Mental Health & Substance Use

Dr. Linda Oakley meets with a patient at the UW South Madison Partnership — Linda Oakley, PhD, RN

Faculty conduct research to improve treatment and quality of life for people living with mental health and substance use concerns.

Our transdisciplinary research:

Determines possible causes of mental health concerns and substance use behaviors in key populations
Identifies opportunities for prevention

Populations of interest currently include individuals with chronic health conditions; marginalized communities experiencing despair; people who use drugs; queer, trans/nonbinary, and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities.

Signature Research Areas

More About Research on Mental Health & Substance Use

Research News

Laura Block Awarded Grant to Study Alzheimer’s Disease and Mental Illness Co-Occurrence in Nursing Home Residents
Laura Block, BS, BSN, RN, was awarded a Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F31) grant to support the study Characterizing Alzheimers Disease and Serious Mental Illness Co-Occurrence Among Nursing Home Residents and Relationship to Symptomatology and Care Practices.
A Passion for Mental Health Care Becomes a Personal Legacy
Over the course of her 45-year career, Phyllis Clark Jacobs ’65 shaped the landscape of mental health care and psychiatric nursing.
Dr. Katie Pavek | Grant Award
Dr. Katie Pavek was awarded a SoN Research and Scholarship Committee grant to support the project MINDSTRONG™: Improving Wellness for UW-Madison School of Nursing Students.
Dr. Anne Ersig | Grant Award
Dr. Anne Ersig, PhD, RN was awarded a SoN Research and Scholarship Committee grant to support the project Stress and Allostatic Load in Adolescents with Chronic Health Conditions.
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