PIBHS-Partners in Behavior Health Sciences-University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

History of PIBHS

PIBHS began as part of the Partners in Health Sciences (PIHS) program, which is based in the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). Since 1991, PIHS has focused on educating K-14 teachers about a range of physical health topics such as cardiovascular anatomy and physiology, immunology, and cancer. It is funded by a Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH; NIH-SEPA #R25-RR12346), and is directed by E. Robert Burns, Ph.D., Professor of Anatomy and Neurobiology.

In response to requests from teachers participating in the PIHS program, a workshop focusing on the topic of depression and suicide was offered in 1998. Overwhelmingly positive feedback on this workshop led to the development of additional formats targeting other audiences (such as interactive televideo [ITV] conferences for students, a local cable television presentation, and a presentation to the Arkansas School Nurses Association), as well as presentations focusing on the topic of violence and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

The requests for and response to these presentations suggested a need for innovative, interactive educational programs on the science of behavioral health. In 2000, JoAnn E. Kirchner, M.D. and Teresa L. Kramer, Ph.D. developed a proposal for a separate initiative focusing solely on mental health and substance use topics. This proposal was funded by the NCRR in 2001 (NIH-SEPA #R25-RR15976). It represents the second SEPA grant awarded to faculty in the UAMS College of Medicine, which is the only medical school in the United States whose faculty has been awarded two SEPA grants. It represents the first such award in the nation dedicated to behavioral health issues.

Rationale and Overview of PIBHS

PIBHS is founded in part on the idea that teachers and other school personnel play a key role in providing information to students and to the general public. It is based on the theory that an effective way of getting information about scientific advances and new technologies to a broad audience is to provide school personnel with the skills, resources, and teaching materials they need to transfer this knowledge to the school settings in which they interact with students, co-workers, parents, and other community members. The success of similar approaches to increasing knowledge and changing behavior has been documented for several types of health-related interventions (for example, HIV prevention programs and pregnancy care quality improvement programs).

The main emphasis of PIBHS is on educating K-12 teachers and other school personnel, approximately 2400 of whom have attended PIBHS programs to date (see a map summarizing program participants by county and congressional district). However, programs directly targeting students and the community at large are included as well. All programs focus on mental health and substance use problems that have been the subject of extensive scientific research and (a) occur at high rates in the population, (b) result in significant impairment in daily functioning, and/or (c) can be treated effectively. Pre- and post-test surveys of PIBHS program participants are used to measure changes in knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. A controlled matched research design was used to assess differences between participating and non-participating schools. These results will be published in a forthcoming manuscript.