Original Source: Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, all rights reserved. —
With tremendous sadness, yet with tremendous gratitude, I write this “In Memoriam” for Scott A. Freeman, MD. Sadness that Scott lived the last few years of his life in unremitting pain that robbed him of the activities that gave him such joy: hiking, long walks, and experiencing nature with his family. Sadness that Scott died so suddenly at the age of 58. Gratitude that I had the privilege of knowing this wonderful person and caring physician.
Scott practiced psychiatry after residency for 28 years. He touched the lives of countless people, as a leader of clinical teams, mentor, educator, clinician, and private practice psychiatrist.
Born and raised in the northern Chicago suburbs, Scott grew up as the only brother to his two sisters, Cindy and Suzanne. He first came to the Northeast as a student at Williams College, graduating in 1990 with a degree in economics. He met his future wife, Marlene Picus (Freeman), as a first-year medical student at Northwestern University School of Medicine, from which they graduated together in 1994.
Scott completed his psychiatric residency at Boston’s Harvard Longwood Program in 1998 and did a forensic fellowship at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine the following year. He was a fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He had academic appointments at the University of Cincinnati, University of Arizona College of Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, and Tufts University School of Medicine. He held a series of leadership roles in inpatient psychiatry as well as medical student and resident education during the academic portion of his career. He continued working as an active educator after entering private practice.
What made Scott remarkable was his lifelong commitment to caring for and supporting people, both patients and colleagues. As a clinician, Scott dedicated his career to the care of the “sickest of the sick” patients: those needing emergent inpatient care and those with complex psychiatric presentations that did not respond to usual care. For example, he was a practitioner of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) at several hospitals during his career, and he was known in the Boston area for his willingness to use medications for treatment resistant disorders that others might not feel comfortable prescribing. For example, he frequently utilized monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) for treatment resistant mood disorders and belonged to an international peer group on their optimal use. As the medical director of inpatient units, he brought not only expertise in psychopharmacology and somatic treatment, but a profound sense of hope and kindness to his patients. Scott had a lifelong commitment to the field of psychopharmacology. Alan Gelenberg appointed him to the Editorial Board of The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry; Scott was repeatedly a member of the Journal’s “Circle of Honor” because of the quality, timeliness, and frequency of his thoughtful reviews of submissions. (Scott resigned from the Editorial Board when his wife, Dr Marlene Freeman, became Editor-in-Chief to protect the journal from any appearance of potential conflict of interest. Typically, Scott put the needs of the journal first, as he so often sublimated his own to others’ needs).
Scott continued contributing to the field even after he entered private practice. Scott’s major contribution as an academic was his teaching and mentorship. Scott won teaching awards from four different institutions for teaching medical students and residents. In 2010, he won simultaneous awards for his prowess in medical student and house staff teaching at Tufts. Scott’s influence as a teacher and mentor extended beyond physicians-in-training: he taught his inpatient staff not only about medication but about the power of the therapeutic relationship.
News of Scott’s unexpected death brought testaments to his clinical skill, published to his memorial websites. The patients he served so wholeheartedly recounted how much he meant to them: “I truly believe that Dr Freeman saved my husband’s life”….“Dr Freeman had a way of making you feel like you were his only patient”…. “I credit him with saving my son. That’s no exaggeration. He did.”….“He was instrumental in helping us and our son find hope again.”….“I had been battling major depression with severe anxiety for four years when Dr Freeman saved my life.”
“Clearly, legions of people admired him,” summarized one tribute. His wife, Marlene, described Scott’s commitment to his caring for patients in need as “a calling.”
Scott’s commitment to his family made him a wonderful husband and adoring father. Nothing gave him more joy than supporting and celebrating the accomplishments of his wife and two daughters, both of whom have been inspired by their parents to become healthcare providers. Scott’s legacy as a devoted, caring, and ethical psychiatrist will live on for generations, in the medical professionals he trained, the patients he treated, and the family and friends he loved.
Published online: November 10, 2026.
Acknowledgment: Writing assistance was provided by Beth Lieberman, MLIS.
Mark Hyman Rapaport, MD
J Clin Psychiatry 2026;87(4):26f16728
To Share: https://doi.org/10.4088/JCP.26f16728
© 2026 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.
Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, all rights reserved.