The Research Training Program in Child Psychiatry at Columbia University was established 24 years ago. Although the programmatic emphasis within the training program has changed periodically over this time, the need for research training in clinical child psychiatry has remained constant. More investigators are needed to study a wide range of important issues relating to the diagnosis and treatment of childhood psychiatric illnesses, including the development of reproducible (i.e., manualized or algorithm-driven) interventions for the large number of children and adolescents with impairing mental disorders who seek treatment each year; evaluation of untested interventions that form the bulk of patient clinician contacts; and the improvement of access for those who do not benefit from contact with any service (Angold et al., 2002; Lewinsohn et al., 1998). Furthermore, once an intervention has been shown to be effective, we need to learn how to facilitate its adaptation to everyday settings (Hoagwood et al., 1995). Initially, much of the research training related to epidemiology, suicide, measurement, and the more detailed study of depression and anxiety. The research focus of the program has evolved over time to include pediatric psychopathology, an NIMH RUPP (Research Unit in Pediatric Psychopharmacology) contract, and the recent establishment of a Child Psychiatry Intervention Research Center, with much greater emphasis now being placed on training in services and treatment. Although epidemiological research studies, work on developing and testing diagnostic instruments, and research on suicide prevention and biology remain important areas of activity, there has been a significant increase over the past five years in our research emphasis in three areas: (a) treatment research; (b) services research; and (c) neuropsychiatry research. Evidence of the training program's current productivity includes the fact that, of the 40 fellows trained over the past 10 years, 10 have received NIH Career Development Awards, 1 has received a W. T. Grant Foundation Scholar's Award, 7 have received NIMH Awards, and 14 have received substantial project grant support from foundations. Notably, 4 of the 10 Research Scientist Development Awards were received during the current funding period.
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