Jacob S. Kasanin

Jacob S. Kasanin (1897-1946) was a Russian born, American trained psychiatrist who introduced the term acute schizoaffective psychoses in 1933.[1][2] He was born in Slavgorod, on the 11th of May 1897[3], and moved to the United States in 1915. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a Doctor of Medicine in 1921 and a Master of Science in Public health in 1926. Whilst a Senior Research associate at Boston Psychopathic Hospital and Director of the Department of Mental Hygiene of the Federated Jewish Charities in Boston his research interest was blood sugar curves in Epidemic encephalitis. [3]

Jacob S. Kasanin

Whilst in Russia in 1930 he became accented with Lev Vygotsky and his work. He translated his work Thought In Schizophrenia into English. [3]

In 1933 in The American Journal of Psychiatry he published a paper entitled '"The Acute Schizoaffective Psychoses"[4] which he had presented at the 88th Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in Philadelphia in May or June of 1932.[5] In his article Kasanin described 9 cases studies who had both schizophrenic or Psychotic symptoms and Affective symptoms. [6]