GREETINGS
Joshua A. Gordon, M.D., Ph.D., NIMH Director
Partners,
It was great to see you at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the NIMH Outreach Partnership Program this past summer. I appreciated the opportunity to present information about NIMH research priorities and advances with you. I want to thank you for the role you are playing in disseminating mental health research.
We look forward to your continued input as we explore and develop new ways to support you and our other stakeholders across the country in your outreach efforts. Together, we can work towards our common goal of increasing awareness about mental health and the role that research plays in reducing the burden of mental illnesses.
I value your thoughtful dialogue and input, which will be tremendously helpful as we work to broaden the reach of our outreach efforts. As you heard at the meeting, we recently launched NIMH Education and Awareness, a portal on the NIMH website with tools and resources designed for and dedicated to outreach. Since the meeting, we have also launched our Discover NIMH newsletter, which showcases shareable materials, outreach events, and the latest mental health research. I encourage you to subscribe to stay up to date on new resources as they become available.
In this issue of Outreach Connection, we’ve described the meeting highlights, partner activities, and plenary sessions. We’ve also shared information about the first phase of our new comprehensive outreach effort. I hope you find the information helpful; please see the Meeting Summary for additional details.
Thank you again for your efforts to disseminate important mental health research in your communities.
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MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
Outreach Partners are disseminating NIMH materials and research findings throughout their states.
On July 31 and August 1, 2019, NIMH convened the annual meeting of the NIMH Outreach Partnership Program. The gathering provided an opportunity for the program’s Outreach Partners, representing every state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, and National Partners to hear updates from NIMH leadership, learn about NIMH-supported research, and discuss the mental health needs of their constituents with NIMH staff and their fellow Partners.
Outreach and National Partners, as well as Federal agencies, shared examples of how they are disseminating NIMH-funded research and educating the public, individuals with mental illnesses, families, and other stakeholders about mental health.
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NIMH Director Joshua Gordon, M.D., Ph.D., opened the meeting with an update about NIMH activities, including plans for the updated Strategic Plan for Research, which will be available online in 2020.
During the meeting, Dr. Gordon engaged in a dialogue with Outreach and National Partners about NIMH’s new comprehensive outreach effort to increase the public’s access to science-based mental health information.
Natalie Zeigler, M.S., Chief of the Science Writing, Press, and Dissemination Branch within the NIMH Office of Science Policy, Planning, and Communications, discussed some of the new outreach efforts already underway and provided an overview of NIMH resources and patient education materials that are available to partners and stakeholders.
Ms. Zeigler highlighted the following:
In addition, she noted partners can subscribe to numerous other newsletters from NIMH and other Federal agencies to keep current on research and news in the mental health field:
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Inside NIMH, which highlights NIMH funding opportunities, trends, and plans;
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NIH Catalyst, which showcases scientific research being conducted by the NIH Intramural Research Program (IRP);
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MedlinePlus Magazine, which shares breakthroughs from NIH-supported research and personal stories of handling health challenges; and,
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SAMHSA News, which summarizes the latest news from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
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Major portions of the meeting focused on learning about research findings that could potentially have a significant public health impact.
Postpartum Depression Prevention and Care Research
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Peter Schmidt, M.D., Chief of the NIMH Behavioral Endocrinology Branch, reviewed his research on postpartum depression (PPD) and neurosteroids, hormones synthesized naturally in the brain that act as part of the central nervous system. He also discussed the basic science discoveries made by NIMH scientists that laid the foundation for the development of brexanolone, the first medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration specifically for the treatment of PPD.
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Jennifer Johnson, Ph.D., C.S. Mott Endowed Professor of Public Health and Professor of OBGYN, Michigan State University, discussed her work on the Reach Out, stay Strong, Essentials for mothers of newborns (ROSE) Sustainment Study, a PPD prevention program for clinics providing prenatal care to low-income women.
Research Response to the Opioid Public Health Crisis
Community-Based Models to Support Individuals with Serious Mental Illnesses
- Michael Compton, M.D., M.P.H., Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and Medical Director for Adult Services at the New York State Office of Mental Health, described the Opening Doors to Recovery study, which has reduced hospitalizations and improved quality of life among individuals with psychotic or mood disorders and a history of hospital recidivism.
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Amy Watson, Ph.D., Professor at Jane Addams College of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Chicago, discussed her NIMH-funded studies on police response to individuals with serious mental illnesses.
Suicide Prevention Research
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Joan Asarnow, Ph.D., Professor of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and Director of the Youth Stress and Mood Program at University of California, Los Angeles, reported on the number of children released from the emergency room after self-harm or a suicide attempt who don't receive follow-up treatment despite ongoing mental health needs. She discussed interventions at emergency departments aimed at addressing this gap in care such as the SAFETY Program, Step2Health study, and the CARES study, which have all shown promising results.
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Lauren Weinstock, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, reviewed three efforts that serve people who are at-risk for suicide during periods of transitions: The Coping Long Term with Active Suicide Program, the Emergency Department Safety Assessment and Follow-Up Evaluation study, and the Suicide Prevention Intervention For At-Risk Individuals In Transition study.
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Thank you to all the Partners for making the meeting a success! Let us know what types of resources or topics would better help you connect with and educate your community. Email your suggestions to NIMHOutreach@mail.nih.gov.
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