• Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine

    What is BSSM?

    Behavioral Science (BS) is the study of when and why individuals engage in specific behaviors by experimentally examining the impact of factors such as conscious thoughts, motivation, social influences, contextual effects, and habits. Social Medicine (SM) is an interdisciplinary field that focuses on the profound interplay between socio-economic factors and individual health outcomes.

  • Big Bend Fair: Be Kind to Your Mind

    5th annual “Be Kind to Your Mind” Mental Health & Wellness Fair

    BSSM is joining forces with the Mental Health Council of the Big Bend to host their 5th annual “Be Kind to Your Mind” Mental Health & Wellness Fair. This year's theme is "Moving from Awareness to Action" and will focus on the link between physical and mental well-being. The event will be held at the Walker Ford Community Center on May 16 at 5:30pm to 8:00pm. Attendees can enjoy free food, music, mental health resources, and a variety of activities for all ages.

    Register Here

  • Regulatory Issues in HIV Electronic Health Records

    Regulatory Issues in HIV Electronic Health Records

    BSSM Center for Translational Behavior Science (CTBS) team members, led by Sara Green, MSW, alongside Samantha Chahin, MPH, Meardith Pooler-Burgess, DrPH, and Professor Sylvie Naar, Ph.D., published in JMIR a manuscript titled “Regulatory Issues in Electronic Health Records Adolescent HIV Research: Strategies and Lessons Learned.” In this paper, Green’s team discussed electronic health records as a cost-effective approach to providing necessary foundations for clinical trial research, as well as highlighting challenges of the regulatory process in the implementation of utilizing electronic health records in adolescent HIV research.

    Read The Manuscript Here

  • Harmology: How Helping Can Cause Harm

    Harmology: How Helping Can Cause Harm

    BSSM’s Center for Behavioral Health Integration recently hosted a Motivational Interviewing & Beyond workshop titled “Harmology: How Helping Can Cause Unintended Harm.” Hear from speakers Joel Porter and Stephen Rollnick on topics such as unintentional harm resulting from attempts to help. Also learn from guest speakers Brendan Murphy about Harmology questions, Shaun Shelly on harm reduction, further Harmology discussion with Michael Flaum, and appearances from BSSM Department Chair Heather Flynn.

    Full Video and Timestamps

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    Uniting Minds to Combat Mental Health Crisis

    BSSM Department Chair Heather Flynn, and President of the International Society for Interpersonal Psychotherapy (ISIPT), hosted the 10th Biennial ISIPT Conference in Newcastle UK this week. Interpersonal psychotherapy is an evidence-based treatment for mental health disorders being used around the world. Over 200 participants from 32 countries shared information on research and treatment to help combat the global mental health crisis.

    conference highlights

  • Community Rounds

    BSSM Hosting Community Rounds Focusing on Rare Diseases

    BSSM resumes its Community Rounds series with “Highlighting Pediatric Rare Diseases and Community Impacts” on April 3, from 12pm - 1pm EST. The virtual panel of participants includes Pradeep Bhide, Director of the Florida State University Institute for Pediatric Rare Diseases, Michele Holbrook, 2023 National Ambassador for the Children's Tumor Foundation, and Yang Hou, Assistant Professor in FSU College of Medicine Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine.

    Full Video & Timestamps

  • interRAI

    ADvancing interRAI: Using Better Data, Better

    BSSM faculty members Jeffrey Harman, Ph.D., Samantha Goldfarb, Dr.PH., M.P.H., Katelyn Graves, Ph.D. and Jon Mills, Ph.D., M.B.A. introduce ADvancing interRAI. This new initiative is building shared infrastructure that supports state efforts to improve how they assess people and provide them Home and Community Based Services using the interRAI Home Care system, to assign resources and use data for policy and program improvement.

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT, CLICK HERE

  • Heather Flynn

    Flynn Links Antenatal Anxiety as Postpartum SI Predictor

    Department Chair Heather Flynn, Ph.D., co-authored a journal article titled “Antenatal Anxiety Symptoms Outperform Antenatal Depression Symptoms and Suicidal Ideation as a Risk Factor for Postpartum Suicidal Ideation.” During this study on suicidal ideation (SI), Flynn’s team identified antenatal anxiety symptoms to outperform the previous leading risk factor, antenatal depression symptoms, as a predictor of SI during a mother’s postpartum phase.

    Link to Journal Article

DEPARTMENT SPOTLIGHT
5th Annual Be Kind to Your Mind | Mental Health: Moving From Awareness to Action

 

BSSM Community Rounds

Highlighting Pediatric Rare Diseases and Community Impacts

Hear from Fran Hokkanen, Michele Holbrook, Yang Hou, and Pradeep Bhide to learn about pediatric rare diseases, experiences with rare diseases, and the new FSU Institute of Pediatric Rare Diseases.

Additional Resources & Timestamps

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OUR VISION

 

The Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine will transform behavioral and person centered science and scholarship in 21st century medical education - facilitating improvements in the health and well-being of individuals, their communities, and especially the underserved.

 

OUR MISSION

 

 

The Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine investigates and emphasizes the influence of individual, interpersonal, and community factors on health, in the context of behavior, social, and societal forces. Our work integrates community partnership with principles and methods from the behavioral and social sciences and bioethics to promote health, especially for the underserved. This is demonstrated through:

 

 

 

 

Practice based teaching and training in bioethical and biopsychosocial aspects of health.

 

 

 

 

Conducting cutting edge interdisciplinary research and scholarship that generates knowledge leading to improvements in interventions, healthcare practice, and health outcomes.

 

 

 

Service activities that support and advance our professions and improve health for individuals and communities.