Susan Bradley
Encyclopedia
Susan Jane Bradley is a Canadian
psychiatrist
best known for her work on gender identity disorder in children
. She has written many journal articles and books, including Gender Identity Disorder and Psychosexual Problems in Children and Adolescents (with Kenneth Zucker
) and Affect Regulation and the Development of Psychopathology. Bradley was Chair of the DSM-IV
Subcommittee on Gender Disorders
.
Bradley served as Head of the Division of Child Psychiatry and was Psychiatrist-in-Chief at the Hospital for Sick Children
and was consultant psychiatrist at the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry
. She is a Professor Emerita
in the Department of Psychiatry at University of Toronto
and a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians
.
from University of Toronto
in 1966 and was certified in 1967. She earned her specialty license in psychiatry in 1972. In the late seventies, Bradley founded the Child and Adolescent Gender Identity Clinic at the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry
. In collaboration with her co-author Zucker, she saw over 400 cases of children and adolescents with gender identity disorder
and related issues. Bradley served on the American Psychiatric Association
DSM-IV Subcommittee on Gender Identity Disorders. Psychologist Darryl Hill stated, "Zucker and Bradley believe that reparative treatments (encouraging the child to accept their natal sex and associated gender) can be therapeutic for several reasons. They believe that treatment can reduce social ostracism by helping gender non-conforming children mix more readily with same sex peers and prevent long-term psychopathological development (i.e., it is easier to change a child than a society intolerant of gender diversity). Reparative therapy is believed to reduce the chances of adult GID (i.e., transsexualism) which Zucker and Bradley characterize as undesirable. Clinicians have called Bradley's therapeutic intervention "something disturbingly close to reparative therapy for homosexuals." Author Phyllis Burke wrote, "The diagnosis of GID in children, as supported by Zucker and Bradley, is simply child abuse
." Journalist Stephanie Wilkinson said Zucker characterized Burke's book as "the work of a journalist whose views shouldn't be put into the same camp as those of scientists like Richard Green or himself." Because her therapeutic intervention for gender identity disorder in children
is controversial, a 2007 celebration honoring Bradley's career was disrupted by transgender protesters.
Bradley was Clinical Director of the Department of Psychiatry from 1984 to 1988 and Psychiatrist-in-Chief and Head of the Division of Child Psychiatry at the University of Toronto from 1988 to 1998.
Bradley's longstanding interest in parenting
and evaluation of parenting programs led to her involvement in initiating The Parenting Alliance and the Infant Mental Health Promotion Project. The Council for Early Child Development named Bradley a Community Champion for her work developing the Early Years Centres.
Bradley has published over 50 articles in peer-reviewed journals. These articles and her books have been cited over 700 times, giving her an h-index
of 16.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
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...
best known for her work on gender identity disorder in children
Gender identity disorder in children
Gender identity disorder in children is the formal diagnosis used by psychologists and physicians to describe children who experience significant gender dysphoria ....
. She has written many journal articles and books, including Gender Identity Disorder and Psychosexual Problems in Children and Adolescents (with Kenneth Zucker
Kenneth Zucker
Kenneth J. Zucker is a Jewish American-Canadian psychologist and sexologist, and head of the child and adolescent gender identity clinic at Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Based on his collaboration with Susan Bradley, Zucker is considered an international authority in the field...
) and Affect Regulation and the Development of Psychopathology. Bradley was Chair of the DSM-IV
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is published by the American Psychiatric Association and provides a common language and standard criteria for the classification of mental disorders...
Subcommittee on Gender Disorders
Gender identity disorder
Gender identity disorder is the formal diagnosis used by psychologists and physicians to describe persons who experience significant gender dysphoria . It describes the symptoms related to transsexualism, as well as less severe manifestations of gender dysphoria...
.
Bradley served as Head of the Division of Child Psychiatry and was Psychiatrist-in-Chief at the Hospital for Sick Children
Hospital for Sick Children
The Hospital for Sick Children – is a major paediatric centre for the Greater Toronto Area, serving patients up to age 18. Located on University Avenue in Downtown Toronto, SickKids is part of the city’s Discovery District, a critical mass of scientists and entrepreneurs who are focused on...
and was consultant psychiatrist at the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health is a consortium of mental health clinics at several sites in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its name in French is Centre de toxicomanie et de santé mentale...
. She is a Professor Emerita
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
in the Department of Psychiatry at University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
and a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians
Royal College of Physicians
The Royal College of Physicians of London was founded in 1518 as the College of Physicians by royal charter of King Henry VIII in 1518 - the first medical institution in England to receive a royal charter...
.
Career
Bradley earned her M.D.Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
from University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
in 1966 and was certified in 1967. She earned her specialty license in psychiatry in 1972. In the late seventies, Bradley founded the Child and Adolescent Gender Identity Clinic at the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health is a consortium of mental health clinics at several sites in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its name in French is Centre de toxicomanie et de santé mentale...
. In collaboration with her co-author Zucker, she saw over 400 cases of children and adolescents with gender identity disorder
Gender identity disorder
Gender identity disorder is the formal diagnosis used by psychologists and physicians to describe persons who experience significant gender dysphoria . It describes the symptoms related to transsexualism, as well as less severe manifestations of gender dysphoria...
and related issues. Bradley served on the American Psychiatric Association
American Psychiatric Association
The American Psychiatric Association is the main professional organization of psychiatrists and trainee psychiatrists in the United States, and the most influential worldwide. Its some 38,000 members are mainly American but some are international...
DSM-IV Subcommittee on Gender Identity Disorders. Psychologist Darryl Hill stated, "Zucker and Bradley believe that reparative treatments (encouraging the child to accept their natal sex and associated gender) can be therapeutic for several reasons. They believe that treatment can reduce social ostracism by helping gender non-conforming children mix more readily with same sex peers and prevent long-term psychopathological development (i.e., it is easier to change a child than a society intolerant of gender diversity). Reparative therapy is believed to reduce the chances of adult GID (i.e., transsexualism) which Zucker and Bradley characterize as undesirable. Clinicians have called Bradley's therapeutic intervention "something disturbingly close to reparative therapy for homosexuals." Author Phyllis Burke wrote, "The diagnosis of GID in children, as supported by Zucker and Bradley, is simply child abuse
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
." Journalist Stephanie Wilkinson said Zucker characterized Burke's book as "the work of a journalist whose views shouldn't be put into the same camp as those of scientists like Richard Green or himself." Because her therapeutic intervention for gender identity disorder in children
Gender identity disorder in children
Gender identity disorder in children is the formal diagnosis used by psychologists and physicians to describe children who experience significant gender dysphoria ....
is controversial, a 2007 celebration honoring Bradley's career was disrupted by transgender protesters.
Bradley was Clinical Director of the Department of Psychiatry from 1984 to 1988 and Psychiatrist-in-Chief and Head of the Division of Child Psychiatry at the University of Toronto from 1988 to 1998.
Bradley's longstanding interest in parenting
Parenting
Parenting is the process of promoting and supporting the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development of a child from infancy to adulthood...
and evaluation of parenting programs led to her involvement in initiating The Parenting Alliance and the Infant Mental Health Promotion Project. The Council for Early Child Development named Bradley a Community Champion for her work developing the Early Years Centres.
Selected publications
According to the Web of ScienceWeb of Science
ISI Web of Knowledge is an academic citation indexing and search service, which is combined with web linking and provided by Thomson Reuters. Web of Knowledge coverage encompasses the sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities. It provides bibliographic content and the tools to access, analyze,...
Bradley has published over 50 articles in peer-reviewed journals. These articles and her books have been cited over 700 times, giving her an h-index
H-index
The h-index is an index that attempts to measure both the productivity and impact of the published work of a scientist or scholar. The index is based on the set of the scientist's most cited papers and the number of citations that they have received in other publications...
of 16.
- Gender identity disorder and psychosexual problems in children and adolescents, 1996, Guilford Press, ISBN 9780898622669, with Kenneth J. Zucker
- Affect regulation and the development of psychopathology, 2003, Guilford Press ISBN 1572309393
External links
- Susan J. Bradley profile via Hospital for Sick Children