Research Accelerators

Mental Health Research Accelerator

Advancing Public Mental Health

Mental health is a critical component of every facet of public health. Rollins faculty working in this field conduct clinical, heath services, imaging, genetics, policy, and social determinants research.

The public mental health accelerator seeks to build a body of interdisciplinary and collaborative work to advance the field both within and beyond Rollins School of Public Health.

The group will:

Support public mental health research projects addressing a range of high-priority topics and populations
Develop common infrastructure and shared datasets to support larger, cross-departmental initiatives

Rollins faculty with an interest in public mental health are encouraged to join the workgroup meetings or reach out to the co-leads with questions.

Funded Projects

PIs: Julie Gazmararian, Christine Ekenga, and Julia Wrobel

This project investigates how policies restricting use of cell phones in high schools affect adolescents' out-of-school screen use and related health behaviors and well-being. It also investigates how peer, household, and neighborhood environments shape these effects.

Project Aims:

Quantify changes in out-of-school screen use, device engagement, health behaviors, and mental well-being following high school cell phone policy implementation.
Explore the role of parents and guardians in shaping adolescent cell phone use and time use patterns.
Evaluate the feasibility of wearable and app-based measures of sleep, physical activity, sedentary behavior, location, and screen time to support future larger-scale studies.

PI: Ben Druss

Early intervention for individuals with a first episode of psychosis improves both clinical and functional outcomes, but there is a lack of high-quality, population-based data on first-episode psychotic disorders. This study uses EPIC Cosmos to study first-episode psychotic disorders in a large representative sample of the U.S. population.

Project Aims:

Characterize the incidence of diagnosed first-episode psychotic disorders.
Describe pathways to initial diagnosis for first-episode psychotic disorders.
Assess utilization, diagnostic, and treatment outcomes for first-episode psychotic disorders.

PIs: Candice Hargons, Sophia Hussen, and Raphiel Murden

Evidence-based peer mental health programs show promise in increasing use of mental health treatment services, but there is limited evidence on their implementation in the South. The Youth Neighborhood Healers Project is a first step in determining the effectiveness of Teen Mental Health First Aid at preventing depression among southern Gen Alpha teens.

Project Aims:

Identify how county and state context influences teen mental health access and operationalize the necessities for a successful peer mental health support internship in three geographic settings (i.e., urban, suburban, and rural) in Kentucky and Georgia.
Implement a semester-long Youth Neighborhood Healers Project internship to evaluate its implementation and effectiveness outcomes, examining county and state differences.