Project Title: Risk Factors Associated with CFS and CF Prognosis
Funding Source: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Leonard A. Jason, Ph.D., Principal Investigator
Nicole Porter, Ph.D., Project Director
Few studies have examined the natural history course of CFS over time, particularly in random, community-based, multi-ethnic populations. In the past, almost all studies with samples of CFS and chronic fatigue patients have relied on referrals from physicians or health facilities, which biased the sample by illness, help-seeking behaviors, or differential access to health are. In contrast, a recent community-based study found the prevalence rate of CFS to be .4% among adults, and the prevalence of CFS among adults was higher among Latino and African-American samples than among the White sample (Jason et al., 1999). These findings might be due to the fact that this sample was collected from an urban area, and a community-based approach was used, thus minimizing the influence of biased data collection procedures. The present study will rigorously evaluate the natural history of CFS in an ethnically and socioeconomically diverse sample unbiased by illness and help-seeking behaviors, or by differential access to the health care system. Major benefits of this study are the diversity of the population, identification of cases from the community rather than the health care system, and the use of a medical exam to confirm CFS and chronic fatigue diagnoses.
Oxford House Project Title: Abstinent Social Support in Oxford House
Funding Source: National Institute of Drug Abuse
Leonard A. Jason, Ph.D., Principal Investigator
Bradley Olson, Ph.D., Co-Principal Investigator
Dave Mueller, Ph.D., Project Director
The primary aim of this project is to employ a randomized design to more
closely study the role played by post-release aftercare in the outcomes of
300 criminal offenders who received in-prison substance abuse treatment. This
study proposes to compare the relative effectiveness of Therapeutic
Community (TC) aftercare to an Oxford House (OH) aftercare alternative
that provides a supportive living environment without the professional treatment
of TC aftercare. Bringing scientific methods to the examination of
TCs and the OH community-based recovery models for addiction will help identify
the active ingredients of these recovery settings. Typically, TC
aftercare outcomes for prison TC graduates are compared to aftercare-as-usual,
which can range across a wide variety of interventions. Few if any
comparison groups have provided a residential setting that emphasizes socialization
and abstinence from drugs and alcohol, a hallmark of TC aftercare settings.
The proposed study will utilize ex-offenders randomly assigned to either
TCs, OHs, or usual care post-release settings, and examine program effects
(i.e., substance use, criminal and health outcomes), and economic factors
associated with these models. Research findings from a study that contrasts
these different approaches has the potential of influencing practice and
informing policy.
Project Title: Community participatory intervention with high-risk African-American
women
Funding Source: National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities
Leonard A. Jason, Ph.D., Principal Investigator
Doreen Salina, Ph.D., Co-Investigator
Lisa Walt, Ph.D., Project Director
It is critical to evaluate gender-specific residential post-release programs
that provide at-risk women with supports that serve to increase abstinence
from substance use, reduce HIV risk behaviors, reduce psychological symptoms,
decrease recidivism, and help attain better health outcomes. It is important
to identify the types of settings or interventions that might promote health
service utilization and more positive health outcomes following release from
jail. Structure and supportive recovery homes may be effective in promoting
health outcomes and increasing positive health behaviors through social support
(Jason et al., 2006b). From initial contact onward, the DePaul research team
and the Oxford House community have been active participants and both endeavored
to maintain the alliance. The University team not only strived to cultivate
collaborative and cooperative relationships with Oxford House, but also was
committed to active involvement in the process of creating change. Some examples
of collaborative endeavors of the research team and Oxford House include
the involvement in the establishment of the first Men’s, first Women's, and
first Women with Children’s Oxford Houses in Illinois, as well as historical
and ongoing involvement in activities that support the national growth of
Oxford House. The present study will examine the potentially different roles
of abstinence-specific and general social support for African-American women
who are exiting from the criminal justice system. A randomized pretest-posttest
experimental design will be employed that compares communal-living settings
supportive of abstinence (i.e., Oxford House condition) to a usual care condition.
We hypothesize that women assigned to the Oxford House condition will report
reduced HIV risk behaviors and better health outcomes (i.e., better medical
adherence and health service utilization), decreased recidivism, increased
abstinence from substance use, improved psychological functioning, and higher
levels of support than women assigned to the usual care condition at all follow-up
intervals. We hope to reduce health disparities by using community-based participatory
research that is jointly sponsored by the Oxford House community and our
research group.
Youth Tobacco Access
Project Title: The Effects of Enforcement and
Possession Laws on Youth Prevalence
Funding Sources: National Cancer Institute (Prior funding was from
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation)
Funding finished on this project, but data analysis continues.
Leonard A. Jason, Ph.D, Principal Investigator
Three thousand youngsters begin smoking every day, and smoking rates
among adolescents are increasing. Restricting access to cigarettes and
fining minors for possession of tobacco products might be effective strategies
to reduce the rising rates of teenage smoking. It is unfortunate that
the issue of whether or not minors are fined for possession of tobacco
products has not been systematically studied, and there is much interest
among public health officials in this issue. It is important to evaluate
whether the combination of more consistent vendor enforcement and fining
minors for possession of tobacco products or just consistent vendor enforcement
is the optimal intervention for bringing about changes in smoking prevalence
rates among adolescents. The present study involves 24 towns in
Illinois, all of which have regular enforcements and low levels of illegal
merchant cigarette sales to minors. Towns were randomly assigned to one
of two conditions: no fines to minors for tobacco possession or fines
to minors for tobacco possession. There are 12 towns in each experimental
condition. For three years, we are in the process of assessing rates
of smoking among youngsters in grades 7-12. This study will help
determine which types of policies are most likely to reduce rates of smoking
among students.
Center Photos (we thank Aaron Ostergaard for these photos).
This is our therapy room, and below our staff are using it for a well deserved break.
This is the entrance to our Center.
This is one of the hallways within our Center.
This is our conference room, and we have regular research meetings in this space. The photo below is from our Dec. 2001 holiday party.
Below is a picture from our Dec. 2002 holiday party (thanks to Mark Driscoll for taking these photos).
Below is a picture from our Dec. 2003 holiday party.
Below is a picture from our Holiday 2004 party.
Below is a picture from our Holiday 2005 Picture
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Here is a picture of our 2006 holiday party.
