Dr. David Charney’s medical school alumni magazine wrote a featured article about his work in the spring 2020 issue of Upstate Medical Alumni Journal:
From Patriot to Traitor: Psychiatrist David Charney Explores the Psychology of the Insider Spy (pdf)
. . . . According to Virginia-based psychiatrist David Charney, MD ’68, spies often decide to betray their country out of an “intolerable sense of personal failure” that coincides with a “perfect storm” of unfortunately timed life developments. “I have learned to look for the pile up of pressures and stresses in the six months to a year before they make the drastic decision to cross the line,” he says. “The feeling of not being able to navigate your own life, that you’re not holding everything together, that you’re drowning. This is the starting point for all who cross the line.” . . .