The Behavioral Sciences in U.S. National Security

The Institute of World Politics

Dr. Enrico Suardi, IWP Class of 2019 and Director of Psychiatry at Saint Elizabeths Hospital, discusses "The Behavioral Sciences in U.S. National Security." **Sound improves around 4:33. This event took place at The Institute of World Politics on May 25, 2022. About the lecture: Dr. Suardi will provide a historical overview of the involvement of the behavioral sciences in addressing society’s security needs during peacetime and wartime. The U.S. Constitution entrusts to the government the responsibility for the common defense and general welfare of the nation. National security is today understood as the response to threats by nation-states and non-state actors to the domestic tranquility. The organization of national security requires shared efforts at federal, state, and local levels. From the beginnings in WWI, when psychologists helped assess, select, and place military service members based on their suitability, the scope of the contributions of the behavioral scientists has broadened to include a variety of clinical and consultative roles in national security organizations. The multi-domain, hybrid threats of the 21st century command our best effort to shed light on the human factor, focus on preventative approaches in managing threats, and maintain ethical standards in our professional conduct. About the speaker: Dr. Enrico Suardi (IWP Class of 2019, Executive MA in National Security Affairs) is director of psychiatry at Saint Elizabeths Hospital and director of forensic services at the Ross Center in Washington, D.C. A diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry and forensic psychiatry, on faculty at Saint Elizabeths Hospital, Georgetown University and George Washington University, he has practiced psychiatry for over 15 years in public and private settings, including serving as chief child and family psychiatrist at the U.S. State Department. Currently, he is the secretary of the Washington Psychiatric Society and the treasurer of the D.C. Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals. Dr. Suardi studied medicine and public health in Milan, Italy and obtained an MSc in Public Health and Policy from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. His interest in political and operational psychology stems from a longstanding passion for international affairs and diplomacy. IWP Admissions: https://www.iwp.edu/admissions/ Support IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=3