Mary S. Mittelman is an epidemiologist who has been evaluating psychosocial interventions for family members of people with Alzheimer’s disease for more than two decades. She received her Dr.P.H. in psychiatric epidemiology and an M.S. in biostatistics from Columbia University School of Public Health. Dr. Mittelman is Director of the Psychosocial Research and Support Program of the NYU Center of Excellence on Brain Aging and Research Professor in the NYU Langone Medical Center Department of Psychiatry. In 2009 she received the first global award for Alzheimer’s psychosocial research from Alzheimer’s Disease International/ Fondation Mederic Alzheimer. For more than 20 years she has been Principal Investigator of the NYU-Spouse Caregiver Intervention (NYUCI) study, which has been funded by the NIH since 1987, as well as other studies of psychosocial interventions for people with cognitive impairment, dementia and their family members. Dr. Mittelman’s research showed that counseling and support for spouse caregivers and their families can have a major impact on the time a person with AD can remain at home. The research demonstrates the long-term effectiveness of counseling and support for caregivers in reducing symptoms of depression and the severity of their reactions to the behavior of their family members with dementia and in maintaining caregiver physical health. The mechanism through which the intervention achieves these outcomes is by improving the support and assistance from family members and friends. The intervention’s effects on caregiver well-being lasted through nursing home placement and death of the person with dementia.
In 2009 she received the first global award for Alzheimer’s psychosocial research from Alzheimer’s Disease International/ Fondation Mederic Alzheimer (March 2009). Dr Mittelman and the Psychosocial Research and Support Program also received the 2010 National Family Caregiving Award from the National Alliance for Caregiving and MetLife Foundation and the annual New York City Family Caregiver Coalition award in 2009. In 2008 she received the Maggie Kuhn Award from Presbyterian Senior Services for her work to help older adults. Also in 2008 Dr Mittelman and the Minnesota Department for the Aging received the Rosalynn Carter Caregiver Leadership award for their AoA-funded partnership translating the NYU Caregiver Intervention into practice.
In the past few years, Dr. Mittelman has made a commitment to disseminate research findings to both health care providers and the community at large and to collaborate with community organizations to implement evidence-based psychosocial interventions in community settings. With her colleagues, she has written several books for caregivers and health care professionals, including Counseling the Alzheimer’s Caregiver: A Resource for Health Care Professionals, published in 2003 by the American Medical Association.