Who is looking out for equitable health for the most vulnerable? This has been a key question for Kathryn Whetten throughout 20 years of sustained leadership and research at Duke.
The director of the Center for Health Policy & Inequalities Research, Whetten and team are turning around health disparities and inequities – locally to globally. Whetten has served as a driving force in the creation of the Duke Global Health Institute and its original educational programs, and moved forward numerous Duke University diversity, equity and inclusion committees.
Whetten’s research to advance health equality and help the most vulnerable has received support from more than 20 NIH and additional federal and foundation grants.
In the U.S. Deep South, Whetten’s research found that childhood trauma, persistent instability, chaos and fear are primary determinants leading to HIV high-risk behaviors. Whetten identified pathways through which families, communities, the presence of children, religion, policies and care interactions support or disrupt lifelong well-being. This research led Whetten to create and test interventions to provide trauma-informed care in infectious disease clinics, along with wraparound care integrating mental health and substance abuse treatment.
Whetten found similar characteristics while studying interventions in HIV epidemics in Tanzania and Russia, and recently expanded the work to the understanding of sexual and/or gender minority well-being.
Whetten also conducts the only longitudinal and multi-country/culture study focusing on the well-being of children orphaned and/or separated from their biological parents. Research findings in Cambodia, India, Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania have informed interventions to reduce children’s anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation.
Whetten has worked with governments and NGOs in Cambodia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, El Salvador and India to create, implement and sustain mental health interventions. The research has demonstrated that lower-cost, scalable mental health solutions are possible for areas of the world where resources can be scarce.
Kathryn Whetten is the Principal Investigator on multiple grants and publishes numerous scientific articles every year. In addition, they mentor many students and give guest lectures and presentations throughout the year.
