The psychiatry community mourns the loss of Amy C. Brodkey, who passed away on Monday, November 22, 2021 at the age of 72. Brodkey was an advocate for women’s mental health and a fierce proponent for the expansion of services to meet their needs. Julio Licinio sends his condolences by reflecting on a key moment in Dr. Brodkey’s career:
To say Amy C. Brodkey was a pioneer or a revolutionary in the psychiatric field would be an understatement. Dating back to the 1970s, Brodkey was a strong and vocal advocate for women’s mental health services. In fact, in 1971, he occupied a Harvard building in solidarity with others to make the statement that the campus needed a women’s center. Today, women’s centers are a staple of most colleges and universities in the United States — in part, due to the unwavering efforts of professionals like Dr. Brodkey.
Four decades on, Amy C. Brodkey’s impact that day at Harvard continues to be felt. For students across the country, women’s centers are a warm and welcoming light for females dealing with mental health struggles during their enrollment. Support, of course, can make a world of difference in fostering a strong and solid academic foundation and that experience is made all the more possible by efforts like Dr. Brodkey’s.
Leave a Reply