UF researcher to study depression in Latina women

August 18, 2007

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — University of Florida College of Nursing assistant professor Jeanne Marie Stacciarini has received a $202,113 supplementary grant from the National Institutes of Health to study depression in Latinas and promote diversity in health-related research.

The supplement was awarded under the NIH study associate professor Shawn Kneipp is conducting to determine ways of reducing women’s health disparities through an approach called community-based participatory research, or CBPR.

Stacciarini’s preliminary findings revealed that unique health beliefs, strong community values, languages barriers and dependency on men make it difficult for Latina women who are depressed to be properly identified. These factors also impair their ability to receive culturally appropriate treatment, leaving many women incapable of taking care of themselves and their families. Depression in the Latina community is fairly common but is often left untreated, she said.

As part of her new research, Stacciarini will collaborate with researchers and community representatives from Central and North Central Florida.

Her long-range goal is to develop an effective community-based, culturally appropriate intervention to treat depression in Latinas, consistent with the related goals of Healthy People 2010 and NIH’s Strategic Plan for Reducing Health Disparities. This will include helping depressed Latina women access treatment.

In the first year of the two-year grant, Stacciarini will work with Kneipp and her research team to learn more about CBPR and make research connections in the community.

In the second year, Stacciarini will conduct a pilot study to learn more about mental health services for Latina women in Alachua County, determine cultural barriers to treatment and examine possible community-based approaches to intervention.