Section: Research

Thomas McLaughlin, B.S., M.S, M.Div., Sc.D.

Academic Role: Professor

Faculty Appointment(s) In:
   Pediatrics

Joint Faculty In:
   Psychiatry

Other Affiliation(s):
   Clinical and Population Health Research

Other Faculty Appointments:
   Harvard Medical School - Senior Lecturer in Ambulatory Care & Prevention

Scholarly Activity

Mental Health in Primary Care

1. Dr. McLaughlin’s research interests are in health delivery system innovation for common mental disorders in primary care populations, especially major depressive disorder in chronically medically ill patients as well as adolescents with mood disorders.  Currently a multimillion program award from the National Institute of Mental Health supports a five year work plan to build a bioinformatics tool based on multisource information systems. This information technology tool will facilitate the management of medically ill patients with depression as well as to serve as a research infrastructure for future intervention and practice studies.

2. Dr. McLaughlin is also interested in developing models for prediction of onset of major affective disorders in pediatric populations that are based upon genetic vulnerability and environmental factors like stress.   In particular, he and his colleagues are interested in mediating mechanisms that represent biological and environmental interactions.

3. In addition, Dr. McLaughlin has a longstanding record of quality measurement and quality improvement interventions, including the use and misuse of consensus treatment guidelines, including. He has been a member of the behavioral health measurement advisory board of the National Committee for Quality Assurance for which he conducted research for the development of quality indicators for depression and other disorders.

Areas of Research Interest:

• Depression
• Chronic Disease Management
• Quality of Care
• Quality of Medication Prescribing
• Health applications of new statistical theory

Mentoring

Over the years Dr. McLaughlin has mentored many students and junior investigators and has chaired doctoral committees.  He has served as a primary sponsor for clinical investigators pursuing professional development through career training awards from the National Institutes of Health.

Office: S5-831
Phone: 508-856-3132
E-mail: Thomas.McLaughlin@umassmed.edu
Keywords: Chronic Disease Management, Quality of Care, Depression, Quality of Prescribing

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