COLLEGE PARK, MD (July, 2014) Dr. Matthew Miller, an associate professor in the Department of Counseling, Higher Education and Special Education, has been selected by the American Psychological Foundation to receive a Division 17 Counseling Psychology Grant.
Among other topics, Dr. Miller's research examines the role of cultural and racial factors in health disparities. The project for which he has received this APF grant seeks to address the high rate of depression and the low rate of mental health service utilization in Asian American elder populations by developing an ecologically and culturally valid intervention.
Asian American elders are one of the fastest growing groups in the U.S. and have higher levels of depressive symptoms than any other racial group. This is especially troubling because they are less likely to seek treatment, are typically more severely disturbed once they do seek treatment, and have poorer treatment outcomes on average than other racial groups. So it is important for researchers to devise alternative strategies for this population's psychiatric care.
The project Dr. Miller is spearheading will deliver culturally apt, evidence-based content via videos at Asian American senior centers. The video intervention will feature testimony by Asian American elders and community leaders and will present cognitive behavioral and motivational interviewing depression treatment strategies. Also, Dr. Miller will conduct focus groups and interviews with the elder population to optimize the intervention, refine the content, and determine the potential for broader use, and senior center staff will also contribute feedback on the intervention's feasibility.
Dr. Matthew Miller is an associate professor of counseling psychology in the Department of Counseling, Higher Education and Special Education. His research interests include Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander cultural experiences; vocational psychology with diverse populations; social justice engagement; and applied psychological measurement.
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