The development and implementation of the National Comorbidity Survey Replication, the National Survey of American Life, and the National Latino and Asian American Survey

This paper provides an overview of the development and implementation of the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys (CPES): the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R), the National Survey of American Life (NSAL), and the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS). It describes the instrument development and testing phases, the development of training and other project materials, interviewer recruitment and training activities, and data collection procedures and outcomes. The last section offers recommendations for other researchers who undertake similar studies and who might benefit from the experiences learned in the development and operation of NCS-R, NSAL and NLAAS. Copyright © 2004 Whurr Publishers Ltd.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/34226/1/180_ftp.pd

Religious Participation and DSM IV Major Depressive Disorder Among Black Caribbeans in the United States

This study examines the relationship between religious involvement and 12-month and lifetime DSM-IV major depressive disorder (MDD) within a nationally rep- resentative sample of Black Caribbean adults. MDD was assessed using the DSM-IV World Mental Health Com- posite International Diagnostic Interview (WMH-CIDI). Religious involvement included measures of religious coping, organizational and nonorganizational involvement, and subjective religiosity. Study findings indicate that religious involvement is associated with 12-month and lifetime prevalence of MDD. Multivariate relationships between religious involvement and MDD indicate lower prevalence of 12-month and lifetime MDD among persons who use religious coping and characterize themselves as being religious (for lifetime prevalence only); persons who frequently listen to religious radio programs report higher lifetime MDD. Lower rates of 12-month and lifetime MDD are noted for persons who attend religious services at least once a week (as compared to both higher and lower levels of attendance), indicating a curvilinear relationship. The findings are discussed in relation to previous research on religion and mental health concerns, conceptual models of the role of religion in mental health (e.g., prevention, resource mobilization) that specify multiple and often divergent pathways and mechanisms of religious effects on health outcomes, and the role of religion among Caribbean Blacks.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/107411/1/Religious Participation and DSM IV Major Depressive Disorder Among Black Caribbeans in the United States.pdfDescription of Religious Participation and DSM IV Major Depressive Disorder Among Black Caribbeans in the United States.pdf : Main articl

Is This Relevant? Physician Perceptions, Clinical Relevance, and Religious Content in Clinical Interactions

Despite wide support among physicians for practicing patient-centered care, clinical interactions are primarily driven by physicians’ perception of relevance. While some will perceive a connection between religion and patient health, this relevance will be less apparent for others. I argue that physician responses when religious/spiritual topics come up during clinical interactions will depend on their own religious/spiritual background. The more central religion is for the physician, the greater his or her perception of religion\u27s impact on health outcomes and his or her inclusion of religion/spirituality within clinical interactions. Using a nationally representative sample of physicians in the United States and mediated path models, I estimate models for five different physician actions to evaluate these relationships. I find that a physician\u27s religious background is strongly associated with whether or not he or she thinks religion impacts health outcomes, which is strongly predictive of inclusion. I also find that not all of the association between inclusion and physicians’ religious background is mediated by thinking religion impacts health outcomes. Issues of religion\u27s relevance for medicine are important to the degree that religious beliefs are an important dimension of patients’ lives