Participatory research in systems of care for children's mental health.

Full Abstract

The children's system of care initiative in the United States requires the participation of caregivers of children with emotional or behavioral problems in conducting research and evaluation. This entails a restructuring of traditional power dynamics among families served by the community mental health system and other system stakeholders, including researchers. However, evidence indicates that system of care research may not currently embrace the different types of knowledge possessed by caregivers and may be frustrated by traditional power hierarchies, resulting in research findings that are not useful for the community. In this paper I examine a framework for power and knowledge and examine how, when viewed through this framework, participatory research in the system of care initiative thus far may be less than authentic. I conclude with improvements suggested by the framework that are expected to shift power to caregivers and result in more useful, actionable research findings for the community.

Author information

Author/s: Pullmann, Michael D (MD);

Affiliation: Vanderbilt University, Peabody Box 151, Nashville, TN 37203, USA. Michael.D.Pullmann(-atsign-)Vanderbilt.edu

Grants: R01 MH-70680 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; R21 DA017682 (Agency:NIDA NIH HHS) ; T32 MH-019544 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

Journal: American journal of community psychology (Am J Community Psychol), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Sep; vol 44 (issue 1-2) : pp 43-53

Dates: Created 2009/07/24; Completed 2009/11/04;

PMID: 19533331, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/4/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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