Around 43 million Americans are currently living with a diagnosable mental disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. That’s 1 in 5 adults in this country, dealing with serious problems like anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress and schizophrenia. The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ Psychiatric Research Institute has experience in treating all of these disorders, with a dedicated staff whose primary goal is to help members of the community reach their potential despite any mental health condition they may be struggling with. PRI is Arkansas’ leader in the research and treatment of psychiatric diseases, the only solution for many individuals who have been misdiagnosed in the past only to come to our facility to receive the care and comfort they needed for so long. Our signature programs have come to be known throughout the state for their refined efforts in treating significant issues that complicate the lives of many Arkansans.
The Helen L. Porter and James T. Dyke Brain Imaging Research Center (BIRC) utilizes state-of-the-art technology to focus on issues related to human neuroscience. The BIRC staff understands that brain health is essential to health in general and mental illness is the result of disorders of brain structure and function. For these reasons, the BIRC is exploring the most complex and least understood organ in the human body in an effort to gain a better understanding of the causes of mental illness and specific brain responses to medication and behavioral therapies.
The Center for Addiction Research (CAR) has been existence since 2004, a group of researchers tasked with studying methods for treating and preventing addictive disorders. CAR has a proven track record for developing evidenced-based means of treating substance abuse while attempting to gain a better understanding of those dependent on stimulants, alcohol, opiates, nicotine and marijuana. The leaders of CAR are some the state’s most knowledgeable and most experienced scientists, charged with examining the characteristics of addicts with an eye toward enhancing Arkansas’ and the nation’s effectiveness in treating addiction.
The Child and Adolescent Psychiatry division treats Arkansas’ youngest patients, many of whom are barely old enough to speak, much less understand the problems they have at home and in school. Our Child Study Center, located at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, treats children up to the age of 18, relying on highly skilled counselors to meet a variety of needs of patients and their families. The Psych TLC (Telehealth, Liaison and Consults) program provides the state’s physicians and nurse practitioners with access to trained experts in child and adolescent mental health. STRIVE (Seeking To Reinforce my Identity and Values Everyday) is a school-based community outreach program that provides intensive outpatient therapy for students who are at risk for out-of-home placement due to emotional and behavioral problems. PRI’s Child Diagnostic Unit (CDU) is an inpatient unit, whose specialists in child psychiatry, psychology, occupational therapy, speech and language and education assess and treat children with a variety of health concerns.
The Center for Health Services Research (CHSR) is one of the nation’s largest research groups, a team of faculty and post-doctoral fellows conducting scientific studies in the areas of mental health and substance abuse. Taking a multi-disciplinary approach to the problems facing Arkansans and those in surrounding states, DHSR’s investigators have received numerous large grants from the Department of Defense, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to further their efforts..
The Women’s Mental Health Program is unlike any other in Arkansas, a group of clinicians who specialize in providing care to women who are planning a pregnancy, are currently pregnant or who are postpartum and have either mental-health or substance-abuse issues. The specialists in this program are experienced in meeting the needs of women in a calm, soothing surrounding. Outpatient and inpatient care is available in an effort to eliminate any disruptions in the patient’s lifestyle.