Syed Arshad Husain
Syed Arshad Husain,
USA, Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Child Health. Until June of 2009, he served as Professor of Child Psychiatry and Child Health, and Chief and Director of Training of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Missouri-Columbia, School of Medicine in Columbia, Missouri. Born in India, Dr. Husain received his medical education at Dow Medical College in Karachi, Pakistan, followed by specialized training in Psychiatry at Maudsley Institute of Psychiatry in England and McGill University in Montreal, Canada and in Child Psychiatry at the University of Missouri-Columbia. In 1970, he joined the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine. In1982, Dr. Husain also served as the Child Mental Health Consultant to the World Health Organization, Eastern Mediterranean Region. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists of England and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, and Founding Fellow of the Pacific Rim College of Psychiatrists. Dr. Husain is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology both in General Psychiatry and in Child Psychiatry.Dr. Husain is known worldwide for his work with traumatized children living in war zones and disaster areas, and his research on sexually and physically abused children. Overall, since 1994, Dr. Husain and his Trauma Team at the University of Missouri have trained approximately 6,500 teachers, physicians, nurses and other volunteers in Bosnia, Kosovo, Russia, Palestine, Afghan refugee Camps in Pakistan, earthquake disaster zones in Gujarat, India, tsunami disaster areas, hurricane Katrina disaster areas and earthquake disaster zones in Pakistan/Kashmir. Dr. Husain established counselling centers in Bosnia, Kosovo, and in Pakistan for Afghan refugees; and a charitable hospital and “Mothers As Teachers” (MAT) Project in Karachi, Pakistan, in partnership with local professionals. During the last 20 years, Dr. Husain led the World Federation of Mental Health Committee in its efforts to prevent child pornography and the commercial sexual exploitation of children throughout the world. The committee, in collaboration with other international human rights organizations, has lobbied successfully in several countries for legislative changes to stop child prostitution, child pornography and human trafficking.
Among the many humanitarian activities and accomplishments by Dr. Husain are the following:
- Founded the International Center for Psychosocial Trauma at the University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, 1994.
- Founded the International Medical and Educational Trust a 501(C)-3 Non-profit organization in Columbia, Missouri, 1998.
- Established a Child and Family Counseling Center in Sarajevo, Bosnia, 1994.
- Developed A "Teachers As Therapists" Program to train teachers to identify and treat children who are traumatized during war-February 1994.
- Visited Bosnia and Herzegovina 25 times since 1994 and trained 2000 teachers as therapists and 200 mental health professionals.
- Trained 60 teachers and mental health professionals in trauma psychology from 11 republics of former Soviet Union - August 1998, Moscow, Russia.
- Established "Training the Trainer" Program in 1994. Each summer since then selected mental health professionals from war-torn countries come to the University of Missouri for extensive training in trauma psychology, and return to their country and train other professionals. So far over 300 individuals have been trained from fifteen different countries, including Bosnia, Kosova, Rwanda, Iraq, Pakistan, Georgia, Chechnya, Russia, Armenia, England, Canada, USA.
- Visited Albania twice and Kosova nine times between 1999-2004, to help war-traumatized children in those countries under “Teachers As Therapist Program” and trained over 300 teachers and 50 mental health professionals.
- Established a Family and Child Counseling Center in Gjakova, Kosova in November 1999; now staffed by local psychiatrists, the Center is a resource center for local schools to help war-traumatized children and their families.
- Established a Counseling Center in Peshawar, Pakistan, in collaboration with the Mental Health Resource Center of Pakistan in February 2002. Trained physicians and teachers to work with war-traumatized children and their families from Afghanistan living in refugee camps in Peshawar and Quetta. Staff at the center provide direct counseling services to traumatized Afghani children and their families and serve as a resource for teachers, physicians and mental health professionals trained by Dr. Husain.
- Conducted training workshops in Trauma Psychiatry/Psychology for teachers and mental health professionals in the West Bank and Gaza City in Palestine, in Dec. 14-27, 2002 and via Tele-Psychiatry from Cairo, Egypt in April 2009 and from Manchester, England. in July 2009.
- Organized the first National Conference on “ Mental Health Needs of Returning Soldiers and Their Families” in March 2007
- Every year, since 1995, has organized at the UMC campus, “Training The Trainers Course in Trauma Psychiatry” for teachers, mental health professionals and volunteers. Every summer, professionals from around the world come to Columbia, MO for six day intensive course in Trauma Psychiatry. For his numerous humanitarian contributions, Dr. Husain has received many recognition awards:
- The Bruno Lima Award by the American Psychiatric Association in 1996 for his outstanding contributions to Disaster Psychiatry.
- The prestigious Irving Phillips Memorial Award in 1996 by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry for a lifetime of contributions to preventing mental illness in children and adolescents.
- The George Tarjan Award by the American Psychiatric Association in 1997 to Dr. Husain as an International Medical Graduate for outstanding contributions to American Psychiatry.
- The first “Profile of Courage” award by the American Psychiatric Association in 1997 for his work in Bosnia, as one who exhibited meritorious courage in support of a patient group or ethical principles of the American Psychiatric Association.
- An Honorary Doctorate was awarded in August 1999 by the University of Tuzla for his contribution to the education of young staff in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the war.
- The “Pride in the Profession Award” was given in 2001 by the American Medical Association as a physician whose volunteer service and public health advancement brings great credit to the medical profession.
- Missouri Governor Bob Holden proclaimed July 13, 2001, as Syed Arshad Husain, M.D. Day, in honor of his outstanding humanitarian work throughout his career.
- Elected Honorary Fellow of the Academic Cabinet of the University of Missouri European Union Center in December 2001, to recognize outstanding achievements in caring for traumatized children in war-torn countries.
- The Humanitarian Award in 2003 from the University of Missouri Center for European Union.
- The Best Teacher Award in Child Psychiatry at the University of Missouri, in 2003.
- The International Center for Psychosocial Trauma (ICPT) (Dr. Husain is Founding Director) received the 2004 Human Rights Award of the University of Missouri, Columbia.
In addition to his administrative and teaching responsibilities in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Missouri School of Medicine, Dr. Husain has conducted research in four areas:
1. Effectiveness of Teachers Trained as Therapists to Treat War Traumatized Children
2. PTSD in Children: A Three Year Follow Up Study of 791 Sarajevian Children
3. Trans-cultural aspects of child rearing
4. Developed “Mini Fellowship in Psychiatry and Child Psychiatry” a 120 hours didactic and Practicum curriculum to train primary care practitioners in psychiatry and child psychiatry and conducted outcome research to assess he effectiveness of this program to meet the mental health needs of the citizens living in the rural areas where there is an acute shortage of psychiatrists.
Dr. Husain has published over 70 papers in noted medical journals, including the American Journal of Psychiatry, the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry and the Journal of American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. He is the author of five professional books on various aspects of child pathology, including his book “Hope for the Children: Lessons from Bosnia”. He is a member of twelve professional societies in the United States and internationally, where he has been elected to key leadership positions. He is currently a member of the American Psychiatric Associations Committee of Psychiatric Dimensions of Disaster.
From 2005-2009 Dr. Husain served as the Chair of the Committee on the Psychiatric Dimensions of Disaster of the American Psychiatric Association.