IDENTITY, SELF, ROLE AND MENTAL HEALTH

Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington IN

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (Applicant's Abstract): This program aims to increase the number of persons bringing sophisticated theoretical and methodological skills to research on mental health topics, doing so by training pre-and postdoctoral fellows for research relating concepts of the social psychology of self to key processes in mental health. The program develops from the premise, confirmed by research, that self is critical to explaining variation in social and individual behavior in general end in mental health related behavior in particular. It develops from the further premise, also supported by research, that the content and impact on behavior of self cognitions are constrained, facilitated or shaped by persons' locations in social groups end larger social structures. Substantively, the focus of thc program is on thc phenomenology, onset, course end treatment of persons with mental health problems, reflecting a conviction that theories of self and identity can make critical contributions to thc continuing development of theoretically sensitive research on mental health. Training covers thc theory end methods of research on identity, self, role end related constructs, end the theory end methods of research relating social structural end social psychological variables to mental health. Special emphases include (l) a concern with both theoretical development of the social psychology of self, end application of developed theories to mental health issues; (2) en interdisciplinary orientation, drawing on thc literatures of sociology, social psychology, psychology, psychiatry and related fields; (3) interdisciplinary personnel; (4) the application of contemporary measurement end multivariate analytic strategies in theory-driven research on thc mental health consequences of variation in self; (5) use of rigorous qualitative methods to complement rigorous quantitative methods; (6) involvement of fellows in continuous research activity independently end in collaboration with program faculty and fellows; (7) participation in an on-going faculty-fellow seminar in which research plans, progress end accomplishments are presented end critically appraise. Six predoctoral fellows drawn primarily from post-M.A, graduate students in sociology end psychology and 4 postdoctoral fellows drawn from sociology, psychology or cognate disciplines will bc involved in the program each year.