Research Training in Pediatric Psychology

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This predoctoral training program addresses the critical need to enhance research on the prevention and treatment of mental disorders in pediatric populations. Pediatric settings provide a critical context for research on risk factors and interventions to prevent mental health risk and burden for children and families. This application requests funding to continue support of a highly successful predoctoral graduate level research training program in pediatric psychology that addresses the need to develop the careers of researchers in this field. Strengths of the proposed program include the following: 1) high level of involvement of faculty involvement in interdisciplinary research training; 2) intensive research training curriculum that focuses on research skill development; 3) breadth of research opportunities and diverse populations; and 4) broad impact on the training of other professions. Program graduates have developed a track record of success in achieving faculty positions, conducting research with pediatric populations, publishing in peer reviewed literature, citations by other researchers, and obtaining grant funding based on their research. Students' and program graduates' research contributions are relevant to NIMH research priorities, including risk for mental disorders in children with chronic physical conditions, including those that affect the central nervous system and psychological interventions to reduce the impact of mental disorders in pediatric populations. Moreover, the methods of interdisciplinary research training and skill-based methods of research training used in this program have been published and have a broad impact on research training of multiple professional disciplines. The proposed training program builds on a successful track record by: 1) extending a strong tradition of interdisciplinary training with mentorship in psychology, psychiatry, pediatrics, clinical epidemiology and biostatistics, neuropsychology, and pediatric bioethics; and 2) developing didactic and experiential training emphases in the following areas: a) epidemiology and behavior; b) pediatric neuropsychology; c) pediatric bioethics; d) methods of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of psychological/behavioral intervention with pediatric chronic illness, and e) mental health services effectiveness research with high-risk pediatric populations.