Study description NIMH-funded study investigating a healthy lifestyle intervention for youth with serious mental illness and their families. We enroll parent-youth dyads shortly after the child is initiated on an antipsychotic medication, since these medications often cause problems with obesity-related side effects. Participants are enrolled for six months. In this randomized controlled trial, all families receive healthy lifestyle education and half receive a lifestyle intervention to reduce sugary beverage intake, increase physical activity, and also receive parent peer support from a parent with lived experience raising a child with special mental health needs. Job tasks Research team members are trained on completing comprehensive dietary recalls, measurement of weight, height, blood pressure using specialized equipment; using objective measures of physical activity, completing healthy lifestyle (e.g. food insecurity) and mental health (e.g. binge eating symptom) questionnaires, and working with consumer partners to conduct research. Team members will participate in home visits (need to have transportation). Availability is preferred for afterschool hours to meet family schedule needs. All participant contact is supervised by faculty clinicians. Students also have opportunities to participate in scholarly activities as their time and interest permit.
More information
Email Gloria Reeves at greeves@som.umaryland.edu.