Disability, Equity, and Mental Health Research Webinar Series: Improving Mental Health Equity for Individuals with Neurodevelopmental Conditions: An Examination of Risk and Protective Factors and Potential Interventions
Date and time
October 10, 2024
1:00 to 2:30 pm Eastern Time
Overview
Emerging research shows that depression, suicidality, and other mental health disorders are more common among autistic people and those with neurodevelopmental conditions compared to the general population. However, people with neurodevelopmental conditions have often been excluded from mental health research and clinical trials, resulting in fewer treatment options that meet the needs of individuals, families, and providers.
This webinar will feature two experts sharing new insights and potential solutions. Jessica Schwartzman, Ph.D., will discuss the latest research on factors that impact depression and suicide in autistic people and how to use community methods to develop effective interventions. Kristen Berg, Ph.D., will introduce a new integrated care approach designed to assess and treat anxiety, depression and other aspects of health and well-being in people with neurodevelopmental conditions.
About the speakers
Dr. Schwartzman is an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, a licensed clinical psychologist, and director of the Training and Research to Empower NeuroDiversity (TREND) Laboratory at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Dr. Schwartzman’s research program uses multi-method approaches (e.g., EEG, eye tracking, interviews, etc.) to study depression and suicide risk in neurodivergent youth and young adults and partners with community members neurodivergent to translate findings into interventions. Her research is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, the Saban Research Institute of CHLA, and the Las Madrinas Foundation.
Dr. Berg is an associate professor in the Department of Disability and Human Development and training director of the Illinois LEND Program at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Dr. Berg received her AM (RSU equivalent) and Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration. Using rigorous methods that are conceptually grounded in the social model of disability, Dr. Berg’s scholarship develops evidence to improve the health and independent living outcomes of youth with ASD and other developmental disabilities. She is currently co-lead director of a $7 million PCORI-funded project to develop and test the effectiveness of an integrated behavioral health care coordination model on the health, well-being, and transition readiness of youth with disabilities. As a person who self-identifies with a disability, Dr. Berg is committed to collaborating with the disability community to translate research into meaningful change.
About the Office of Workforce Disparities and Diversity Research’s Disability, Equity, and Mental Health Research Webinar Series
The Office of Workforce Disparities and Diversity Research is hosting a disability, equity, and mental health research webinar series, which focuses on exploring the health disparities experienced by people with disabilities. These include disparities in mental health outcomes, which can be further exacerbated for those with intersecting identities. This webinar series brings together researchers, advocates, and people with lived experience to discuss the intersection of disability, mental health, race, and ethnicity. Special emphasis will be placed on how disability intersects with other populations with health disparities to contribute to mental health outcomes and ways to increase equity, accessibility, and inclusion and reduce disparities. Additionally, the series explores the notion of mental health conditions as a disability and considers the views of those with lived experiences.
Record
This webinar is free, but registration required .
Sponsored by
National Institute of Mental Health, Office of Workforce Disparities and Diversity Research
Contact
If you have questions, please contact Beshaun Davis, Ph.D., Program Director, Minorized Populations Mental Health Research, Office of Workforce Disparities and Diversity Research.
If you require sign language interpretation and/or other reasonable accommodations to participate in this event, please email the event organizer at NIMH@MN-E.com. Requests must be made five days in advance.
