Congratulations to two of our family medicine research faculty Suzanna M. Zick, N.D., M.P.H and Katherine J. Gold, M.D., M.S.W., M.S. on their recent grant awards from the Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research (MICHR). Read more about their new endeavors:
Development of a novel approach to validate participation in commercial online support groups: addressing data quality in the MOMSonLINE RCT for mothers with perinatal loss.
Katherine J. Gold, M.D., M.S.W., M.S.
Katherine J. Gold, M.D., M.S.W., M.S., Assistant Professor of Family Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynecology
Pilot Grant Program award from the Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research (MICHR) at the University of Michigan
Dr. Katherine J. Gold received a MICHR Pilot Grant as well as the 2017 Rachel Upjohn Clinical Scholars Award, which will support a two-year pilot investigation, MOMSonLINE.
Perinatal death--loss of a baby in the second half of pregnancy (stillbirth) or an infant death in the first month of life—occurs in one of every 80 live births and is traumatic and emotionally devastating for parents. Bereaved mothers have four times the risk of postpartum depression compared with live-birth moms but have low rates of mental health treatment and may avoid traditional mental health care. While hundreds of thousands of people use online internet support groups, there is sparse data about user mental health outcomes for any health group and none for pregnancy/infant loss groups. MOMSonLINE is an 8-week randomized controlled pilot feasibility study of online support for mothers after perinatal bereavement. Thirty bereaved mothers who participated in a prior study will be randomly assigned them to one of three groups: an online anonymous message board for loss; an online closed Facebook group (both online groups will also receive text message support); or a control group in which they receive supportive articles about grieving but no interactive peer component. We will measure feasibility, recruitment and retention, adherence, mental health, and satisfaction. This is the first study to investigate depression outcomes among users of an existing online support group for pregnancy/infant loss and feasibility of assigning bereaved mothers to an online support group. If effective, existing internet groups could offer an alternative or augmentation to traditional care for depression, via a method which is free, convenient, accessible, and available anywhere internet access exists.
Acupressure for Fatigue and Co-occurring Symptoms in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Suzanna M Zick, N.D., M.P.H., Research Associate Professor in collaboration with Richard Harris, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine Division of Rheumatology at the University of Michigan.
Pilot Grant Program award from the Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research (MICHR) at the University of Michigan
