Frank Riessman, 79; Leading Proponent of Self-Help Movement

Frank Riessman, 79, a social psychologist and leading advocate of the self-help movement who was also the editor of the journal Social Policy, died March 1 at a nursing home in New York City. The cause of death was Parkinson’s disease and diabetes, family members told Associated Press.

Born in Manhattan, Riessman graduated from what is now City College of the City University of New York. He served in the Army after World War II and, after his discharge, earned his master’s degree and PhD in social psychology from Columbia.

In the early 1970s, Riessman helped found and edit Social Policy, a quarterly journal focusing on issues surrounding participatory reform and uniting advocates of social change. A few years later, he founded the National Self-Help Clearinghouse, whose goal was to facilitate access to self-help groups and increase the awareness of mutual support.

In an article in the July 2000 issue of Social Change, Riessman noted that “as people live longer and tensions of social and cultural stresses take their toll on health, we need more of what might be called supportive, nonprofessional treatment ... to complement the systematic knowledge of professionals.”

Riessman wrote or edited 16 books, including “The Self-Help Revolution” and “Redefining Self-Help.”