision-making with regard to contraception, conscious and preconscious motivations for pregnancy, and perception of risk for sexually transmitted diseases, and for her groundbreaking insights into the importance of psychological processes in explaining why socioeconomic status is associated with physical health."[8] Other awards include:

Personal life

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In 1975, Adler married Arnold Milstein.[7] They collaborated on research[22][23] and had two daughters together.[8]

Adler died of pancreatic cancer on January 4, 2024, at age 77.[7]

Selected works

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  • Adler, N. E., Boyce, T., Chesney, M. A., Cohen, S., Folkman, S., Kahn, R. L., & Syme, S. L. (1994). Socioeconomic status and health: the challenge of the gradient. American Psychologist, 49(1), 15–24.
  • Adler, N. E., Epel, E. S., Castellazzo, G., & Ickovics, J. R. (2000). Relationship of subjective and objective social status with psychological and physiological functioning: Preliminary data in healthy, White women. Health Psychology, 19(6), 586–592.
  • Adler, N. E., & Newman, K. (2002). Socioeconomic disparities in health: pathways and policies. Health Affairs, 21(2), 60–76.
  • Adler, N. E., & Ostrove, J. M. (1999). Socioeconomic status and health: what we know and what we don't. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 896(1), 3–15.
  • Adler, N. E., & Snibbe, A. C. (2003). The role of psychosocial processes in explaining the gradient between socioeconomic status and health. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 12(4), 119–123.
  • Adler, N. J., Den Hartog, D. N., & Knippenberg, D. V. (2008). Introduction to special topic forum: Current research on mergers and acquisitions: Stakes, outcomes, and integration. Journal of Management, 34(3), 469–478.

References

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  1. ^ "Nancy Adler". Social Psychology Network. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  2. ^ Goldstein, Avram (June 18, 1999). "Mothers' Childbirth Deaths Still High in D.C." The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  3. ^ Goode, Erica (June 1, 1999). "For Good Health, It Helps to Be Rich and Important". The New York Times Learning Network. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
  4. ^ Goode, Erica (December 17, 2002). "The Heavy Cost Of Chronic Stress". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  5. ^ Shweder, Richard A. (March 9, 1997). "It's Called Poor Health for a Reason". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
  6. ^ "About Us | Evidence for Action". www.evidenceforaction.org. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d e Hafner, Katie (January 18, 2024). "Nancy E. Adler, Who Linked Wealth to Health, Dies at 77". The New York Times.
  8. ^ a b c d e "Award for Distinguished Scientific Applications of Psychology: Nancy E. Adler". American Psychologist. 64 (8): 660–673. 2009. doi:10.1037/a0016754. ISSN 1935-990X. PMID 19899861.
  9. ^ Adler, Nancy E. (1974). Reactions of Women to Therapeutic Abortion: A Social Psychological Analysis (Doctoral dissertation, Harvard University).
  10. ^ "Past Presidents of the Society for Environmental, Population and Conservation Psychology". APA Division 34. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  11. ^ Price, Michael (September 1, 2010). "A mental health crisis unfolds". Monitor on Psychology. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
  12. ^ Kent, Don (May 1, 1996). "Psychology in the Institute of Medicine". APS Observer. 9. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
  13. ^ "Nancy E. Adler, PhD". Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
  14. ^ "Nancy E. Adler". American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  15. ^ "Nancy Adler – IAPHS – Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science". August 19, 2020.
  16. ^ "APA Distinguished Scientific Award for the Applications of Psychology Past Recipients". American Psychological Association. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
  17. ^ "Adler to be honored by IAPHS for contributions to improving population health and equity". UCSF Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. July 7, 2020. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  18. ^ "Nancy Adler Honored by The New York Academy of Medicine". UC San Francisco. August 25, 2017. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  19. ^ "Nancy Adler". Association for Psychological Science – APS. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  20. ^ "Newman-Proshansky Career Achievement Award". APA Division 34. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  21. ^ "David Rall Medal – National Academy of Medicine". National Academy of Medicine. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
  22. ^ Milstein, Arnold; Adler, Nancy E. (March 1, 2003). "Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind: Why Doesn't Widespread Clinical Quality Failure Command Our Attention?". Health Affairs. 22 (2): 119–127. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.22.2.119. ISSN 0278-2715. PMID 12674415.
  23. ^ Adler, N E; Milstein, A (October 1, 1983). "Evaluating the impact of physician peer review: factors associated with successful PSROs". American Journal of Public Health. 73 (10): 1182–1185. doi:10.2105/AJPH.73.10.1182. ISSN 0090-0036. PMC 1651095. PMID 6684402.
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