Facilitation Groups

Research Facilitation Groups

CDMH sponsors research facilitation groups to:

Statisticians and methodologists respond to presentations of research projects analyzing change across time, especially in variables related to the mental health theme of the Center. Participants are from a number of university units and are helpful to researchers initiating project proposals as well as data analyses. The aims are a) to provide ongoing methodological assistance to CDMH projects and b) to identify goals of future methodological innovation.

The transition to adulthood is getting a great deal of attention in the recent literature, and there are numerous faculty members, post-docs, and graduate students who have strong interests in the topic. U of M scholars who are conducting research relevant to understanding the transition to young adulthood are brought together for monthly meetings where we share information, discuss and critique our work (e.g., papers, surveys) in progress, and set the stage for collaborations. In addition to focusing directly on research being conducted as part of the Center for Development and Mental Health, we focus on other relevant research being conducted by U of M researchers. Currently, this interdisciplinary group consists of nearly 30 active faculty and post-doctoral participants.

Poverty, Risk & Mental Health Group
Coordinator: Sheldon Danziger. Ph.D.

The Center on Poverty, Risk, and Mental Health (CPRMH) provides an environment that facilitates scholarship concerning the linkages between poverty and mental health. A core faculty of social work researchers and their collaborators from the social sciences and health professions are investigating these issues. Research at the CPRMH contributes to knowledge relevant for practice and policy.

The theme of poverty and mental health is pursued in several core areas where research projects are facilitated. These include: 1) Epidemiological studies of the relationships between social class and mental illness, 2) Developmental studies of the effects of high-risk environments on the mental health of infants and children, 3) The design and pilot testing of preventive interventions with low-income, high-risk populations, 4) The evaluation and delivery of appropriate mental health services to the impoverished, and 5) Assessment of the role of economic factors in the functioning and recovery of persons with serious mental illness.

The relation between biological and behavioral systems is discussed in this group with participants from departments in both the School of Medicine and Literature, Science, and Arts. At group meetings research projects are facilitated to incorporate cutting-edge methodologies from neurodevelopmental and psychological disciplines.