ARTICLE

• Main Author: Marc-adélard Tremblay
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bering Strait; Lawrence Island; Stirling; St Lawrence Island
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.599.8821; http://classiques.uqac.ca/contemporains/tremblay_marc_adelard/alexander_h_leighton/alexander_h_leighton_TP.pdf

Abstract This article introduces the special issue of Transcultural Psychiatry in honour of Alexander Leighton. A sketch of his research career is followed by a discussion of the work of his wife, Dr. Jane Murphy, first on St. Lawrence Island, near the Bering Strait, and later as a key figure in the Stirling County project. A brief conclusion highlights the main aspects of their joint legacy to cultural psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology. Key words biography • cultural psychiatry • research methods • social psychiatry I am deeply honoured to provide the introduction to this special issue of Transcultural Psychiatry, celebrating the many scientific contributions of two pioneers in psychiatric epidemiology: Alexander Hamilton Leighton and his wife Jane Murphy. Originally, I had intended to write only of the contributions of Dr. Leighton. I felt, however, that I had to widen the scope so as to make it possible to give due credit to someone who has accom-panied him almost from the beginning of the Stirling County Studies up to now. I would like to begin by briefly sketching, from a personal perspective, some details of Dr. Leighton’s career. It is, without doubt, a unique and Vol 43(1): 7–20 DOI:10.1177/1363461506061754 www.sagepublications.com Copyright © 2006 McGill University transcultural psychiatry