Anxiety Disorders and Couples
Dr. Norman Epstein
Dr. Epstein is involved in research on the characteristics of couples in which one member has generalized anxiety disorder or agoraphobia. The study compares the characteristics of these couples with characteristics of couples free of anxiety disorders. The results will be used to design treatments for couples that include an individual with anxiety problems.

Fostering Resilency in At-Risk African American Children
Dr. Sally Koblinsky and Dr. Suzanne Randolph
The researchers and Family Science graduate students implemented and evaluated a family strengthening program for low-income African American parents of Head Start children in Washington, D.C. The project, funded by the U.S. Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, sought to increase family resilience and minimize young children's susceptibility to drug use and violence. In the first year, the researchers used a community consensus-building process to select a culturally-appropriate intervention program, Effective Black Parenting. Two cycles of the program were implemented with 34 African American families who resided in neighborhoods with high levels of community violence. A group of 31 nonparticipating families in similar neighborhoods served as a comparison group. A pretest-posttest design was used to assess the impact of the family strengthening model on parents' and children's attitudes and behaviors. Findings provide lessons for developing successful university-community collaborations and for designing culturally-sensitive parenting programs.

Program for Individuals Diagnosed with Schizophrenia and Their Families
Dr. Norman Epstein and Dr. Roger Rubin
This project, funded by the U.S. Public Health Service, is developing and implementing a family-based intervention for individuals with schizophrenia and their families in Prince George's County, Maryland and adjoining counties. The Department of Family Science, through a collaboration with Vesta, Inc., a psychosocial rehabilitation program for the chronically mentally ill, has selected an exemplary practice model for family psychoeducation and training in communication and problem-solving skills. This treatment approach is highly relevant for patients with schizophrenia and their families who are served at Vesta, with African Americans comprising 2/3 of the target population.

Women's Use of Alcohol Treatment Services
Dr. Jacqueline Wallen and Dr. Manouchehr Mokhtari
Dr. Wallen and Dr. Mokhtari conducted a three-year study funded by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAA) to better understand how women with alcohol problems use treatment services. The study employed a sample of over 100 Maryland alcoholism treatment centers and approximately 250 female patients in these units to investigate patterns of alcoholism treatment utilization among particular subpopulations of women (such as women with children and women covered by Medicaid) in different treatment settings. Information on the women included in the study was gathered at two points in time: shortly after entry into treatment and after 6 months. Data collected on individual women include previous treatment, referral source, type of treatment, insurance coverage, age, race, severity of alcoholism, drug use, presence of psychiatric comorbidities, motivation for treatment, treatment goals, and alcohol/drug problems at 6-month followup.