• Institute update • 75th anniversary
Gordon’s remarks opened the symposium “75th Anniversary: Amplifying Voices and Building Bridges: Toward a More Inclusive Future,” which was held at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC and webcast on March 18, 2024. Part of a year-long celebration with a trio of themed symposia and other events, this symposium focused on inclusion in research, health disparities and access to care, and diversity in the mental health workforce.
“As an institute, we have much to be proud of, but we also need to reflect on our failures, particularly those related to racism and discrimination,” Dr Gordon said. “Understanding the past and the present will allow us to continue deconstructing systemic racism in biomedical research and pave the way for a brighter future.”
The symposium brought together researchers, those living with mental illness, clinicians and communities to reflect on opportunities for people to participate in mental health research in meaningful and equitable ways. The symposium opened with remarks by NIH Director Monica Bertagnolli, MD, and Gordon, followed by a keynote address by Ruth Shim, MD, MPH Luke Grace Kim Professor of Cultural Psychiatry and Professor of Clinical Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, Davis.
In her talk, Dr. Sim outlined the complex and checkered history of mental health care and research in the United States, from the conditions of early institutions to the structural forces that harm people within Black and other minority communities. She also discussed systemic issues, concepts of oppression, and the importance of moving from a focus solely on equality to prioritizing equity and justice, using community-based approaches that focus on the expertise of oppressed and minority communities and people with lived experiences of mental illness.
“Maya Angelou said: ‘History, despite its terrible pain, cannot be unlived, but if it is faced with courage, it need not be lived again.’ This is our hope as we think about NIMH going forward: We have the courage not to repeat the mistakes of the past,” said Dr. Sim.
The keynote speech was followed by various panels, such as:
- Involvement of prospective partners in researchwhich characterizes Loretta Sweet Jemmott, Ph.D., MSN, RN, FAAN , Rinad Beidas, Ph.D. and Carlos Laurrari, JD, M.PA., MSN and moderated by Joel Sherrill, Ph.D., Associate Director of the NIMH Division of Intervention Services and Research.
- Inclusion in Access to Care/Health Disparitieswhich characterizes Jessica Goodkind, Ph.D. , Benjamin Le Cook, Ph.D. and Sidney Hankerson, MD, MBA and moderated by Christina PC Borba, Ph.D., MPH, Director of the NIMH Office of Workforce Disparities and Diversity Research.
- Cultivating Inclusion in the Mental Health Research Workforcewhich characterizes Gina Poe, Ph.D. , Cynthia Rogers, MD , Fátima Sancheznieto, Ph.D. and Cesar Escobar-Viera, MD, Ph.D. , and moderated by Janet Clark, Ph.D., Director of Fellowship Training in the NIMH Intramural Research Program.
These conversations focus on navigating and removing barriers to inclusion and progress in mental health research and treatment. Speakers advocated for cultivating diversity and empowering early career researchers. They also discussed the importance of centering the participation, experiences and values of marginalized people through community engagement, amplifying voices and leveraging lived experience to address inequalities and achieve equity in mental health care delivery.
Altha Stewart, MD , Senior Associate Dean for Community Health Engagement, Director of Public and Community Psychiatry, and Director of Youth Advocacy and Well-Being at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, delivered the closing remarks. Drawing on stories from her experience as a Black psychiatrist, Dr. Stewart discussed historical context, the power of pivotal moments for change, and addressing future research and funding for health equity.
“We have made tremendous progress. There are things that have happened in the last decade that many of us would never have imagined,” said Dr Stewart, while acknowledging that there is still a lot of work to be done.
“It was an incredibly insightful day, and we are so grateful to all the speakers for sharing their time and experiences with us,” said Shelli Avenevoli, Ph.D., Associate Director of NIMH, in her closing remarks. “This symposium served as a reminder and a call to action for all of us to create an inclusive future.”
Recordings from this symposium are available on the NIMH website and the YouTube channel . To learn more about NIMH’s 75th anniversary, visit www.nimh.nih.gov/75years.
