Research Training in Child Mental Health/Primary Prevention

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application seeks to continue our training program in Prevention Science, which has provided training to 56 pre-doctoral and 40 post-doctoral students since its original funding in 1987. We train researchers in the prevention of negative mental health outcomes among high-risk children under stress. Because preventive interventions are best derived from a theory-based, empirically-supported, understanding of the risk and protective factors that influence the development of a targeted outcome, we use a stress and coping model to consider the complex interplay of factors at multiple levels including individual, family, peer, school, neighborhood, and cultural influences. We provide training in the translation of this knowledge base into preventive interventions, and in the skills necessary to study the placement of preventive interventions into natural service delivery settings with diverse target audiences. Thus, we provide training in the implementation and empirical evaluation of interventions in natural settings; in the methodological and quantitative skills necessary to conduct these complex studies; and in the skills required to conduct these studies with different ethnic and cultural groups (with a particular focus on Mexican-American children and families). Training is delivered through the ASU Prevention Research Center (PRC) and its collaborating ASU departments. The PRC includes multiple NIH-funded projects in which collaborative research teams design. Implement, and evaluate theory-based preventive interventions In natural service delivery settings for children of divorce, bereaved children, and Mexican-American adolescents transitioning to middle school. Core training faculty are from clinical, social, developmental, and quantitative psychology, and family and human development. Affiliated training faculty are from education, marketing, law, engineering, nursing, and social work. Training is delivered through a combination of research apprenticeships, an ongoing training seminar, and formal coursework. This application requests support to train 4 post-doctoral and 4 advanced pre-doctoral fellows each year. Trainees are recruited from clinical, social, quantitative, and developmental psychology, and family and human development. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: We respond to Goals 3 and 4 of the NIMH Strategic plan and priorities of the 2009 lOM report on Prevention by training scientists to implement and evaluate preventive interventions in natural service delivery settings with diverse audiences. As the lOM report notes, the greatest opportunity for prevention is in childhood and adolescence, and Interventions in natural settings strengthen the public health impact of NIMH research.