Irène P. Mathieu, MD, MPH

Children and adolescents are facing a mental health crisis. In the United States and Virginia itself, one in five children has a mental health diagnosis. During the COVID pandemic, 30% of Virginia parents reported a decrease in their child(ren)’s mental health. Worryingly, mental health challenges during childhood have lasting physical and mental health consequences across the life course. Because the pediatric mental health workforce lacks the capacity to meet the current demand for care, innovative, community-based interventions must be created and implemented. This is particularly important for health equity, given that many young people lack access to high-quality mental health care.

The Wellness And Youth Social action (WAYS) Lab is focused on improving the socio-emotional health of all children through community-partnered, mixed-methods research on mental and behavioral health disparities and their solutions. We do this by centering the voices of youth as co-researchers, engaging with individuals and organizations in Central Virginia, and sustaining interdisciplinary partnerships at UVA, including with the Equity Center, Youth-Nex, and the School of Education and Human Development. We are also interested in better understanding the impact of participatory research methods on youth and adult researchers alike. Our lab asks, how might these approaches change both health equity translational research outcomes and the researchers themselves?

Beyond research, we strive to promote holistic well-being through community educational outreach and cultivating a supportive and inclusive lab environment. The WAYS Lab is dedicated to inspiring and training the next generation of child health equity researchers through mentorship and participatory action research.

Lab website: https://med.virginia.edu/pediatrics/pediatric-research/ways-lab/