Mortimer Ostow, M.D., 1997 (1918-2006)

Dr. Ostow’s groundbreaking impact was to forge a constructive and scientifically grounded relationship between psychoanalysis and psychopharmacology — a contribution whose importance has only grown with time. At a moment when medication and psychotherapy were largely treated as competing approaches, Ostow argued for their integration. His 1962 book Drugs in Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy made the case that medication alone could subdue symptoms but left the underlying disturbance of mental illness untreated — a position that anticipated by decades what is now broadly accepted clinical practice.

Equally pioneering was his work at the intersection of psychoanalysis and religion. Ostow’s 1996 book Myth and Madness: The Psychodynamics of Anti-Semitism brought psychoanalytic thinking to bear on one of the most persistent and destructive forces in human history, tracing the roots of antisemitism in psychic life. He extended this framework further still, linking the fanaticism and rage of terrorists to early childhood disturbance — work that placed psychoanalytic insight at the center of some of the most urgent questions of our time.

Through his leadership of the Psychoanalytic Research and Development Fund, Ostow extended his influence beyond his own writings, fostering analytic research and stimulating scholarly collaboration across the field.

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