April 2021: Reducing Adolescent Psychopathology in Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Children

04/01/21 • 30 min

Executive Editor Michael Roy speaks with Karen L. Bierman, Ph.D., about her article on reducing adolescent psychopathology in socioeconomically disadvantaged children with a preschool intervention.

Dr. Karen Bierman is the Evan Pugh University Professor, Professor of Psychology, Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, and Director of the Child Study Center at Penn State University. Her research looks at the design and evaluation of programs for social and emotional learning within schools and communities. She has also developed and evaluated group interventions for peer-rejected children.

How the author became interested in this area of research [1:58]
What we know about how exposure to chronic or unpredictable negative circumstances disturbs a developing brain [3:21]
Why the intersection of growing up in adverse conditions and the beginning of formal schooling is significant in the life of a child [6:41]
Objective of the study [7:54]
Outline of the Head Start REDI program [9:26]
Description of study participants [11:26]
How the authors collected and analyzed data [13:20]
How well did the intervention work in terms of reducing conduct problems, emotional symptoms, and peer problems among students? [14:31]
Other key findings of the study [17:21]
Did any results surprise the authors? [18:45]
Study limitations [20:26]
How this work fits in to the overall literature on this subject [22:21]
Implications this work has for public health policy [24:49]
Key points that researchers, clinicians, and other mental health professionals should take away from the article [26:31]
Recommendations for further research in this area [27:37]

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Watch Deputy Editor Daniel S. Pine, M.D., present highlights from the April 2021 issue.

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Executive Editor Michael Roy speaks with Karen L. Bierman, Ph.D., about her article on reducing adolescent psychopathology in socioeconomically disadvantaged children with a preschool intervention.

How the author became interested in this area of research [1:58]
What we know about how exposure to chronic or unpredictable negative circumstances disturbs a developing brain [3:21]
Why the intersection of growing up in adverse conditions and the beginning of formal schooling is significant in the life of a child [6:41]
Objective of the study [7:54]
Outline of the Head Start REDI program [9:26]
Description of study participants [11:26]
How the authors collected and analyzed data [13:20]
How well did the intervention work in terms of reducing conduct problems, emotional symptoms, and peer problems among students? [14:31]
Other key findings of the study [17:21]
Did any results surprise the authors? [18:45]
Study limitations [20:26]
How this work fits in to the overall literature on this subject [22:21]
Implications this work has for public health policy [24:49]
Key points that researchers, clinicians, and other mental health professionals should take away from the article [26:31]
Recommendations for further research in this area [27:37]

Be sure to let your colleagues know about the podcast, and please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you listen to it.

Subscribe to the podcast here.

Listen to other podcasts produced by the American Psychiatric Association.

Browse articles online.

Watch Deputy Editor Daniel S. Pine, M.D., present highlights from the April 2021 issue.

Follow the journals of APA Publishing on Twitter.

E-mail us at [email protected]

Previous Episode

March 2021: Psychiatry Diversity Leadership in Academic Medicine

Executive Editor Michael Roy speaks with Ayana Jordan, M.D., Ph.D., and Christina Mangurian, M.D., M.A.S., about their article on psychiatry diversity leadership in academic medicine.

Dr. Ayana Jordan is an associate program director of the adult psychiatry training program and an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine. She is a member of the APA Board of Trustees, and she serves on the Early-Career Psychiatrist Advisory Committee for the journal Psychiatric Services. Her research is concentrated on increasing access to care for minoritized populations with substance use problems.

Dr. Christina Mangurian is a professor of psychiatry, epidemiology, and biostatistics in the School of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). She is also vice chair for diversity and health equity at the UCSF Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and a former chair of the APA Council on Minority Mental Health and Health Disparities. Her primary research program focuses on promoting mental health equity for patients and the workforce.

The authors’ background and how they became involved in their work [2:50]
How the authors’ roles in the workplace and in the community changed over the course of the past few years [7:51]
Description of the case vignette presented in the article [14:23]
The overall landscape for diversity leaders at psychiatry departments [18:40]
Comparisons with other fields of medicine and academia [22:20]
Three unique challenges faced by individuals who hold diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) roles [24:44]
Initial steps that can help leaders in DEI positions [28:42]
What people with institutional power can do to make sure that the experiences of BIPOC individuals are not ignored [34:40]
Best practices to effectively support DEI leadership efforts in psychiatry [37:18]
How scholarly research can adapt to help advance these efforts [42:39]
Are the authors optimistic that we can overcome barriers and make real progress in efforts to expand diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout our community and workplaces? [46:11]

Photo (from top): Helena Hansen, M.D., Ph.D., Christina Mangurian, M.D., M.A.S., Carolyn I. Rodriguez, M.D., Ph.D., Ayana Jordan, M.D., Ph.D., Ruth S. Shim, M.D., M.P.H., Altha J. Stewart, M.D. (Image courtesy of Dr. Mary Kay Smith.)

Full author list of the article:

Ayana Jordan, M.D., Ph.D. (Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn.)

Ruth S. Shim, M.D., M.P.H. (Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Davis)

Carolyn I. Rodriguez, M.D., Ph.D. (Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, Calif., and Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, Calif.)

Eraka Bath, M.D. (Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles)

Jean-Marie Alves-Bradford, M.D. (Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York)

Lisa Eyler, Ph.D. (Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, and Desert-Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA San Diego Healthcare Center, San Diego)

Nhi-Ha Trinh, M.D. (Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University School of Medicine, Boston)

Helena Hansen, M.D., Ph.D. (Departments of Psychiatry and Anthropology, New York University, New York)

Christina Mangurian, M.D., M.A.S. (Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), UCSF Center for Vulnerable Populations at Zuckerberg San Francisco General, and UCSF Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, San Francisco)

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Watch Deputy Editor Daniel S. Pine, M.D.,

Next Episode

May 2021: Quality of Depression Care for Patients With Comorbid Substance Use Disorder

Executive Editor Michael Roy speaks with Lara N. Coughlin, Ph.D., and Lewei Allison Lin, M.D., M.S., about their article on the provision of guideline-concordant depression treatment to patients with and without substance use disorders.

Dr. Lara Coughlin is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and an adjunct assistant professor of psychology at the University of Michigan. She is also a licensed clinical psychologist. Her research aims to find new ways to use behavioral economic frameworks to improve outcomes among individuals with substance use disorders. In particular, she is interested in decision making around health behaviors, such as choosing between sooner and smaller rewards, like substance use, and delayed and larger rewards, like overall health or career development. Her current work looks at the delivery and evaluation of care for underserved and rural populations.

Dr. Allison Lin is an addiction psychiatrist, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan, and a research scientist in the Department of Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System.

How the authors became interested in their areas of research [2:28]
How often does depression co-occur with other disorders? [5:05]
Current recommendations or best practices for the treatment of these conditions [5:33]
Objective of the study [6:55]
Description of study participants [7:27]
Measures used to collect and analyze data [9:15]
Main results of the study [11:20]
Were there significant differences between disorders with respect to receipt of appropriate treatment? [12:10]
Did any demographic characteristics, medical comorbidities, or other variables affect the findings? [13:25]
Other notable or surprising results [14:03]
Do the findings of the study extend to patients in the general population? [14:50]
Study limitations [15:28]
Patient or structural factors that may contribute to inequity in guideline-concordant care [16:13]
How can we improve depression care for patients with comorbid substance use disorders? [19:01]
Key points that researchers, clinicians, and other mental health professionals should take away from the article [22:12]
Recommendations for further research in this area [23:32]

Be sure to let your colleagues know about the podcast, and please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you listen to it.

Subscribe to the podcast here.

Listen to other podcasts produced by the American Psychiatric Association.

Browse articles online.

Watch Deputy Editor Daniel S. Pine, M.D., present highlights from the May 2021 issue.

How authors may submit their work.

Follow the journals of APA Publishing on Twitter.

E-mail us at [email protected]