Pilot Study on Mental Health

August 1, 2012

Pilot Study on Mental Health First Aid Funded

Dr. Annette Crisanti, a Research Associate Professor in the UNM Department of Psychiatry, received word that her proposed project, “Perceived Impact of Mental Health First Aid on Mental Health Literacy: A Pilot Study of Race/Ethnicity and Urban/Rural Differences,” will be funded for a year starting on September 1, 2012. UNM Health Science Center’s Clinical & Translational Science Research Center approved the proposal.

According to the Mental Health First Aid website, this educational program is designed to help “the public identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders.” The twelve-hour course teaches participants a 5-step action plan “encompassing the skills, resources and knowledge to help an individual connect with appropriate professional, peer, social and self-help care.”

Professor Helene Silverblatt, M.D., and Clint Pyeatt from the Department’s Center for Rural Community and Behavioral Health are also working on the project. Juliana Anastasoff, a member of HSC’s HEROs program, is helping as well.