Lynn Rehm’s first love was math. But, the University of Houston professor of clinical psychology couldn’t pass up the idea of combining math with psychology as an undergrad at the University of Southern California.

“I loved the idea of applying math and science to human problems, so I decided to participate in a psychology project at school,” he said. “From then on, I always knew that I wanted to teach and do research in clinical psychology.”

After 25 years at UH, Rehm still enjoys his job. The city of Houston and UH’s graduate program have provided Rehm a solid foundation upon which to build his career.

And, his efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. Rehm’s extensive research on depression has earned him praise from his colleagues and from professionals in psychology.

In 1994, Rehm was recognized by Good Housekeeping magazine as one of the “Best Mental Health Professionals in the United States.” The following year, the Houston Psychological Society named him Psychologist of the Year. He also has earned the Outstanding Contribution to Science Award from the Texas Psychological Association.

Despite his achievements, Rehm remains focused on educating the public about depression.

“We need to get a better understanding of the mental functioning of people who are depressed,” Rehm said. “People who are depressed view things differently than those who aren’t. Once we understand that, we can start to treat the problem.”

His research on depression includes studies of patients in the Veterans of America Hospital’s traumatic recovery program as well as female patients with disabilities at Baylor College of Medicine.

“We are working with different communities of people to discover the various aspects of depression,” he said.

Rehm also supervises graduate students working at UH’s Clinical Research Center. The students conduct interviews, perform tests and treat patients. According to Rehm, these patients receive high-quality service at lower prices than at other local treatment facilities.

“We’re one of the few low-cost treatment centers in the city,” he said.

And although Rehm takes pride in UH’s graduate program, he also appreciates the opportunity to teach undergraduate students.

“I want my students to appreciate the various forms of psychological disorders and the different ways of understanding them,” he said. “I try to show them that abnormal behaviors occur on the same basis as normal behaviors in many ways. They may be learned, conditioned or serve some function.”

Rehm said it is important not only for his students but also the general public to understand mental health. During May, Mental Health Awareness Month, Rehm hopes more attention will be given to mental health disorders. A major problem in the United States, mental health disorders are given little attention, yet are very costly.

“Mental health disorders tend to be stigmatized,” he said. “At some point in their lives, most people will deal with someone with some kind of psychological problem. This is something people encounter, and it’s important for people to understand what it is and what might be helpful.”

Leticia Vasquez, editor
Lvasque5@central.uh.edu