Earlise Ward, Ph.D, LP

Title:Assistant Professor
Phone: (608) 263-0745
E-mail: ecward@wisc.edu
Support Staff: Jackie O'Brien
Office Address:

K6/340 CSC
600 Highland Avenue
Madison, WI 53792-2455

Eduation:

Description of Research Focus:

I conduct community-based clinical research focusing on older African American women’s mental health. In particular, my research examines older African American women’s beliefs about mental illness, whether these beliefs may serve as barriers to seeking mental health services, and their coping behaviors in response to mental illness. This line of research is geared to develop more culturally appropriate and effective mental health interventions for older African American women. My current research projects have used a life-course perspective and the Common Sense theoretical framework to examine African American women’s beliefs about mental illness and whether their beliefs may influence coping behaviors. This current project is geared to design a culturally sensitive intervention to treat depression in older African American women.

Teaching/Course Responsibilities:
(excluding independent study courses)

Honors and Awards/Professional Service:

Representative Publications:

Ward, E.C., & Cronin, K. (In Press). Recruiting older African American women to participate in mental health research: A culturally competent research model. In D. Yee-Melichar & A. Renwans Boyle (Eds.), Minority Women’s Health: Best Practices in Education and Research. CA: Sage.

Ward, E.C. (2007). Examining differential treatment effects for depression in racial and ethnic minority women: A qualitative systematic review. Journal of the National Medical Association, 99, 265-274.

Sellers, S.L., Ward, E.C., & David, P. (2006). "Dimensions of depression: A qualitative study of well-being among Black African Immigrant Women".  Qualitative Social Work, 5, 45-66.

Ward, E.C. (2005). Keeping it real: A grounded theory study of African American clients engaging in counseling at a community mental health agency. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52,471-481.

Ward, E.C., Sellers, S.L., & David, P. (2005). A Qualitative Study of Depression Among Black African Immigrant Women: “It is just madness.” African American Research Perspectives, 11,77-88.