APA CEO Receives Humanitarian Award

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Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, CEO of the American Psychological Association, has been honored with the Society of Biological Psychiatry’s Humanitarian Award in recognition of his exceptional contributions to advancing mental health care and advocating for those with mental illness.

The Society of Biological Psychiatry, dedicated to advancing the understanding of biological mechanisms and treatment of psychiatric disorders, bestows this award annually to individuals who have demonstrated service and advocacy for mental illness. Previous recipients have included former CBS News Correspondent Mike Wallace and former U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I. The award was presented to Evans at the society’s annual meeting on May 10 in Austin.

Evans was recognized for his career-long efforts to help the nation rethink its approach to mental health. His vision includes a population health framework to improve mental health care by broadening who can provide and receive help, identifying early intervention opportunities, and not limiting interventions to those with a formal diagnosis. The nomination letter highlighted his advocacy for rethinking when and where people can get help, reaching people earlier in their mental health challenges, and embedding mental health supports into everyday settings.

Throughout his career, Evans has led initiatives aimed at health equity, expanding mental health paradigms in the U.S. Under his leadership, APA has increased access to services via telepsychology, promoted research on social determinants of health, confronted systemic bias in psychology, and ensured that marginalized individuals have the opportunity to achieve health and wellness.