This Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award (MRSCA) application defines a training program which will facilitate the development of the Principal Investigator (PI) as an independent investigator in effectiveness research. The educational activities outlined will enable the PI to change her focus from pharmacotherapy-based clinical trials in controlled environments to an investigator who examines the effectiveness, applicability, and costs of clinical interventions in actual clinical care settings. The training entails mastering a new treatment technique (Interpersonal Psychotherapy) and applying methods to measure a variety of health outcomes (symptomatic, quality of life, economic) in a diverse patient population. In order to achieve these training goals, the PI has developed a program that includes unique preceptorships, didactic courses, tutorials and several pilot projects. The proposed pilot projects will afford a hands-on experience, reinforcing the information and technqiues learned in the mentored and classroom settings. Specifically, the research will focus on the screening, recruitment, engagement and treatment of under-served women suffering from postpartum depression. Depression, which is a serious medical condition, has a lifetime prevalence in women of 21 percent. The postpartum period constitutes a time of increased risk for depressive disorders, and encompasses an especially critical time in the life cycle of both mother and infant. Despite the magnitude of this problem, postpartum depressive illnesses are frequently unrecognized. Under diagnosis and under detection are especially germane to socioeconomically disadvantaged women since they have a greater likelihood of suffering from depressive disorders, yet have more limited access to health care. The screening and treatment techniques investigated in this proposal will be piloted in this population through the UTSWMC Maternal Health and Family Planning Clinics (MHFPCs). It is anticipated that the programs instituted through this grant will ultimately be employed in an ongoing and cost-effective manner. This MRSCA is crucial in launching the PI into the arena of effectiveness research. Through this award, she will be able to extend her previous research commitment by adding new skills and knowledge which will enable her to contribute more meaningfully to our understanding of psychiatric interventions in real world settings.
| Smith, Megan V; Shao, Lin; Howell, Heather et al. (2011) Perinatal depression and birth outcomes in a Healthy Start project. Matern Child Health J 15:401-9 |
| Leibenluft, Ellen; Yonkers, Kimberly A (2010) The ties that bind: maternal-infant interactions and the neural circuitry of postpartum depression. Am J Psychiatry 167:1294-6 |
| Smith, Megan V; Shao, Lin; Howell, Heather et al. (2009) Success of mental health referral among pregnant and postpartum women with psychiatric distress. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 31:155-62 |
| Yonkers, Kimberly A; Smith, Megan V; Lin, Haliqun et al. (2009) Depression screening of perinatal women: an evaluation of the healthy start depression initiative. Psychiatr Serv 60:322-8 |
| Yonkers, Kimberly A; Wisner, Katherine L; Stewart, Donna E et al. (2009) The management of depression during pregnancy: a report from the American Psychiatric Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 31:403-13 |
| Rogal, Shari S; Poschman, Karalee; Belanger, Kathleen et al. (2007) Effects of posttraumatic stress disorder on pregnancy outcomes. J Affect Disord 102:137-43 |
| Smith, Megan V; Poschman, Karalee; Cavaleri, Mary A et al. (2006) Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder in a community sample of low-income pregnant women. Am J Psychiatry 163:881-4 |
| Smith, Megan V; Rosenheck, Robert A; Cavaleri, Mary A et al. (2004) Screening for and detection of depression, panic disorder, and PTSD in public-sector obstetric clinics. Psychiatr Serv 55:407-14 |
| Yonkers, K A; Pearlstein, T; Rosenheck, R A (2003) Premenstrual disorders: bridging research and clinical reality. Arch Womens Ment Health 6:287-92 |
| Rapaport, Mark Hyman; Judd, Lewis L; Schettler, Pamela J et al. (2002) A descriptive analysis of minor depression. Am J Psychiatry 159:637-43 |
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