Posted August 13, 2012
Dr. Rosalyn Denise Campbell is an Assistant Professor at the University of Georgia's School of Social Work and a new member of the School of Social Work team. Through her research and examination of mental illness, Dr. Campbell aims to increase mental health service use rates for individuals who might benefit from services. She also strives to remove the stigma surrounding mental health disorders and the people who have them.
"I want to change how we look at mental illness by destigmatizing it," Dr. Campbell says. "[I want to be a part of] training future clinicians to view clients instead of disorders."
Dr. Campbell's teaching specialties include mental health practice and mental illness among adults and the elderly. Her research interests include the examination of the sociocultural factors that impact the use of mental health services among Black American men and women, with a particular focus on depression.
"I am interested in increasing service use rates of people of color," Dr. Campbell says. "I want to determine the reasons behind disparities, focusing less on financial and structural barriers to care and examining sociocultural factors. This focus is not about victim blaming; it's about appreciating all of the factors that impact help-seeking and service utilization."
A University of Michigan graduate, Dr. Campbell received her doctorate in social work and social sciences in 2012 and in 2008 received her Master of Social Work degree specializing in interpersonal practice and mental health. In 2001, Dr. Campbell completed her Bachelor of Arts in sociology (with honors) and African-American studies at the The University of Texas at Austin.
Dr. Campbell has also worked with Drs. Joseph Himle, Raymond Baser, Robert Joseph Taylor and James Jackson to publish "Anxiety disorders among African Americans, Blacks of Caribbean descent and non-Hispanic Whites in the United States" in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders. The academic paper documents the results of a study that compares the prevalence, age of onset, severity and associated disability of anxiety disorders among these groups.
As an Assistant Professor, Dr. Campbell hopes to encourage students to view their social work education as more than an academic accomplishment, but as a way to improve their practice.
"I want to help them shape their identities as social workers. [I want them to make sure they are] focusing on the work. Always do good work. Not to focus on grades. [Develop] a better sense of self. Be confident and compassionate in the work they do," Dr. Campbell says.
