In 2017, with $75,000 from The Children’s Foundation, Arash Javanbakht, M.D., Psychiatrist and Director of Stress, Trauma and Anxiety Center at Wayne State University, launched an unprecedented study exploring the mental health impact of war trauma on Syrian children and families now living in Southeast Michigan. The study spanned nearly four years with dozens of researchers traveling to the homes of refugees to interview families fleeing war. Conversations revealed rich information which has helped advance knowledge about the impact of war and related traumas.
Now, with a new five-year, $2.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, Javanbakht and team will follow the families for years to measure the effects of trauma over time. This is the first study of its kind.
“This knowledge will not only be useful in providing better health services to this specific population in need, but also in increasing our more general understanding of trauma and environmental impact on child development and psychopathology,” said Javanbakht.
The Children’s Foundation continuously seeks to support research, projects and programming that will have long-lasting effects on the improvement of the health and wellness for children today and years to come. Javanbakht’s efforts are a wonderful demonstration of The Foundation helping partners
advance conversations to create necessary change.
Tanja Jovanovic, Ph.D. and David Rosenberg, M.D. served as co-investigators on this grant. Javanbakt has been featured on CNN and NPR.
