Through a community-partnered approach we will develop and deliver a parent-teacher relationship intervention at local preschools that serve under-represented minority families.
Targeted Condition: Health disparities
Applying Critical Race Theory to investigate the impact of COVID-19-related policy changes on racial/ethnic disparities in medication treatment for opioid use disorder
With the rise in opioid use disorder (OUD) and overdose, racialized disparities in buprenorphine access and use are a significant concern nationally—studies estimate that Black patients with OUD are 50-60% less likely to access buprenorphine compared to White patients, and similar disparities have also been observed for Hispanic/Latinx patients. COVID-19-related policy changes increased flexibility in the provision of buprenorphine and other effective medications for OUD over telehealth and present an unprecedented opportunity to examine impacts of a structural intervention—relaxed MOUD restrictions—on disparities that result from structural racism and discrimination (SRD). The proposed study, guided by Public Health Critical Race Praxis, will use data from the nation’s largest provider of substance use care and quantitative and qualitative methods to examine the impact of these policy changes on racialized disparities for Black and Hispanic/Latinx patients to inform future policy and interventions to improve equitable care for OUD.
High potency cannabis policy legislative report
| Explore and suggest policy solutions in response to the public health challenges of high tetrahydrocannabinol potency cannabis. ADAI will host stakeholder sessions to gain perspectives, seek common ground, evaluate, and assess potential policy solutions culminating in a final recommendation report. |
Global Mental Health Databank (MindKind)
| The goal of this study is to learn how best to design a databank – a pool of data – about emotional health experiences from youth from around the world. The University of Washington is partnering with Sage Bionetworks to develop a user-friendly data platform for mental health interventions for youth. The overall scope of this project is to recruit 1,500 youth in South Africa, India, and the UK (each) to engage in a mental health intervention and both share their data and help co-design a user-friendly database for lay people, researchers and other key stakeholders. The University of Washington will provide global mental health expertise to Sage’s team to guide design, implementation, and interpretation of data collected. |
Intervention to increase naloxone engagement and distribution in community pharmacies
This multi-site study will test the efficacy of an intervention to train and equip pharmacists to provide naloxone, an overdose antidote, to patients using prescribed and illicit opioids, to improve opioid safety and prevent opioid-involved adverse events. The study will carry out a stepped-wedge, cluster randomized trial implemented over five waves, within two chain community pharmacies across four states with varying pharmacy-based naloxone distribution laws: Oregon, Washington, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Our specific study aims are to: 1) integrate two successful demonstration research projects into one cohesive educational program (MOON+), 2) evaluate the effectiveness of MOON + on naloxone-related outcomes, and 3) use mixed methods to further explore the impact and implementation of MOON+ and associated factors (e.g., state policy, store policy, region).
Understanding mental health problems and health risk behaviors among LGBT Veterans
LGBT Veterans have faced a long history of stigma, discrimination, and exclusionary policies that were intended to exclude them from military service. Despite recent shifts in policy and increased staff trainings, existing evidence suggests that this group is at high risk for health disparities, particularly with respect to mental health and health risk behaviors. While informative, the research to date has been limited in several respects: cross-sectional designs, collapsing LGBT subgroups, severe lack of data on some subgroups, problems with identifying a comparison group, and lack of data on risk and protective factors and care experiences. This prospective cohort study will fill these gaps, recruiting and conducting surveys online with 1,600 Veterans to identify health disparities, test a conceptual model of prospective risk and protective factors, and assess VA utilization, barriers to care, and treatment preferences. Data from this study will inform future intervention efforts to achieve health equity for LGBT Veterans.
PATHSS Study: Participatory Active Transportation for Health in South Seattle
This observational study will examine mobility challenges and opportunities among people living and working in South Beacon Hill using participatory research methods: 1) community member photography-enhanced storytelling (photovoice), 2) interviews with Beacon Hill stakeholders and community members, and 3) mobility audits.
