Dena T. Smith

Dena T. Smith is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). She also holds affiliate faculty appointments in the School of Public Policy, the Doctoral Program in Language, Literacy and Culture, and the Department of Gender, Women’s and Sexuality Studies at UMBC. Dr. Smith received her Ph.D. in Sociology from Rutgers University and has previously taught at Goucher College.

• Research Interests: Mental health professions, gender and mental health, sociology of medicine, medicalization in psychiatry, men’s mental health, and the impact of masculinity beliefs on mental health outcomes.
• Affiliation: Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health (UMBC), School of Public Policy (UMBC), and Rutgers University.

Dr. Smith’s research focuses on the consequences of medicalization for mental health practitioners, particularly the role of the DSM in clinical practice, and how diverse training backgrounds shape treatment approaches. She also examines men’s mental health, emphasizing how traditional masculinity norms contribute to health disparities and outcomes. Her work bridges sociological theory with public health practices.

Key trends in her recent publications include the evolution of psychodynamic psychotherapy in a biomedical era, the sociology of anxiety disorders amid social change, and the intersection of hegemonic masculinity with mental health in older men. Her research spans interdisciplinary domains such as medical sociology, gender studies, and public health policy.