A pair of mental health researchers at Upstate are studying new ways to classify mental health disorders in children and looking to change the way psychiatric disorders are understood and diagnosed in the future.

Stephen Faraone, PhD, and Stephen Glatt, PhD, are analyzing genetic variation and basic cognitive abilities within families. Their goal is to  provide a better basis for a new diagnostic system that is less subjective than what is currently used.

If you are the biological parent of a child between the ages of 6 and 12 years, you may be eligible to participate in their study, which is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health.

The research team is recruiting about 700 families (2,800 individuals) and looking at a broad spectrum of childhood behaviors, including children who are developing typically with no mental health concerns, as well as those who may have mental health concerns or behavioral problems. Parents and their children will complete a series of questionnaires and computer-based tasks and provide a blood sample for genetic analysis.

The study procedure takes up to 3 hours for the family, and each participant is financially compensated. To enroll or learn more, contact research assistant Pat Forken at 315-464-5619.

Hear an interview about this research