Division of Prevention and Community Research

The primary aim of the Division of Prevention and Community Research is to conduct studies that will enhance knowledge regarding the prevention of psychiatric and substance abuse disorders and the promotion of adaptation or resilience. Divisional studies consist either of risk factor or intervention research. Risk factor research involves the identification of risk and/or protective factors related to the onset and progression of disorders or problem behaviors. Factors identified may be the target of change in subsequent intervention studies. Intervention research examines the effectiveness of interventions in preventing disorders or reducing risk, or in promoting adaptation or resilience.

Both risk factor and intervention studies are conceptualized within developmental, ecological, and cultural contexts, and are conducted in a wide range of community settings, including schools, homes, clinics, the workplace, the neighborhood, human service organizations, and the broader community. Both quantitative and qualitative methods are employed by investigators, and findings are often explicitly conceptualized and presented at multiple levels of analysis, such as community, the service system, the organization, the group, the family, and the individual.

Division faculty are currently involved in research in the following areas: work and family stress, resilience promotion with at-risk populations, the prevention of adolescent substance abuse, community integration of persons with severe and persistent mental illness, adaptation to loss and bereavement, early detection and prevention of psychotic disorders, HIV prevention and mental health research, divorce and legal interventions, the prevention of domestic violence, the evaluation of behavioral health and other service systems, the promotion of educational achievement among low-income and minority youth, the impact of family and caregiver support on children at risk, the role of neighborhood and community factors which promote social integration and success in housing for the homeless, and the effectiveness of self-help interventions in promoting adaptation.

Interested students, fellows or faculty are welcome to contact Jacob K. Tebes, PhD for additional information about the Division of Prevention and Community Research.