Site Overview:
CommunityGMHResearch.org features interactive presentations, educational modules, and links to articles and other peer-reviewed resources that focus on the challenges of conducting research among community-residing older adults with mental illness. This Web site is designed to act as a virtual mentor to further evidence-based geriatric mental health practices by educating and supporting the careers of junior investigators, clinicians, graduate fellows, and undergraduate students who have an interest in geriatric mental health implementation research.
The presentations on this site are delivered and moderated by senior investigators in the field of geriatric mental health research. These highly experienced researchers share lessons learned from decades spent conducting community-based research, from how to write successful grant proposals to the challenges of working with agencies, nurses, and patients.
The overriding goal of CommunityGMHResearch.org is to encourage, educate, and support rising investigators who will develop innovative interventions that will improve mental health care for older adults currently served by home healthcare and for the rapidly-growing population of adults who will be in the future.
Presentation categories available on this Web site:
Building Blocks
The "Building Blocks" section of the Web site collects presentations from various sections of the site that will serve as a launching pad to help guide you through the development of your research career. It includes presentations and content in the following areas: Partnerships, Needs Assessment, EBP and Adaptation, Research Readiness, Research Implementation, Training, and Fidelity.
Partnerships
Needs Assessment
EBP and Adaptation
Research Readiness
Research Implementation
Training
Fidelity
CGMHR Magazine
Each "issue" features different topics in approaches to geriatric mental health services implementation, divided into 3 segments. In the first segment "Challenges and Controversies", Dr. Stephen Bartels and other guest faculty will deliver interactive seminars on the challenges of conducting geriatric mental health services research. In the 2
nd segment "Lessons from the Field", Dr. Martha Bruce will provide participants the skills and information needed to build community-based geriatric mental health services research partnerships with home healthcare agencies. And lastly, in the 3
rd segment "Tips for Successful Grant Writing", individual pearls of wisdom will be provided in the area of writing grants for community-based and type-II translational research in geriatric mental health. Originally presented to a live internet audience, these seminars include the original audience discussions and interactive polling slides.
Issue 1
Geriatric Mental Health Services Implementation Research: A Program to Develop the Next Generation of Investigators
Presenter: Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS
In Issue 1, Dr. Stephen Bartels gives an introduction to the rationale for the Community-based Mental Health Research program and an overview of the project, including an introduction to implementation science and evidence-based medicine.
Issue 2
Designing Mental Health Services Research to Make a Difference: Type II Translation and Implementation in "Real World" Community Settings
Presenter: Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS
Co-Moderator: Martha L. Bruce, PhD, MPH
Presenters Stephen Bartels, MD, MS, and Martha Bruce, PhD, MPH, discuss innovative approaches to implementing the goals of Type II translation and the challenges of developing interventions and research methodologies that can be feasibly implemented with community-based practitioners.
Issue 3
Choosing a Research Question: The Advantages and Disadvantages of a Spectrum of Strategies
Presenter: Yeates Conwell, MD
Co-Moderators: Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS and Martha L. Bruce, PhD, MPH
There are many ways to identify a research question, including a conventional model that relies on already published literature or personal interest, an evidence-based community partnership model, and community-based participatory research model. Dr. Yeates Conwell and other faculty will weigh the pros and cons of each and offer guidance on the implications of conducting research using these approaches.
Issue 4
Identifying a Partner: Tips to Selecting and Developing Successful Community-based Partnerships for Research
Presenters: Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS and Martha L. Bruce, PhD, MPH
Which community-based organization you choose to partner with will substantially shape the effectiveness and implementation of your research project.
Issue 5
Designing Your Intervention: Incorporating Strategies to Avoid Downstream Problems with Implementation
Presenter: Mark Snowden, MD, MPH
Co-Presenter and Moderator: Martha L. Bruce, PhD, MPH
In this issue, Mark Snowden, MD, MPH, and Martha Bruce, PhD, MPH, discuss how the initial design of an intervention requires the investigator to consider the ease and practical considerations of implementing and sustaining the intervention in real-world settings, with real-world providers.
Issue 6
Developing Your Research Materials: Strategies for Developing Effective Intervention Manuals
Presenter: Sarah I. Pratt, PhD
Co-Presenters and Moderators: Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS and Martha L. Bruce, PhD, MPH
Well-written program manuals guide effective interventions. This presentation highlights strategies for developing manuals, including format, budget, and audience considerations.
Issue 7
Balancing Internal Versus External Validity – Where Lies the Truth?
Presenters: Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS and Martha L. Bruce, PhD, MPH
In this issue, Stephen Bartels, MD, MS and Martha Bruce, PhD, MPH discuss strategies for balancing internal and external validity, and weigh the value of each in interventions for community-residing older adults with mental health problems.
Issue 8
Compared to What? Choosing Your Control Condition
Presenters: Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS and Martha L. Bruce, PhD, MPH
Control groups allow investigators to determine whether an observed effect is truly caused by the experimental intervention or by other factors, so investigators must carefully consider ethical and methodological issues related to the selection and use of a control condition.
Issue 9
Pilot Studies: Why, What, and How?
Presenters: Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS and Martha L. Bruce, PhD, MPH
Pilot studies are meant to refine methods and demonstrate feasibility, but what defines a good pilot study? Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS, and Martha L. Bruce, PhD, MPH, guide participants through a discussion of pilot study design, funding, and the importance of "clinical significance" in pilot studies.
Issue 10
How Many Participants Should Your Study Include? Understanding Effect Sizes and Statistical Significance
Presenters: Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS and Martha L. Bruce, PhD, MPH
A program that can show statistically significant results has a better chance of getting funding, but how many study participants are necessary to attain both clinical and statistical significance? Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS, and Martha L. Bruce, PhD, MPH discuss how to calculate an adequate sample size and strategies for identifying clinically significant change.
Issue 11
Cluster-Based Designs and Units of Randomization
Presenters: Martha L. Bruce, PhD, MPH and Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS
Many scientific and logistical factors determine the optimal unit of randomization for a given intervention. A cluster-based study design (i.e., clients within case workers; caseworkers within agencies) is often the most feasible and scientifically appropriate type of randomization, but researchers must take into account the implications and ethical considerations of cluster-based randomized designs.
Issue 12
Mixed Methods: Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods
Presenters: Lawrence A. Palinkas, PhD and Martha L. Bruce, PhD, MPH
The practice of integrating both quantitative and qualitative methods in health services research is the result of the recognition of the importance of research that is both comprehensive and interdisciplinary. This seminar defines "mixed methods" and identifies "Dos and Don'ts" in integrating these methods from the standpoint of people who write or review research proposals.
Issue 13
Increasing Your Chances of Getting Funded: Aligning Your Research with New Priorities for Funding at NIMH
Presenters: George T. Niederehe, PhD and Martha L. Bruce, PhD, MPH
Dr. Niederehe, Chief of the Geriatrics Research Branch at NIMH, explains the NIMH's funding priorities and strategic objectives and discusses grant application strategies for early career investigators that will best respond to these current priorities.
Issue 14
Incorporating Consumer Choice and Adaptive Interventions in Research Designs
Presenter: Steven H. Zarit, PhD
Unlike conventional randomized trials, adaptive interventions are interventions which can be tailored to the needs of each study participant. Dr. Steven Zarit discusses methods for developing and applying personalized treatment approaches in community-based geriatric mental health research.
Issue 15
Advantages and Disadvantages of Single versus Multiple Enrollment Sites: Is More Better?
Presenters: Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS and Martha L. Bruce, PhD, MPH
Do studies with multiple-enrollment sites have advantages over single-study
sites? Co-presenters Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS, and Martha L. Bruce, PhD,
MPH, use actual research findings to illustrate the pros and cons of using
two or more sites to recruit older adults into a community-based research
study.
Issue 16
What Do the Changes in Criteria for Judging Grants Mean for You? Perspectives from Two Members of NIMH Review Committees
Presenters: Martha L. Bruce, PhD, MPH and Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS
The National Institutes of Health recently implemented enhanced criteria for judging the merit of grant applications. Presenters Martha Bruce, PhD, MPH, and Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS, discuss the new review criteria and how participants can address the core criteria upon which proposals will be evaluated under the new scoring system.
Issue 17
Fidelity Measures: What, Why, When, and How
Presenters: Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS and Martha L. Bruce, PhD, MPH
Achieving model fidelity is a challenge in community-based interventions research. Because treatment delivery depends upon a variety of factors, including frequency of sessions and diversity among providers and consumers, fidelity measures have been developed as an approach to quantify adherence to or deviation from a treatment model.
Issue 18
Research Interviewers/Data Collectors: Hiring, Training & On-going Supervision
Presenters: Sarah I. Pratt, PhD and Martha L. Bruce, PhD, MPH
Obtaining reliable data depends largely on the talents of the research interviewers who collect it. In this presentation, Dr. Sarah Pratt from Dartmouth Medical School will discuss the role of the research interviewer, strategies to train and supervise interviewers, and the importance of blinding the interviewer to the study participant's research condition.
Challenges and Controversies:
Originally presented as part of the "CGMHR Magazine" seminar series, these talks focus on implementation research in geriatric mental health services research and the challenges of conducting research among community-residing older adults with mental illness. Originally presented to a live internet audience, these seminars include the original audience discussions and interactive polling slides.
Volume 1
Geriatric Mental Health Services Implementation Research: A Program to Develop the Next Generation of Investigators
Presenters : Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS and Martha L. Bruce, PhD, MPH
In Volume 1, Dr. Stephen Bartels gives an introduction to the rationale for the Community-based Mental Health Research program and an overview of the project, including an introduction to implementation science and evidence-based medicine.
Volume 2
Designing Mental Health Services Research to Make a Difference: Type II Translation and Implementation in "Real World" Community Settings
Presenter: Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS
Stephen Bartels, MD, MS discusses innovative approaches to implementing the goals of Type II translation and the challenges of developing interventions and research methodologies that can be feasibly implemented with community-based practitioners.
Volume 3
Choosing a Research Question: The Advantages and Disadvantages of a Spectrum of Strategies
Presenter: Yeates Conwell, MD
There are many ways to identify a research question, including a conventional model that relies on already published literature or personal interest, an evidence-based community partnership model, and community-based participatory research model. Dr. Yeates Conwell and other faculty will weigh the pros and cons of each and offer guidance on the implications of conducting research using these approaches.
Volume 4
Identifying a Partner: Tips to Selecting and Developing Successful Community-based Partnerships for Research
Presenter: Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS
Which community-based organization you choose to partner with will substantially shape the effectiveness and implementation of your research project.
Volume 5
Designing Your Intervention: Incorporating Strategies to Avoid Downstream Problems with Implementation
Presenter: Mark Snowden, MD, MPH
In this volume, Mark Snowden, MD, MPH, and Martha Bruce, PhD, MPH, discuss how the initial design of an intervention requires the investigator to consider the ease and practical considerations of implementing and sustaining the intervention in real-world settings, with real-world providers.
Volume 6
Developing Your Research Materials: Strategies for Developing Effective Intervention Manuals
Presenter: Sarah I. Pratt, PhD
Well-written program manuals guide effective interventions. This presentation highlights strategies for developing manuals, including format, budget, and audience considerations.
Volume 7
Balancing Internal Versus External Validity – Where Lies the Truth?
Presenter: Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS
In this volume, Stephen Bartels, MD, MS and Martha Bruce, PhD, MPH discuss strategies for balancing internal and external validity, and weigh the value of each in interventions for community-residing older adults with mental health problems.
Volume 8
Compared to What? Choosing Your Control Condition
Presenter: Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS
Control groups allow investigators to determine whether an observed effect is truly caused by the experimental intervention or by other factors, so investigators must carefully consider ethical and methodological issues related to the selection and use of a control condition.
Volume 9
Pilot Studies: Why, What, and How?
Presenter: Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS
Pilot studies are meant to refine methods and demonstrate feasibility, but what defines a good pilot study? Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS guides participants through a discussion of pilot study design, funding, and the importance of "clinical significance" in pilot studies.
Volume 10
How Many Participants Should Your Study Include? Understanding Effect Sizes and Statistical Significance
Presenter: Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS
A program that can show statistically significant results has a better chance of getting funding, but how many study participants are necessary to attain both clinical and statistical significance? Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS, and Martha L. Bruce, PhD, MPH discuss how to calculate an adequate sample size and strategies for identifying clinically significant change.
Volume 11
Cluster-Based Designs and Units of Randomization
Presenter: Martha L. Bruce, PhD, MPH
Many scientific and logistical factors determine the optimal unit of randomization for a given intervention. A cluster-based study design (i.e., clients within case workers; caseworkers within agencies) is often the most feasible and scientifically appropriate type of randomization, but researchers must take into account the implications and ethical considerations of cluster-based randomized designs.
Volume 12
Mixed Methods: Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods
Presenter: Lawrence A. Palinkas, PhD
The practice of integrating both quantitative and qualitative methods in health services research is the result of the recognition of the importance of research that is both comprehensive and interdisciplinary. This seminar defines "mixed methods" and identifies "Dos and Don'ts" in integrating these methods from the standpoint of people who write or review research proposals.
Volume 13
Increasing Your Chances of Getting Funded: Aligning Your Research with New Priorities for Funding at NIMH
Presenter: George T. Niederehe, PhD
Dr. Niederehe, Chief of the Geriatrics Research Branch at NIMH, explains the NIMH's funding priorities and strategic objectives and discusses grant application strategies for early career investigators that will best respond to these current priorities.
Volume 14
Incorporating Consumer Choice and Adaptive Interventions in Research Designs
Presenter: Steven H. Zarit, PhD
Unlike conventional randomized trials, adaptive interventions are interventions which can be tailored to the needs of each study participant. Dr. Steven Zarit discusses methods for developing and applying personalized treatment approaches in community-based geriatric mental health research.
Volume 15
Advantages and Disadvantages of Single versus Multiple Enrollment Sites: Is More Better?
Presenter: Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS
Do studies with multiple-enrollment sites have advantages over single-study sites? Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS uses actual research findings to illustrate the pros and cons of using two or more sites to recruit older adults into a community-based research study.
Volume 16
What Do the Changes in Criteria for Judging Grants Mean for You? Perspectives from Two Members of NIMH Review Committees
Presenter: Martha L. Bruce, PhD, MPH
The National Institutes of Health recently implemented enhanced criteria for judging the merit of grant applications. Martha Bruce, PhD, MPH discusses the new review criteria and how participants can address the core criteria upon which proposals will be evaluated under the new scoring system.
Volume 17
Fidelity Measures: What, Why, When, and How
Presenter: Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS
Achieving model fidelity is a challenge in community-based interventions research. Because treatment delivery depends upon a variety of factors, including frequency of sessions and diversity among providers and consumers, fidelity measures have been developed as an approach to quantify adherence to or deviation from a treatment model.
Volume 18
Research Interviewers/Data Collectors: Hiring, Training & On-going Supervision
Presenter: Sarah I. Pratt, PhD
Obtaining reliable data depends largely on the talents of the research interviewers who collect it. In this presentation, Dr. Sarah Pratt from Dartmouth Medical School will discuss the role of the research interviewer, strategies to train and supervise interviewers, and the importance of blinding the interviewer to the study participant's research condition.
Lessons from the Field:
Using examples of lessons learned from ongoing research on depression assessment and care in home healthcare conducted at Weill Cornell Medical College, these modules will provide the skills and materials needed to build community-based geriatric mental health services research projects:
Developing a Relationship with a Community-based Agency
This module presents strategies for developing research relationships with local and national agencies using both general background and specific information related to the work being done at Weill Cornell Medical College by Martha L. Bruce, PhD, MPH, and colleagues in the area of depression assessment in homecare.
Establish Parameters of Need
This module provides information to help determine the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to collecting agency data. Links to helpful articles and certain research measures, such as the OASIS, SCID, TRIAD, and PHQ-9, are included.
Learning About Clients/Patients: Sources of Information
There are many issues that can affect data collection, including how and from whom information is collected. This module highlights issues pertaining to ethics, feasibility, reliability, validity, and the costs of data collection.
Learning About Clients/Patients: Domains
In this module, we present key domains (medical, functional, cognitive, social, cultural and economic) that are useful in intervention development or in modifying evidence-based practices to meet the needs of clients and patients served by specific types of agencies. These domains are relevant to intervention development across the age span.
Learning About Clinicians/Providers
Effective community-based research demands that researchers 'get to know' the people who work in community settings to ensure that interventions are feasible within the context of routine practice and acceptable to the people who will be implementing them.
Training Community Providers: TRIAD, PHQ-9 and PHQ-2
This module provides training curriculum for two approaches to training community providers in depression screening. The purpose is to offer tools for training and to discuss some of the issues relevant to developing community-based screening strategies that are suitable for training community providers.
Depression Care Management (DCM)
Depression Care Management is a treatment model that pairs a care manager with the patient's primary care physician to help recognize depression and guide treatment. This model has been extensively studied and shown to be beneficial in reducing depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation in older primary care patients.
Segments from the CGMHR Magazine Series
Originally presented as part of the "CGMHR Magazine" seminar series, Dr. Martha Bruce draws upon her own experience in the field to provide participants the skills and information needed to build community-based geriatric mental health services research partnerships with home healthcare agencies.
Models of Community-based Care:
Featuring PATCH, PEARLS, TRIAD, and the New York University Caregiver Intervention, this module highlights four effective programs for providing community-based care to older adults with mental health problems. We provide a brief summary of each program, including links to existing resources and support materials. These outreach models incorporate different intervention approaches, with some focusing on recognition and assessment of mental illness, some focusing on treatment of mental illness, and some focusing on both aspects of community-based care.
PHQ-9 Training Module:
The Patient Health Questionnaire nine-item depression scale, or PHQ-9, assists clinicians in diagnosing depression and assessing treatment effectiveness. This training module entitled "Screening for Depression in the Elderly Using the PHQ-9" shows video examples of how best to administer the screening tool for each of the 9 symptoms, and common mistakes to avoid.
Tips for Successful Grant Writing:
Your grant proposal is the key to unlocking your research's potential. Dr. Martha Bruce, a leader in the field of geriatric mental health, offers suggestions and advice on writing or rewriting proposals that will excite reviewers and increase the chances of your grant getting funded. Originally presented as part of the "CGMHR Magazine" seminar series, all of the following tips are now collected into a single interface:
Funding and Grant Writing:
Your proposal can make or break your chances for getting funded. This section features selected expert tips and presentations from throughout the site, and collects them into 2 categories: "Style" and "Process", to help junior investigators craft well-written, persuasive, comprehensive grant proposals that will help win the funds to fuel their research projects.
Articles:
View and submit links to journal articles related to geriatric mental health research screening, clinical studies, evidence-based practices, and policy.
My Account:
Update your personal information, download PPT sets from your personal Slide Library tray, or view Certificates of Completion from posttests that you have successfully passed.
Posttests:
Test your knowledge after viewing presentations in the following sections: Challenges & Controversies, Lessons from the Field, and Models of Community-based Care. After passing each test, you may print a Certificate of Completion for your records.