New NIH-Funded Course Guides Mental Health Investigators in Conducting Effective, Ethical Research


		Contact: Center for Health Care Ethics Phone: (314) 977-6660 October 29, 2004 New NIH-Funded Course Guides Mental Health Investigators in Conducting Effective, Ethical Research A new course presented by Saint Louis University’s Center for Health Care Ethics and the Missouri Institute of Mental Health (MIMH) will guide mental health researchers on ways to conduct rigorous and effective studies that protect the rights of participants. The course is designed for investigators in the mental health services or clinical research fields, institutional review board members and participant advocates. “This course is important because it helps investigators tackle the many challenges of mental health research and educates investigators about resources that can assist them in doing what is right,” says James M. DuBois, Ph.D., associate professor at Saint Louis University’s Center for Health Care Ethics. Dr. DuBois and Jean Campbell, Ph.D., who directs the program in consumer studies and training at MIMH, serve as co-directors of this course. The nine-session program addresses ethical dilemmas that researchers face and train participants to use instructional materials at their local institutions. The course, “Ethics in Mental Health Research: A Multi-Media, Train-the-Trainer Program,” will be offered in the spring and fall of 2005. “The course complements the standard responsible conduct of research instruction that many institutions require of investigators before any type of research is conducted with human participants,” says DuBois. “One unique feature of our program is that the DVD and classroom discussions integrate the perspectives of ethics experts, researchers and mental health consumers who have participated in research.” Participants have the option of taking the course either on-line or in a classroom setting. Distance-learning participants will attend classes through live webcasting and teleconferencing. Course participants choosing the in-class option will attend sessions at the Missouri Institute of Mental Health, 5400 Arsenal Street. Participants who complete all nine sessions will receive a certificate of participation. Successfully completing this course by receiving a passing score on the final assessment materials will result in the participant receiving certification as a course trainer. The registration fee is $350 per person and includes all instruction, continuing professional education credit, and course material, including a DVD and textbook readings. For more information about the course, contact Karen Rhodes, Missouri Institute of Mental Health, at 314-644-8803 or karen.rhodes@mimh.edu. Founded in 1979, the Center for Health Care Ethics at Saint Louis University integrates academic research with teaching, learning and service in health care ethics. The Center’s faculty is comprised of full-time health care ethicists with primary appointments in the Center, as well as adjunct and secondary faculty from the Schools of Medicine, Law, Public Health and Research Methodology. For more information on the Center and its activities visit their homepage. # # #