Using peer mentors to extend depression care to minority older adults

描述(由申请人提供)：应聘者通过K23机制寻求支持，以发展成为精神健康服务领域的独立临床医生研究员所需的技能和指导。候选人的长期和总体职业目标是开发服务交付方法，为面临得不到护理的极大风险的少数族裔老年人提供抑郁症护理。为了实现这一目标，应聘者提出了一项全面的培训计划，将研究项目、由导师监督的教学指导、正式的课程作业以及与个别顾问一起参与实践培训经验结合起来。具体的研究项目是：1)利用与精神病学家合作的同伴导师进行一个试点项目，为社区中的少数族裔老年人提供抑郁症护理；2)对同伴导师与患者的互动进行混合方法分析；3)将知识和经验整合到手册中，用于随机临床试验。这些项目将提供制定服务提供模式的知识和技能，包括制定礼仪、在社区中执行手册和实施。应聘者将通过正式的课程工作和个人教程来扩大她在临床试验和混合方法分析方面的知识。少数族裔临床医生研究人员的发展侧重于少数族裔人口和精神健康，对减少保健和精神疾病方面的差距具有重要影响。此应用程序的目标直接与NIMH保持一致 战略计划“通过检查社区和干预提供方法，加强心理健康干预在不同护理环境中的应用。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The candidate seeks support through the K23 mechanism to develop the skills and mentorship necessary to become an independent clinician researcher in the area of mental health services. The candidate's long-term and overall career goals are to develop service delivery approaches to provide depression care to minority older adults who are at great risk of receiving no care. To pursue this goal, the candidate proposes a comprehensive training plan, combining research projects, didactic instruction overseen by her mentors, formal coursework, and participation in practical training experiences with individual advisors. Specific research projects are: 1) to conduct a pilot project using peer mentors who work in collaboration with a psychiatrist to provide depression care to minority older adults in th community; 2) to conduct a mixed methods analysis of peer mentor-patient interactions and 3) integrate knowledge and experiences in a manual for use in a randomized clinical trial. These projects will provide knowledge and skills with developing service delivery models, including protocol development, manualization and implementation in the community. The candidate will expand her knowledge of the conduct of clinical trials and mixed method analysis through formal course work and individual tutorials. The development of minority clinician researchers focused on minority populations and mental health has important ramifications for reduction of disparities in health care and mental illness. The goals of this application are directly aligned with the NIMH Strategic Plan "to strengthen the application of mental health interventions in diverse care settings by examining community and intervention delivery approaches."