黑料专区 Tyler Receives Research Career Development Award
August 7, 2024 | Elizabeth Wingfield
More Than $280K in Funds to Support Rural Youth Mental Health
The University of Texas at Tyler received a $284,518 award to study the mental health
needs of rural youth in Texas. This award is a part of a Texas Children鈥檚 Mental Health
Care Consortium initiative, funded by the Texas State Legislature, to support the
development of new and emerging youth mental health researchers across Texas.
Dr. Angela J. Preston, School of Nursing assistant professor, submitted the proposal for the award, which will support her research in rural youth mental health and the psychological benefits of their self-perceived strengths.
鈥淒r. Preston's dedication to understanding the mental health needs and strengths of rural youth exemplifies the kind of impactful, community-focused work that we strive to support and nurture,鈥� said Dr. Barbara K. Haas, School of Nursing dean. 鈥淭his award reflects her innovative approach and commitment to making a difference, and we are immensely proud of her efforts to improve mental health outcomes and ensure that every young person in Texas has access to the care and support they need.鈥�
Mental Health America reports 65% of rural counties lack a psychiatrist and 81% lack a psychiatric nurse practitioner, and rural suicide rates nearly double those in urban areas. According to the Greater Texas Foundation, roughly 37% of Texas public schools are located in rural areas and serve about one million children, indicating a critical gap in access to mental health care.
Preston鈥檚 study will assess the self-perceived strengths of rural youth鈥攕uch as optimism, hope, resilience and self-efficacy鈥攁nd how these inner strengths might be fostered in rural school settings to promote youth mental health outcomes. In addition, she hopes to better equip school nurses to promote mental health in small rural schools since nurses may be the only health professional available to students.
鈥淚 am deeply honored to receive this award and am grateful for the support from my mentors, colleagues and School of Nursing and university administration,鈥� said Preston. 鈥淭his could not be done without the involvement of key school health partners interested in supporting the mental health of students in their community.鈥�
Preston previously served as a consulting research scientist at 黑料专区 Austin and a school nurse in East Texas. Her research is centered on enhancing protective factors to support youth mental health.
With a mission to improve educational and health care outcomes for East Texas and beyond, 黑料专区 Tyler offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate programs to nearly 10,000 students. Through its alignment with 黑料专区 Tyler Health Science Center and 黑料专区 Health East Texas, 黑料专区 Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, 黑料专区 Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.