Family Level Research, Family Health, Well-Being, and Resilience

Council Date: February 5, 2019

Objectives

The purpose of this initiative is to advance the science of minority health and health disparities by supporting research on family health and well-being and resilience. The NIMHD Research Framework recognizes family health, family well-being, and family resilience as critically important areas of research.

Description of Initiative:

This initiative will support multidisciplinary family level research examining how racial/ethnic minority and health disparity families promote, sustain or enhance family health in response to adverse social and environmental exposures. The emphasis of this initiative is to understand and clarify the dynamic mechanisms and processes operating at the family systems level and the positive or negative impact of these on family functioning, well-being, family health and resiliency.

We are interested in family level research that includes but is not limited to the following:

  • Behavioral, social, and environmental factors that promote or threaten the health of racial/ethnic minority and health disparity family units, including
    • the role of policy, engagement with community service organizations and other community resources
    • access to and utilization of health services
  • Family level interventions for preventing or mitigating the impact of adverse social and environmental exposures on family heath