Norman Sartorius: The Mental Health Crusader Who Simply Won’t Stop

Abstract Professor N. Sartorius, MD, PhD, FRCPsych, previously the Director of the Mental Health Program of the World Health Organization and President of the World Psychiatric Association and of the European Psychiatric Association, now serves as President of the Association for the Improvement of Mental Health Programs, a nongovernmental organization located in Geneva, Switzerland. Professor Sartorius holds several professorial positions in Europe, the USA, and elsewhere. He has published more than 500 papers in peer-reviewed journals and authored, co-authored, edited, or co-edited more than 120 books. However, more than all these, Professor Sartorius will be remembered by posterity as a relentless crusader for mental health and against stigma toward mental illness. Professor Sartorius has focused his sustained attention on the reduction of the stigma of mental illness, on the comorbidity of mental and physical disorders, and on support to carers of people with mental disorders. He has been particularly interested in the education of young professionals and conducted leadership and professional skills courses in some 60 countries involving more than 3000 psychiatrists early in their careers. In this interview, he briefly but importantly talks about the phases of his life, work, passion, vision, and mission, and leaves important messages for future generations.