Asian American Center on Disparities Research

描述(申请人提供)：本申请成立亚裔美国人差异研究中心(AACDR)。AACDR建立在亚裔美国人群体心理健康问题研究计划的基础上，该计划自1988年以来一直由亚裔美国人心理健康国家研究中心(NRCAAMH)进行。AACDR推行一项研究议程，调查文化因素如何作用于加强或减轻亚裔美国客户循证治疗的实施和有效性。该中心的目标是(1)进行程序性的、以问题为导向的研究，以便对有效的临床进行经验测试 (2)开展对亚裔美国人特别是一般精神健康领域具有理论和政策意义的研究；(3)促进和开展研究，解决多样性和差异研究中涉及的关键方法问题；(4)通过维持和加强研究人员、服务提供者和政策制定者的网络，促进和刺激研究人员在国家层面开展亚裔美国人差异研究，以促进理论和方法的发展；(5)将科学与心理健康实践联系起来，特别是涉及影响治疗和服务提供的关键问题的文化影响，如医疗不坚持和过早辍学。该中心的临床有效性研究计划测试了亚裔美国客户抑郁症循证治疗的有效性，并确定了缓和这些干预效果的文化变量。治疗师因素研究计划确定与文化能力和循证实践的使用相关的治疗师特征是否相互作用或独立影响心理健康门诊患者的治疗结果。药物依从性研究计划开发和测试一种文化针对性干预的有效性，旨在提高抑郁的亚裔美国客户的药物依从性。卫生保健方面的差异是指根据种族或族裔对患者进行的差别治疗，这种差异不是由患者的基本健康状况或治疗偏好来解释的(医学研究所，2002年)。自1978年以来，各个总统委员会得出的结论是，这种差异与其说是由于种族和民族精神病变率的差异，不如说是由于难以获得和无效的治疗。因此，一个关键的任务是提高这些患者的治疗效果和护理质量。本质上，该中心的研究任务致力于并专注于差异的后一个方面--影响治疗效果的文化因素。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application establishes the Asian American Center on Disparities Research (AACDR). AACDR builds upon a program of research on the mental health issues of Asian American populations that had been carried on since 1988 by the National Research Center on Asian American Mental Health (NRCAAMH). AACDR pursues a research agenda that investigates how cultural factors work to either enhance or mitigate the implementation and effectiveness of evidence-based treatments for Asian American clients. The center's objectives are to (1) conduct programmatic, problem-oriented research toward the empirical testing of effective clinical treatments for Asian American populations; (2) conduct research that has theoretical and policy significance for Asian Americans in particular and the mental health field in general; (3) promote and conduct research that addresses key methodological issues involved in the study of diversity and disparities; (4) be the focal point and stimulus for researchers conducting Asian American disparities research on a national level by maintaining and enhancing a network of researchers, service providers, and policy makers to facilitate theory and methodology development; and (5) bridge science into mental health practice, in particular, concerning cultural influences that affect critical problems of treatment and service delivery such as medical non-adherence and premature dropout. The center's Clinical Effectiveness Research Program tests the effectiveness of evidence-based treatments for depression for Asian American clients and identifies the cultural variables that moderate the effects of these interventions. The Therapist Factors Research Program determines if therapist characteristics associated with cultural competence and the use of evidence-based practices interact or independently affect treatment outcomes for mental health outpatient clients. The Medication Adherence Research Program develops and tests the effectiveness of a culturally targeted intervention designed to improve medication adherence among depressed Asian American clients. Disparities in health care refer to the differential treatment of patients on the basis of race or ethnicity that is not explained by underlying health conditions or treatment preferences of patients (Institute of Medicine, 2002). Since 1978, various presidential commissions have concluded that the disparities were not so much due to racial and ethnic differences in rates of psychopathology but were due to inaccessible and ineffective treatment. Thus, one critical task is to improve therapeutic effectiveness and quality of care for these clients. Essentially, the center's research mission is devoted to and focused on this latter aspect of disparity-cultural factors that affect the effectiveness of treatment.