Child and Adolescent Research Priorities at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): Aligning with the NIMH Strategic Plan

• In Event: Early Career Funding Opportunities and Child Development Research Priorities at the National Institutes of Health

Abstract

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) supports a range of research on pediatric mental illness, from identifying and understanding basic mechanisms of psychopathology and associated symptoms to the development of services and interventions for the prevention and treatment of pediatric mental illness. The goal of this presentation is to summarize the objectives outlined in the NIMH Strategic Plan that focus on priorities in pediatric mental health research.
While priorities in pediatric research at NIMH are ever evolving, the NIMH strategic plan includes two overarching objectives within its goal to examine mental illness trajectories across the lifespan: 1) characterize the trajectories of brain, cognitive, affective, and behavioral development across the lifespan and in diverse populations and, 2) identify and understand risk factors, biomarkers, and behavioral indicators of mental illnesses and of intervention responses across the lifespan. Within these overarching objectives, NIMH supports research that aims to elucidate mechanisms contributing to trajectories of brain development and behavior as well as characterize the emergence and progression of mental illness and identify sensitive periods for intervention. Additionally, research that seeks to determine early risk and protective factors and develop reliable and robust biomarkers and assessments to predict illness onset and course are also supported by NIMH. In addition, NIMH supports mental health services research to develop and test innovative strategies to promote early identification of mental illness and engagement in prevention and treatment services for children and adolescents.
Within these broad scientific objectives/goals, specific areas of interest to NIMH’s pediatric portfolios will be discussed, such as understanding risk and protective factors associated with youth suicide, mental health disparities, development of adolescent-specific HIV prevention programs, improving access to services for children at risk for autism or mental illness, among others. Specific funding opportunity announcements supported by NIMH in the area of pediatric psychopathology will be highlighted.

Author

• Ashley R Smith, National Institute of Mental Health
  Presenting Author