Michael Rutter facts for kids

Sir Michael Llewellyn Rutter (born August 15, 1933 – died October 23, 2021) was a very important person in the field of child psychology. He was the first professor of child psychiatry in the United Kingdom. Many people called him the "father of child psychology."

Sir Michael Rutter worked as a professor at the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London. He was also a consultant psychiatrist at the Maudsley Hospital from 1966 until he retired in July 2021. In 2002, a study ranked him as the 68th most mentioned psychologist of the 20th century. He passed away at the age of 88.

Early Life and Childhood

Michael Rutter was the oldest child of Winifred and Llewellyn Rutter. He was born in Lebanon, where his father worked as a doctor. By the age of three, Michael could speak both English and Arabic.

When he was four, his family moved back to England. In 1940, when he was seven, Michael and his younger sister were sent to North America. This happened because people were worried about a German invasion during World War II. They stayed in different homes, and Michael had a much happier time than his sister. Both returned to their family in 1944.

School and Learning

Michael Rutter went to Moorestown Friends School in New Jersey, USA. Later, he attended Wolverhampton Grammar School and then Bootham School in York, England. At Bootham, a physics teacher encouraged him to read books by Sigmund Freud. This sparked his interest in psychology.

He continued his studies at the University of Birmingham Medical School. At first, he planned to become a family doctor like his father. However, he became more interested in how the brain and mind work. He then trained in neurology and paediatrics. Sir Aubrey Lewis at the Maudsley Hospital helped guide him to become a child psychiatrist. Michael soon realized this job was a perfect fit for him.

His Work and Discoveries

Michael Rutter created the Medical Research Council (UK) Child Psychiatry Research Unit in 1984. Ten years later, he started the Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre. He led both until 1998. He also held important roles at the Wellcome Trust and the Nuffield Foundation.

Rutter's work covered many areas. He studied how mental health issues spread in communities. He also did a lot of research on autism, using advanced methods like DNA studies and brain scans. He explored how families and schools affect children. His work also looked at genetics, reading difficulties, and how biological and social factors interact. He studied stress and how childhood experiences affect adults.

The British Journal of Psychiatry recognized him for many important discoveries in these fields. Rutter is also known for helping make child psychiatry a respected medical field based on science.

He wrote over 400 scientific papers and about 40 books. He was also the European Editor for the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders for 20 years.

In 1972, Rutter published 'Maternal Deprivation Reassessed'. This book looked at the idea that children need a constant relationship with their mother. This idea was first suggested by Dr John Bowlby. Rutter showed that Bowlby was only partly right. He explained that many different things can affect a child's development, not just one factor. He showed that family problems, not just separation from a mother, could lead to certain behaviors.

After the end of Nicolae Ceaușescu's rule in Romania in 1989, Rutter led a team studying Romanian orphans. Many of these orphans were adopted by families in Western countries. His studies looked at how early hardship affected their development, including their ability to form new relationships. The results gave some hope for these children.

In 2014, Rutter shared on BBC Radio 4 that he was a Nontheist Quaker. He also mentioned that even at 80 years old, he still worked almost every day.

Rutter believed that children's own thoughts and feelings were important in research. Before him, children's voices were not always considered. He insisted that their views mattered and should be heard.

Attachment Theory

One of Rutter's main interests was attachment theory. This is about how children form strong emotional bonds with their caregivers. In his 1974 book, The Qualities of Mothering, he studied how problems can develop in children. He looked at issues like antisocial personality disorder and emotional difficulties.

Rutter focused on how a lack of learning or emotional support affects a child's growth. He made a clear difference between a child having trouble with learning and a child having trouble with emotional development. He stressed that healthy emotional growth is very important.

Awards and Special Recognition

Sir Michael Rutter received honorary degrees from many universities around the world. These included Leiden, Birmingham, Edinbugh, Chicago, and Yale.

He continued to work late into his career. The Michael Rutter Centre for Children and Adolescents at Maudsley Hospital in London is named after him.

Rutter was an honorary member of the British Academy and a member of the Royal Society. He was also a founding member of the Academia Europaea and the Academy of Medical Sciences. He was knighted in 1992, which means he received the title "Sir."

In 1983, he gave a special lecture to British Quakers. This lecture was later published as A Measure of Our Values: goals and dilemmas in the upbringing of children. In 2004, he received the Distinguished Career Award from the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology.

Personal Life

Michael Rutter married Marjorie Heys, a nurse, on December 27, 1958. They had three children: Sheila Carol, Stephen Michael, and Christine Anne. He enjoyed fell walking (hiking in hills), playing tennis, tasting wine, and going to the theatre.

Sir Michael Rutter passed away at home on October 23, 2021, at the age of 88. He was surrounded by his family.

See also

• Separation anxiety disorder