Mental Health Equity Research Support

Health equity-informed research involves understanding the unique needs of people and communities and how these needs affect their health. Recognizing the different circumstances and challenges people face helps investigators uncover innovative ways to prevent and treat depression.

Factors like age, gender, race, disability, location, and many others can impact a person's mental health, access to treatment, and quality of life. Considering these factors in your research helps ensure that high-quality, effective services are available to everyone, no matter who they are or where they live.

Advancing health equity in mental health research

There are many different ways to consider mental health equity in your research, including:

Involving community representatives in your research
Removing participation barriers, such as transportation and communication
Returning relevant findings back to communities, in accessible formats
Using culturally appropriate measurement tools

Consultations for U-M researchers

We offer a free, one-hour virtual consultation for University of Michigan researchers interested in mental health equity. Lara Coughlin, PhD, Mental Health Equity faculty lead, is available to provide guidance in the following areas:

Advising on study design, including sampling strategies, data collection, and working with community partners, among other topics
Identifying and incorporating health equity frameworks that align with funding and/or publishing priorities
Identifying appropriate funding sources and journals for mental health equity research
Reviewing, editing, and providing feedback on grant submissions, manuscripts, and works-in-progress related to mental health equity

Request a consultation