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Research Projects in Community Settings
Development and implementation of research
projects in community settings poses challenges not generally
found in the typical hospital or university-based setting.
Difficulties include large, often overwhelming caseloads
of clinic staff and patient populations burdened by more
severe symptoms, more life/family instability, poverty
and comobid substance abuse than is typically seen in
pure “academic” settings.
However, the information obtained from
conducting research in community settings most closely
represents the “real world”, and provides a practical
base upon which to design and develop treatments that
will benefit the greatest number of individuals. Likewise,
one of the goals of health services research is the identification
of treatments and care methods that will benefit the greatest
number of individuals in the “real world”. We believe
that a strong and active partnership between community
stakeholders and the Department, offers the best opportunity
to find effective treatments for mentally ill individuals
who are among the most disadvantaged and most frequently
overlooked.
Community-based and Health Services Research
in the Department of Psychiatry has focused on developing
treatments and care methods that will improve the lives
of individuals with serious mental illnesses including
bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and depression. Current
funding for research in the community and health services
is supported by Cleveland’s
Woodruff Foundation, the National
Institute of Mental Health, the Veterans
Health Administration, and the pharmaceutical industry.
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