The University of Michigan School of Social Work proposes to establish a Social Work Research Development Center devoted to the study of """"""""Poverty, Risk and Mental Health"""""""". The Center will develop junior faculty, doctoral candidates, and postdoctoral fellows into independent mental researchers in this field by bringing together nationally-known poverty researchers and mental health researchers to serve as their collaborators and mentors. Major objectives for the Center include 1) the establishment of mental health as a major field of research and training in the School of Social Work at the University of Michigan; (2) the institution of a multidisciplinary research development program with individualized professional development plans; 3) the formalization of new collaborative relationships between School of Social Work faculty and doctoral candidates and established mental health researchers at Michigan, and 4) the development of pilot research projects and research enhancement projects that will advance knowledge of the relationships between poverty and mental health. The Center's research and development activities will focus on the inter- relations among the socioeconomic factors that define poverty and the psychological factors that determine mental health. The research projects will advance knowledge in this field through epidemiological studies, developmental studies, and preventive trials. Some studies will use nationally-representative samples; others will gather data in clinical settings. All will incorporate detailed information on the family background, socioeconomic status, and neighborhood context of the subjects. Projects will focus on at-risk infants, school-age children and young adults, and welfare recipients. Because these projects focus on the poor, special attention will be given to the mental health of minorities, who have above-average poverty rates. Some projects will further understanding of the relationship between poverty and mental health; others seek to intervene in the clinical and policy arenas to improve the mental health and the delivery of appropriate mental health services to the impoverished. Over the 5 year period, the Center will enhance the School's infrastructure for conducting mental health research and establish a strong mental health research program in social work. Specific outcomes include the preparation of several RO-1 proposals, the mentoring of junior faculty by NIMH-supported researchers in other units at Michigan and at other universities, and improvement of doctoral and postdoctoral research in mental health.
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