Good mental health is vital for the economic and social well-being of the nation. Mental disorders are highly disabling conditions; psychiatric illness ranks second only to cardiovascular disease in its effects on disability. Despite the prevalence of some psychiatric disorders generally, we do not have a clear understanding of the prevalence and nature of treatment of psychiatric disorders for the American black population. Further the underutilization of outpatient mental health services has been well documented for ethnic minority groups. The correlates of service use and patterns of help-seeking, however, as well as risk and resiliency factors both within and across racial/ethnic groups have been identified as critical areas for future research. The National Survey of American Life (NSAL) is a comprehensive and detailed study of mental disorders and mental health of American adults and adolescents of African and Caribbean black descent. Over the past two years of the current NIMH grant, more than 70 authors from approximately a dozen national and international institutions have worked extensively on NSAL analyses and papers. This competing continuation application requests funds to extend the NSAL for four years to: 1) complete manuscripts that are currently in process; 2) respond to new lines of research raised by prior and ongoing analyses, and to conduct new analyses regarding the nature, extent, and reasons for racial and ethnic disparities in the prevalence rates of mental disorders and treatment for symptoms of psychopathology. These issues will be addressed across race and ethnic groups using the NSAL, the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS); and 3) maintain and implement new training programs for scholars and students interested in using NSAL data. There are four specific aims: 1) Examine mental disorder and mental health among diverse racial/ethnic populations; 2) Investigate correlates of help-seeking behavior and services use among ethnically diverse populations; 3) Identify risk and resilience/stress and stress buffering processes that may differentially influence the psychopathology and well-being of ethnically diverse populations; and, 4) Maintain an efficient and effective training program over the four years that will meet the needs of users of NSAL, including data analysts, data managers, research assistants, and research investigators, both at Michigan and among our wide-spread group of collaborators. ? ? ?
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