Stephen R Marder, MD

Interviewed Fall 2001

Archived Profiles

Dr. Stephen Marder, M.D., Director of the VISN22 MIRECC and Chief of Psychiatry Services at the West Los Angeles VAMC has been a faculty member in the School of Medicine at UCLA since 1977 where he is currently Professor in Residence and Vice Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences. He recently received the Exemplary Psychiatrist Award (2000) from NAMI. Dr. Marder serves on the Behavioral, Psychiatric, and Addictive Disorders Medical Research Advisory Group for Department of Veterans Affairs and is co-chair of the Committee on VA guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Schizophrenia. Dr. Marder's research focuses on treatment for schizophrenia, both pharmacological and psychosocial therapies.

Dr. Marder was born and raised in New York, NY and received his BA from University of Pennsylvania and his MD from the State University of New York, Buffalo. He is the author of more than 150 journal articles and 50 book chapters. In his leisure time, he enjoys classical music and plays golf and tennis. He lives in LA with his wife.

How did you get interested in schizophrenia?

I've been interested in schizophrenia practically my whole adult life. My interest in biological and clinical psychiatry led me to study schizophrenia, which was undertreated in the 70's, when I began my research career.

For two decades you have been investigating treatments for schizophrenia? How have treatments changed?

Psychosocial treatment 20 years ago was based on individual psychotherapy with an emphasis on psychodynamic theory. This treatment was not effective in treating schizophrenia. Subsequently, there was a shift in the conceptualization of psychosocial treatment of schizophrenia such that illness-based psychopatholgy was addressed. Social skills were taught and cognitive and behavioral therapy to reduce the distress caused by symptoms of schizophrenia, to prevent relapse, and to promote treatment adherence. More recently, psychosocial treatment efforts have begun to focus on rehabilitation, especially vocational training.

Pharmacological treatment of schizophrenia has changed in that the new antipsychotic medications have fewer side effects, and may be even more effective in treating negative symptoms. These pharmacological improvements have made treatment more attractive. More people are complying with their prescribed medication regimes and consequently, more people with schizophrenia are functioning better. Treatment for schizophrenia has become more than reducing troublesome symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions; it has become improving the quality of life of people with schizophrenia.