Antony David Kidman (10 December 1938 – 12 September 2014) was an Australian

psychologist A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and interpretation of how indi ...

and academic. He was the father of actress Nicole Kidman and journalist

Antonia Kidman Antonia Kidman (born 14 July 1970) is an Australian journalist and TV presenter, and the younger sister of the actress, Nicole Kidman. Early life and family Born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in 1970, Kidman is the younger daughter of Ant ...

Early life and education

Kidman was born in Randwick and grew up in North Sydney, the oldest of four children to Arthur David Kidman and Margaret Emily Mary Callachor. He was of Scottish descent. Kidman attended St Aloysius' College and then completed a Bachelor of Science at the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...

and a Master of Science at the

University of New South Wales The University of New South Wales (UNSW), also known as UNSW Sydney, is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the founding members of Group of Eight, a coalition of Australian research-intensive ...

. He accepted an

American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. Established in 1913, the society is organized into six geographical regions of both medical and lay volunteers operating in more than ...

Scholarship and undertook a PhD in biochemistry at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Career

In the late 1960s, Kidman moved to

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

to work at the National Institute of Mental Health at St. Elizabeth Psychiatric Hospital. He returned to Australia in the early 1970s to take up a position as a lecturer in biochemistry at

Monash University Monash University () is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Named for prominent World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. The university has a ...

. He moved to the

University of Technology Sydney The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) is a public research university located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Although its origins are said to trace back to the 1830s, the university was founded in its current form in 1988. As of 2021 ...

in 1972 and worked there until his death. In 1977, Kidman established the Foundation for Life Sciences, a non-profit organisation focused on youth mental illness. It was renamed the Antony Kidman Foundation after his death. After his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer in the 1980s, Kidman trained in

cognitive behavioural therapy Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a psycho-social intervention that aims to reduce symptoms of various mental health conditions, primarily depression and anxiety disorders. CBT focuses on challenging and changing cognitive distortions (su ...

and became a

clinical psychologist Clinical psychology is an integration of social science, theory, and clinical knowledge for the purpose of understanding, preventing, and relieving psychologically based distress or dysfunction and to promote subjective well-being and persona ...

. In 1985, he established the Health Psychology Unit at the University of Technology, from where he conducted research into the biological and psychological aspects of cancer. He wrote over 150 journal articles and nine books.

Personal life

Kidman married Janelle Glenny, then a student nurse, in 1963. They had two daughters:

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

-winning actress Nicole Kidman (born 1967) and journalist and television presenter

(born 1970).

Death

Kidman died from a heart attack on 12 September 2014 in Singapore, aged 75.

Awards and honours

In 2005, Kidman was made a

Member of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

for his contribution to clinical psychology.

Selected bibliography

Books

* A. D. Kidman, ''How to Change Your Life: Tactics for Moving from Thought to Action'' (London: Kogan Page, 1996) * A. D. Kidman, ''Stress, Coping and Social Support in the Age of Anxiety'' (Sydney: Foundation for Life Sciences, 2005) * A. D. Kidman, ''Schizophrenia: A Guide for Families'' (Sydney: Biochemical and General Services, 2007) * A. D. Kidman, ''Staying Sane in the Fast Lane: A Guide to Emotional Health'' (Epping: Delphian Books, 2011)

Journal articles

* Kathryn I. Cocker, David R. Bell and Antony D. Kidman, "Cognitive behaviour therapy with advanced breast cancer patients: A brief report of a pilot study" 3 (3) ''Psycho-Oncoloy'' (1994): 233–237 * Sarah Edelman and Antony D. Kidman, "Mind and Cancer: Is There a Relationship?— A Review of Evidence" 32 (2) ''Australian Psychologist'' (1997): 79–85 * Sarah Edelman, David R. Bell and Antony D. Kidman, "A group cognitive behaviour therapy programme with metastatic breast cancer patients" 8 (4) ''Psycho-Oncology'' (1999): 295–305 * Sarah Edelman, Jim Lemon, David R. Bell and Antony D. Kidman, "Effects of group CBT on the survival time of patients with metastatic breast cancer" 8 (6) ''Psycho-Oncology'' (1999): 474–481 * Shane Pascoe, Sarah Edelman and Antony D. Kidman, "Prevalence of psychological distress and use of support services by cancer patients at Sydney hospitals" 34 (5) ''Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry'' (2000): 785–791

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kidman, Antony 1938 births 2014 deaths Australian biochemists Australian people of Scottish descent Australian psychologists Members of the Order of Australia University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa alumni University of Technology Sydney faculty