Scarlett Richter
Research Mentor(s): Addie Weaver
Mentor Department: School of Social Work
Authors: Scarlett Richter, Nora Bodie , Paulyn Baringanire , Marni Rubyan , Addie Weaver
Session: Session 4 (1:00pm – 1:50pm)
Presentation Type: Poster 85
Abstract
In the United States, gaining access to mental health care treatment can be challenging, especially for underrepresented and marginalized groups. Social determinants of health like financial instability, provider inaccessibility, or geographic location can lead to inadequate care. Our project aims to address systematic barriers that make access to mental health treatment challenging, by creating online, accessible, tailorable mental health treatment programs that are self-sustaining in underserved and marginalized communities and grounded in evidence-supported interventions, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Current literature indicates that most existing online CBT programs are text-heavy and difficult to understand, contributing to low uptake and completion rates. It also suggests that tailoring these programs to specific populations makes CBT more accessible and acceptable. We are currently working with many community partners, including the Michigan Clinical Consultation & Care – Perinatal Division (MC3), The Lenawee County Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and the Washtenaw County My Brother’s Keepers Project (WMBK). Alongside MC3 and WIC, we are working to make perinatal and postpartum depression (PND) treatments more accessible. With WMBK, we are developing an online CBT program for young Black men in Washtenaw County. To achieve these goals, we are utilizing community-based participatory research (CBPR). CBPR is beneficial for this research since we are actively involving community partners in projects, ensuring that the programs developed are tailored to specific population needs, and more likely to be effective in overcoming treatment barriers unique to these underrepresented and marginalized groups. Currently, we are building various online CBT platforms that are self-sustaining, accessible, acceptable, and feasible within their respective communities.
