Earlise Ward, PhD, MS
Congratulations to Earlise Ward, PhD, MS (Professor) on receiving a Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality award for the project “Cognitive Behavioral Faith-Based Depression Intervention for African American Adults (CB-FAITH): An Effectiveness and Implementation Trial.” The primary aims of this project are to examine the effectiveness of CB-FAITH in reducing symptoms of clinical depression, to use RE-AIM framework to examine the reach, adoption, implementation, and maintenance of the intervention, and to examine moderating effects of religiosity on treatment effectiveness. The treatment focuses on culturally relevant strategies to increase knowledge of clinical depression and healthy coping behaviors and has been designed for co-delivery by licensed African American mental health clinicians and trained African American pastors. Ward is grateful to several African American community stakeholders and faith-based leaders for their partnership in developing CB-FAITH. As the first behavioral depression intervention set inside cognitive behavioral framework and religious/spiritual principles in an Afrocentric paradigm, CB-FAITH is innovative and has transformative potential to advance health equity.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is the lead federal agency charged with improving the safety and quality of healthcare for all Americans. They develop knowledge, tools, and data needed to improve the healthcare systema and help consumers, healthcare professionals, and policymakers make informed health decisions.
Published: August 2023