NIH Health Disparities Seminar Series – July 2013
The National Institutes of Health welcomes Dr. Gail Wyatt as the speaker for the NIH Health Disparities Seminar Series on July 18, 2013.
About 25% of all U.S. adults have a mental illness, and nearly 50% of U.S. adults will develop at least one mental illness during their lifetime. Mental health disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. Racial and ethnic minorities are over-represented in populations that are particularly at risk for mental disorders and may experience symptoms that are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed due to cultural or language differences between patients and doctors. Racial and ethnic minorities with mental disorders consistently have less access to care, receive lower quality service, and have higher attrition rates in treatment. Barriers to mental health care in minority populations include the cost of care, societal stigma, fear and mistrust of treatment, and the fragmented organization of services. More culturally and linguistically relevant research is needed to find more effective means to detect, prevent, and treat mental illness in minority populations to address these issues and eliminate mental health disparities.
In her presentation, Dr. Gail Wyatt will discuss mental health disparities, some of the current concerns and best practices based on her research at the Center for Culture, Trauma and Mental Health Disparities. She will discuss the cumulative effects of lifetime trauma and stress in African Americans and Hispanic/Latinos that is often overlooked and not addressed in mental health systems as we know them now. She will also describe the screener that her research team has developed to identify those at risk for symptoms of Post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression to be used in future primary care settings. (Click here for abstract)
Dr. Wyatt is a clinical psychologist, board certified sex therapist and professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at UCLA. She was a National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH) Research Scientist Career Development Awardee for 17 years. Dr. Wyatt has conducted national and international research since 1980, funded by the NIMH, the National Institute of Drug Abuse, state and private foundations. She is director of the UCLA Center for Culture, Trauma and Mental Health Disparities, the Sexual Health Program and the Phodiso Training Project in South Africa. She serves as associate director of the UCLA AIDS Institute, and directs the HIV/AIDS Translational Training Program, in which behavioral scientists conduct research that effectively incorporates socio-cultural factors into HIV/AIDS research. Dr. Wyatt is a graduate of Fisk University and earned her doctorate degree from UCLA.
Presentation Title:
Disparities in Mental Health for Underserved Populations: Best Practices for Affordable Care
Guest Speaker:
Gail Wyatt, Ph.D (Click here for bio)
Professor
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences
Director of the UCLA Sexual Health Program
Director of the Center for Culture, Trauma and Mental Health Disparities
UCLA
Los Angeles, CA
Date/Time:
Thursday, July 18, 2013
2:00 - 3:30 P.M.
Seminar Video Recording:
Click here to view July's video recorded seminar.
Location:
NIH Campus
Natcher Conference Center, Balcony A
45 Center Drive
Bethesda, MD
Additional Information:
There is limited parking on the NIH campus. The closest Metro is Medical Center. Please allow adequate time for security check. The presentation will not be video cast live. It will be available in the NIH Video archives and on the NIMHD website after the seminar. Sign language interpreters will be provided. Individuals with disabilities who need reasonable accommodations to participate should contact Edgar Dews at 301-402-1366 or the Federal Relay at 1-800-877-8339.
