Clinical-Disaster Research Center

What We Do

Based in Oxford, Mississippi, the University of Mississippi Clinical Disaster Research Center is a diverse team of researchers and graduate students from the University of Mississippi Department of Psychology. The UM-CDRC focuses on research, education, and service in the area of clinical-disaster psychology.

Mission

The mission of The University of Mississippi Clinical-Disaster Research Center (UM-CDRC) is to integrate service, training, and research in disaster mental health. We seek to develop evidence-based disaster preparedness, mitigation, and response practices to meet the needs of the University, local community, and region. The UM-CDRC strives to better understand the experiences of those affected by disasters and how they cope with these events. Research is conducted to devise, implement, and evaluate empirically-based disaster preparedness, mitigation, and response programs with the intent of minimizing risk factors and maximizing protective factors. With rigorous, systematic research as a foundation, and with expertise in clinical, community, multicultural, and positive psychology, the UM-CDRC works to understand how concepts like resilience, self-efficacy, and perceived meaning foster disaster recovery and posttraumatic growth.

Current Grants and Research

The UM-CDRC is currently focused on the BP Behavioral Health Grant and works within the areas of clinical disaster research, positive psychology, consultation, program evaluation, and disaster response training.

BP Behavioral Health Grant

The UM-CDRC is currently under contract with the Mississippi Department of Mental Health to monitor the BP Behavioral Health Grant in Mississippi. The project includes collaborating with 19 mental health agencies along the Mississippi Gulf Coast to assess psychological variables, services provided, and treatment outcomes in the wake of the Gulf Oil Spill.

Clinical Disaster Research

Natural and man-made disasters often occur unexpectedly and can cause significant difficulties for those living in the disaster affected area. The UM-CDRC conducts research with individuals affected by disasters to better understand their experience and how they cope with these difficulties.

Positive Psychology

Disasters are traumatic experiences that can negatively affect people’s lives. Yet, somehow, most disaster survivors recover from these experiences and go on to lead happy and productive lives. The UM-CDRC studies how positive attributes, such as meaning in life, resilience, and self-efficacy, allow survivors to overcome the effects of a disaster.