RESEARCH ACTIVITIES IN PSYCHIATRIC EPIDEMIOLOGY

Introduction
Involved Researchers
Ongoing Research
Recently Published Books or Book Chapters
Recently Published Articles

Given findings that approximately one in five adults suffers from some mental disorder at any given time, that as many as one in three adults will suffer a psychiatric disorder at some time in their life, with only 30% to 40% of those persons identified by the health care system, and that mental disorders impose a substantial burden on affected individuals, their families, and society, the public health significance of mental health and illness are evident. Over the past half-century, there has been increasing recognition of both this burden of mental illness on individuals, families, and society, and of the applicability of modern epidemiologic methods to the study of mental disorders.

Psychiatric epidemiology is concerned with distribution, determinants, etiology, and course of mental disorders, as well as mental health services and outcomes research. Studies of a broad range of health outcomes that incorporate mental, emotional, and behavioral components using the content and methods of psychiatric epidemiology are now common. Similarly, psychiatric epidemiology studies now frequently include and rely on findings and methods of other disciplines, including genetics, physiology, pharmacology, and other health and social sciences. For public health, such cross-disciplinary studies are directed toward the development, implementation, and evaluation of prevention and treatment interventions.

Though there have been substantial advances in understanding physiological markers and genetic factors related to mental disorders, detection and diagnosis still must rely on signs and symptoms. This argues for an epidemiologic approach to the study of mental disorders, while it also presents one of the major methodological challenges.

Involved Researchers:
Cheryl Addy Ph.D.
Robert McKeown Ph.D.
Susan Steck Ph.D.
Dawen Xie Ph.D.

Ongoing Research:
Antioxidants and MRI-Defined Vascular Depression
Susan Steck Ph.D. (Consultant)
NARSAD
July 31, 2007 – June 30, 2009
The goal of this project is to investigate the role of antioxidants in the occurrence and neuropathology of depression in later life by determining the differences in antioxidant intake between individuals with late-life depression as compared to elderly control subjects; and among individuals with late-life depression, determine the association between dietary antioxidants and lesion severity (as defined by lesion volume).

Longitudinal Study of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Robert McKeown (PI)
CDC
September 1, 2006 – February 28, 2010
The major goal of this project is to investigate long-term outcomes and health status for children with and without ADHD identified and treated in community settings through a systematic follow-up of the subjects who participated in the Project to Learn about ADHD in Youth (South Carolina and Oklahoma).

SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth 2: South Carolina Site
Elizabeth Mayer-Davis (PI)
CDC / Division of Diabetes Translation (DDT) and NIH/NIDDK
September 30, 2005 - September 29, 2010
The purpose of this project is to assess the incidence and natural history of diabetes in youth, the impact of quality of diabetes care in youth on short- and long-term diabetes outcomes, and the development of a validate simple and low-cost case definition and classification of diabetes in youth that can be used for public health surveillance. This project is based on the continuation of the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth study. South Carolina is one of six US sites of this multi-center study.

Recently Published Books or Book Chapters:
McKeown RE & Messias DKH. Epidemiology. In Lancaster J & Stanhope M, eds. Community and Public Health Nursing. Two previous editions, 7th ed. St Louis: Mosby, In press.

Recently Published Articles:
Lawrence JM, Standiford DA, Loots B, Klingensmith GJ, Williams DE, Ruggiero A, Liese AD, Bell RA, Waitzfelder BE, McKeown RE, for the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study. Prevalence and Correlates of Depressed Mood among Youth with Diabetes. Pediatrics. 2006; 117:1348-1398.

McKeown RE, Cuffe SP, Schulz RM. U.S. Suicide Rates by Age Group, 1970-2002: An Examination of Recent Trends. American Journal of Public Health. 2006; 96(10):1744-1751.