Sir David was a towering figure in psychiatric epidemiology, and huge influence on the careers of a generation of psychiatrists, including my own.
Professor Matthew Hotopf, IoPPN Executive Dean
19 September 2024
Professor Sir David Goldberg (1934 – 2024)
Tribute to Emeritus Professor Sir David Goldberg KBE FKC FMedSci FRCP, who died on 5 September 2024.
Sir David Goldberg was Professor of Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London and Consultant Psychiatrist at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. From 1993 to 1999, he was Director of Research & Development and Education at the (then) Institute of Psychiatry (IoP).
His research and teaching have been influential in advancing the field of psychiatric epidemiology, improving mental health services in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and primary care settings, and training psychiatrists worldwide.
Sir David trained in medicine at the University of Oxford and undertook his clinical work at St Thomas’ Hospital in London from 1957 – 1959. He first joined the Maudsley Hospital in 1963, and over the next six years trained in psychiatry with Professors Sir Aubrey Lewis and Sir Michael Shepherd. He then spent nearly a quarter of a century at the University of Manchester, where he was Head of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Science.
In 1993, David returned to the Maudsley Hospital and IoP to take up the prestigious Chair of Psychiatry. He became a Professor Emeritus of King's College London in 2000. After he retired, the IoP opened its David Goldberg Centre for Health Services Research (as it was originally known), which was named in his honour. The Centre is now home to the Department of Health Service & Population Research at the IoPPN.
Sir David’s contributions to research and teaching have guided much of the work we do in our department, and his loss will be felt deeply.
Professor Sarah Byford, Head of Department of Health Service & Population Research at King’s IoPPN
Throughout his career, Sir David was a long-term advisor to the UK Department of Health and the World Health Organization, continuing this work long beyond his retirement. He was also Chairman of the General Old Age Psychiatry Advisory Committee (GOAPSAC), the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Guideline Development Group for Depression and the NICE Guideline for Depression in Physical Diseases.
From 1999 – 2016 he chaired the Psychiatry Research Trust, a UK-based organisation dedicated to advancing research in psychiatry and related fields. During his tenure, Sir David played a significant role in promoting research and supporting initiatives related to mental health and psychological assessment.
After retirement, David Goldberg chaired PRT for a number of years. His style of leadership was leading from front but taking people with him. He was an enabler in whichever role he took on. He valued people and supported them to ensure that right outcomes were achieved.
Professor Dinesh Bhugra, Emeritus Professor of Mental Health and Cultural Diversity at King's IoPPN
Sir David received a knighthood in 1997 for contributions to medicine. In 2009, he was presented with a lifetime achievement award at the inaugural Royal College of Psychiatrists Awards ceremony in recognition of his dedication throughout his career to alleviating suffering, and leading to on research and service development.
Advancing psychiatric epidemiology and bridging the gap between and high- and low-income settings
Throughout his career, Sir David published over 300 papers and authored or co-authored 13 books. In the 1970s, he produced the 'Clinical Interview Schedule' (1970) and the 'General Health Questionnaire' (1972), validated tools for psychiatric research which are still widely used. The GHQ is considered one of the most significant screening instruments in epidemiological psychiatry, and has been used extensively in epidemiological research around the world to screen for psychological distress and detect potential psychiatric disorders, particularly in non-clinical populations.
The tools were adapted and validated for use in LMICs, which was crucial for understanding mental health difficulties in different cultural and socioeconomic contexts. Sir David’s insights into the prevalence and impact of mental health disorders influenced mental health policy in these countries, where he advocated for the improvement of mental health services and integration of mental health into primary care systems.
In the 1980s, he developed a new model of psychiatric services with Professor Peter Huxley, now commonly called the ‘filter model’. The model describes the different stages people go through when seeking mental health care, rather than just categorising people into those who are receiving psychiatric care, and those who are not. By detailing the journey from experiencing initial symptoms to receiving specialist care, the model has helped identify potential barriers to care and improve the efficiency of mental health care systems.
David was brilliantly incisive in his analyses, and irresistibly impatient for action when a plan was agreed. He inspired everyone who was fortunate enough to come into his orbit. Apocryphally, when he met colleagues at the start of the day, his first question was ‘What time is blast off?’. David was a force of nature, a force for good, and he has left psychiatry immeasurably richer for his many and lasting contributions.
Professor Sir Graham Thornicroft, Emeritus Professor of Community Psychiatry at King's IoPPN
Training psychiatrists around the world
Sir David was instrumental in shaping the psychiatric epidemiology curriculum. He made significant contributions to the training of general practitioners (GPs) and psychiatrists by developing structured assessment tools such as the GHQ and CIS, and creating training materials focused on teaching effective communication techniques with patients and conducting psychiatric interviews.
He also played a key role in training researchers and healthcare professionals in LMICs in the use of mental health assessment tools and research methodologies, enhancing local expertise and self-sufficiency in mental health care.
He continued training psychiatrists around the world into his retirement, during which time he also designed new training materials aimed at developing neuropsychiatric skills among GPs and psychiatrists.
My best memory from my career is teaching people. When I got my knighthood, the Queen asked me why she was giving it to me and I said it was because I’ve taught a generation of doctors how to talk to people.
Professor Sir David Goldberg*
The thoughts and deepest sympathies of the IoPPN community are with Sir David’s family, colleagues, collaborators and friends.
For more information, please contact Milly Remmington (School of Mental Health & Psychological Sciences Communications Manager).
*'We felt we were special': 70 years of saving lives on the NHS frontline, The Guardian, 2 July 2018