Drug Abuse: Epidemiology, Treatment Process, & Outcomes

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

This application is a second resubmission for a K05 Senior Scientist Award as a competing continuation of K02 DA00139. To sustain my professional development, the specific aims of this K05 are to: (1) develop and apply advanced statistical methods to improve the knowledge of long-term patterns and consequences of drug use, treatment process and outcomes, and the interplay of drug use patterns with other service systems; (2) train and mentor students and junior investigators; (3) advise policymakers, service providers, and researchers on long-term patterns and consequences of drug use and treatment outcomes; and (4) consolidate and widely disseminate the knowledge and experiences accumulated throughout my research career via journal articles, books, and a web site. Building upon work accomplished during the past and current Research Career Award periods, I will continue pursuing my research goals by conducting 3 research projects: (1) a study of treatment system impacts and outcomes of California's Proposition 36 (providing drug treatment in lieu of incarceration); (2) a study on the access and outcomes associated with drug treatment and mental health services; and (3) a Center project to advance longitudinal drug abuse research, in which archival data from my previous studies will also be analyzed as issues are identified. A special emphasis is on the implications of research findings pertinent to the development of improved treatment strategies and on providing advice on social policy changes. I will continue to provide training and mentorship to students and junior investigators to assist their career advancement. My professional growth will involve continued development and application of innovative statistical methodologies in support of my substantive work. I will also expand my capacity to conduct interdisciplinary research by increasing my knowledge regarding other disciplines relevant to drug abuse research and through collaborative work. My affiliation with the Neuropsychiatric Institute (NPI) in the UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences provides the optimum setting for my career development. In this context, I will conduct research and will receive additional training in clinical aspects of drug abuse treatment and in the implementation of treatment services. Furthermore, my psychosocial research knowledge and skills in drug abuse issues will contribute to UCLA's general program in drug abuse research by complementing NPI's biobehavioral perspective.