Mental disorders are among the leading causes of disability in the world, and improved strategies to reduce their burden are needed through cross-culturally and contextually appropriate prevention and intervention strategies. The goal of this training program is to produce the next generation of global mental health researchers who can address this need by conducting research to advance our understanding of causes and consequences of mental disorders; developing, implementing, and evaluating rationally designed interventions to prevent and control these disorders; and critically examining integration of mental health services into general health systems to improve health outcomes. This training program would be the first of its kind to provide formal NIH-funded pre-doctoral training in global mental health and training for post-doctoral fellows embedded within a public health framework integrating population-based research with prevention and intervention strategies. This training program will capitalize on the rich resources for global mental research at the Johns Hopkins University to provide trainees with the skills and experiences needed to lead multi-disciplinary, collaborative research teams to conduct important research in a range of low- and middle-income countries. It will achieve this through a rigorous program of coursework in epidemiology, biostatistics, public mental health and global mental health, field-based research experiences, and integrative activities that provide trainees with a solid foundation in the core proficiencies of global mental health while giving them the opportunity to pursue specialized training in one of three concentration areas that build on strengths within our School of Public Health and are recognized as high priority: (1) Prevention Research; (2) Intervention Research; or (3) Integration of Mental Health Services Research. The program will include 5 pre-doctoral students and 2 post-doctoral fellows who are supported by an experienced group of 11 Core Faculty and 14 Affiliate Faculty with expertise in one or more of the identified concentration areas. Trainees will be prepared to assume leadership positions in academia carrying out global mental health research and will have skills for capacity building and collaboration in cross-culturally sensitive ways that will be useful for many US-based agencies (i.e. NIMH, SAMHSA, CDC) that often support research and services in multi-cultural and limited resource settings in the U.S. as well. The program director, Dr. Bass, is a graduate of an NIMH-funded training program and an accomplished faculty member with expertise in global mental health. She is poised to build on the rich opportunities within the Departments of Mental Health, Epidemiology and International Health to build this new program and lead it in ways that prepare the next generation of researchers in global mental health.
The rationale for this training program is motivated by the fact that mental disorders are among the leading causes of disability globally, and improved strategies to reduce their burden that take into consideration culture and context are needed. The goal of the program is to produce the next generation of global mental health researchers who can address gaps in knowledge by conducting research to advance our understanding of social determinants of mental and behavioral disorders; developing, implementing, and evaluating rationally designed interventions to prevent and control these problems; and collaborating with researchers and service providers in low- and middle-income countries to build their capacity and extend research-based learning.
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