Charles H. Zeanah, Jr, MD

Mary Peters Sellars-Polchow Chair in Psychiatry

Professor of Psychiatry & Pediatrics, Director of Infant Institute
Phone
(504) 988-5402
School of Medicine
Department
Psychiatry Child Adolescent
Pediatrics
Infant Institute
Psychiatry
TECC
Charles Zeanah, headshot

Education & Affiliations

Tulane University 1973 B.A.
Tulane University School of Medicine 1977 M.D.
University of Virginia School of Medicine 1978 Internship in Pediatrics
Duke University Medical Center 1980 Residency in General Psychiatry
Stanford University School of Medicine 1982 Residency in Child Psychiatry
Stanford University School of Medicine 1984 Research Fellow in Child Psychiatry

Biography

Dr. Zeanah's major academic interest has been in the area of infant mental health and adverse early experiences. He conducts research on the effects of abuse, neglect, serious deprivation and exposure to violence on young children and on interventions designed to help them recover. He has also studied approaches to understanding and classifying disorders of early childhood, especially disorders of attachment and posttraumatic stress disorder. 

Contributions

Zeanah, C.H. & Kelley, A. (2022). Countertransference in the treatment of maltreated children and their families. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 61, 467-469. PMID: 34737045

Forslund, T., Granqvist, P., van IJzendoorn, M. H., Sagi-Schwartz, A., Glaser, D., Steele, M., Hammarlund, M., Schuengel, C., Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J., Steele, H., Shaver, P. R., Lux, U., Simmonds, J., Jacobvitz, D., Groh, A. M., Bernard, K., Cyr, C., Hazen, N. L., Foster, S., Psouni, E., Cowan PA, Pape Cowan C, Rifkin-Graboi A, Wilkins D, Pierrehumbert B, Tarabulsy GM, Carcamo RA, Wang Z, Liang X, Kázmierczak M, Pawlicka P, Ayiro L, Chansa T, Sichimba F, Mooya H, McLean L, Verissimo M, Gojman-de-Millán S, Moretti MM, Bacro F, Peltola MJ, Galbally M, Kondo-Ikemura K, Behrens KY, Scott S, Rodriguez AF, Spencer R, Posada G, Cassibba R, Barrantes-Vidal N, Palacios J, Barone L, Madigan S, Mason-Jones K, Reijman S, Juffer F, Pasco Fearon R, Bernier A, Cicchetti D, Roisman GI, Cassidy J, Kindler H, Zimmerman P, Feldman R, Spangler G, Zeanah CH, Dozier M, Belsky J, Lamb ME, Duschinsky, R. (2022). La prise en compte des liens d’attachement dans les tribunaux compétents en matière familiale: Protection de l’enfance et décisions de résidence dans les situations de séparation parentale. Devenir, 34(1), 15-93.

Finelli, J.M. & Zeanah, C.H. (2022). Reactive attachment disorder and disinhibited social engagement disorder. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 5th edition,  (DSM-5-TR), pp. 295-301. Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Association Press.

Gray, S., Moberg, S., Obus, E. Parker, V., Rosenblum, K., Muzik, M., Zeanah, C.H. & Drury, S.S. (2022). Harnessing virtual Mom Power: Process and outcomes of a telehealth adaptation of a multifamily, two-generation preventive intervention. Journal of Infant, Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy, 21(1), 6–18. doi: 10.1080/15289168.2022.2045464.                                               

Mulrooney, K., Keren, M. & Zeanah, C.H. (2022). DC:0-5™ and the rights of infants and young children. Perspectives in Infant Mental Health, 30, 10-11.

Zeanah, C.H. & King, L.S. (in press). Practice and Policy Regarding Child Neglect: Lessons from studies of institutional deprivation.  Annual Review of Developmental Psychology.

Wade, M., Parsons, J., Humphreys, K.L., McLaughlin, K.A., Sheridan, M.A., Zeanah, C.H., Nelson, C.A. & Fox, N.A. (in press). Mental health and adaptation during adolescence following early deprivation: A review of risk and recovery in the Bucharest Early Intervention Project. Child Development Perspectives.

Guyon-Harris, K.L., Humphreys, K.L., Miron, D., Tibu, F., Fox, N.A., Nelson, C.A. & Zeanah, C.H. (2021). Early caregiving quality predicts consistency of competent functioning from middle childhood to adolescence following early psychosocial deprivation. Development and Psychopathology, 33(1),18-28. PMID: 31896375. doi:10.1017/S0954579419001500. [PDF]

Guyon-Harris, K., Humphreys, K.L. & Zeanah, C.H. (2021). Adverse caregiving in early life: The trauma and deprivation distinction in young children. Infant Mental Health Journal, 42(1), 87-95. [PDF]

Humphreys, K.L., Machlin, L.S., Guyon-Harris, K.L., Nelson, C.A., Fox, N.A., & Zeanah, C.H. (2021). Psychosocial deprivation and receptive language: A two sample study. Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 12(1). [PDF]

Zeanah, P., Larrieu, J., Dickson, A., Osofsky, J., Phillippi Jr., S., & Zeanah, C.H. (2021). Enhancing developmental trajectories for Louisiana’s youngest children: The critical importance of increasing & supporting evidence-based services. Unpublished White paper. https://medicine.tulane.edu/infant-institute

Finelli, J., Gleason, M.M., & Zeanah, C.H. (2021). Assessing infants and toddlers. In M. Dulcan, M.D. (Ed.), Textbook of child and adolescent psychiatry, 3rd edition, pp. 19-43. Arlington, VA, APA Press.

Zeanah, C.H. & Dozier, M. (2021). Attachment and foster care. In: L. Berlin, R. Thompson (Eds.), Attachment: The fundamental questions. New York, Guilford Press. [PDF]

View more of Dr. Zeanah's publications on PubMed

Presentations Given:

  • “Placement Changes for Children in Foster Care: Planful Transitions,” The Maudsley 0-4 Conference, Londan, ENGLAND (virtual), May 12, 2022.
  • “Telling What Cannot Be Told: Treatment of a Young Child Who Witnessed Her Mother’s Murder,” Louisiana Psychological Association Annual Meeting, Metairie, Louisiana, April 15, 2022.
  • “Caregiving Relationships in Early Childhood: Experiences that Promote Mental Health,” Keynote Address, TIKES Annual Conference, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA (virtual), April 5, 2022.
  • “Children of the Ukraine: Effects of War on Psychological Well-Being,” Ukraine Crisis: Protecting Children and Families, Lumos Foundation, London UK, (virtual), March 4, 2022.
  • “Visits and Transitions: Navigating Children's Mental Health in Social Care,” Hosted by the BEST Services Trial, National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Glasgow, SCOTLAND, (virtual) June 17, 2021.
     
  • “Clinical Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health,” IECMH Policy Group at ZERO TO THREE, Washington, DC (virtual), June 1, 2021.
     
  • “The Effects of Institutional Rearing on Children’s Development,” Global & European Trends of Deinstitutionalisation for Children, Eurochild Expert Forum, Munich, GERMANY (virtual), May 19, 2021.
     
  • A 20-year study of abandoned children: The Bucharest Early Intervention Project, Bucharest University, Bucharest, ROMANIA (virtual), May 11, 2021.
     
  • “Attachment Relationships and Relationship Disturbances in Young Children,” 46th Annual Douglas Hansen Review Course, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (virtual), April 5, 2021.
     
  • “Behavioral Health: The Urgency of Broadening Collaboration for Trauma-Informed and ACEs Services,” Panel discussion (virtual), 2021 Health Summit, Louisiana Center for Health Equity, March 31, 2021.