物质使用障碍是世界上导致残疾的主要原因之一，因此需要改进的策略来减轻其负担。心理健康系的物质使用流行病学学院进行研究，以增进我们对物质使用的病因和流行病学的了解，开发，实施和评估预防物质使用的干预措施，严格检查物质使用障碍服务和护理体系以改善结果，并研究与药物控制和药物滥用障碍治疗相关的政策。基因组学，脑成像和信息学的最新科学进展为加速发现的发现和将发现转化为公共卫生带来了新的机遇。
The PhD degree is a research-oriented doctoral degree. In the first two years, students take core courses in the Departments of Mental Health, Biostatistics, and Epidemiology, in research ethics, and attend weekly department seminars. Students must complete a written comprehensive exam (in January of their second year), a preliminary exam, two presentations and a final dissertation including presentation and defense. Throughout their time in the department, we encourage all doctoral students to participate in at least one research group of the major research programs in the department: Substance Use Epidemiology, Global Mental Health, Mental Health and Aging, Mental Health Services and Policy, Methods, Prevention Research, Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetic Epidemiology, Psychiatric Epidemiology, and Autism and Developmental Disabilities.<br>Substance use and substance use disorders (SUD) are among a leading cause of illness, injury, and death in the US and around the globe. The Substance Use Epidemiology faculty in the Department of Mental Health is engaged in research on substance use and SUD across the lifecourse to reduce the burden and improve outcomes. Faculty conduct research on comorbid SUDs and psychiatric disorders, programs and interventions to prevent substance use, especially among adolescents, SUD and harm reduction services and systems of care, and policies relevant to drug control and substance use disorder treatment. The faculty is particularly focused on health disparities populations.