Dr. Marshall Edelson, 76; Yale Professor of Psychiatry, Author

Dr. Marshall Edelson, 76, a professor emeritus of psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine who wrote nine books and numerous articles on the practice and theory of individual and group therapy, died of undisclosed causes Sunday at his home in Woodbridge, Conn.

Edelson wrote several influential books in the 1960s and ‘70s that shaped the study of group behavior and sociotherapy. Among those books are “Ego Psychology, Group Dynamics, and the Therapeutic Community,” “Sociotherapy and Psychotherapy” and “The Practice of Sociotherapy: A Case Study.” The books reflected his thoughts on his experiences as a psychiatrist at Austen Riggs Center in Stockbridge, Mass., from 1964 to 1968.

Edelson became a leader in developing the idea and practice of the therapeutic community in psychiatric in-patient settings. He also was known for theoretical writings in which he explored topics such as the boundaries between psychoanalytic theory and social sciences.