Uncovering the hidden mental health crisis behind community violence
by
What if the young people involved in community violence were just individuals struggling with untreated mental health conditions?
This question lies at the heart of groundbreaking research that's changing how we understand and address violence in our communities.
Dr. Michael Brook, associate professor at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, has spent years studying this connection. His work reveals something most people don't realize: the majority of young people who become involved in community violence have significant histories of trauma, depression, hopelessness, and other mental health conditions that directly increase their risk.
Watch the full interview with Dr. Michael Brook
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The challenge of traditional assessment
Before adopting CAT-MH®, Dr. Brook's research team faced a common problem. Traditional mental health assessments were lengthy, standardized questionnaires that worked well in controlled settings but fell short in real-world research.
"Fixed-length symptom inventories are great; they're standardized and well-regarded," Dr. Brook explains. "But they're lengthy and not readily repeatable, partly due to their length and partly because they ask the same questions, which makes repeated measurements really difficult in prospective studies."
This limitation was particularly challenging when working with marginalized populations in settings like correctional institutions, where access to traditional mental health assessment tools is limited.
A game-changing solution
CAT-MH® changed everything. This innovative assessment tool is brief, repeatable, and perfectly suited for longitudinal research—exactly what Dr. Brook's team needed.
The results speak for themselves. Using CAT-MH®, the research team has been able to prospectively track psychiatric symptoms in large samples of detainees inside county jails—something that wouldn't have been possible with traditional measures. Most importantly, they've demonstrated that treating symptoms of depression inside jail translates to significant reduction in risk for re-incarceration.
"This is a novel and exciting finding," Dr. Brook notes. "And we would not have been able to carry out this research project with traditional symptom measures."
Reaching the unreachable
The populations Dr. Brook studies — largely young adults from marginalized communities struggling with poverty, social exclusion, high levels of trauma, and psychiatric comorbidities — have traditionally been excluded from public health research. CAT-MH® has changed that.
What makes CAT-MH® so effective for this work? Several key factors:
Validity and precision that rivals lengthy, standardized assessment tools
Quick administration taking just 10 minutes
Cloud-based accessibility available anywhere
Comprehensive coverage addressing anxiety, depression, substance use disorder, ADHD, and social determinants of health
"It's allowed us to carry out research and reliably assess mental health symptoms in a setting and with a population where it otherwise would not have been possible," Dr. Brook explains.
Changing hearts and minds
Perhaps the most powerful story from Dr. Brook's research comes from a community partner: a mother who lost family members to community violence. Her transformation illustrates the broader impact of this work.
Initially, she assumed that young people involved in community violence were simply "bad people." But through participating in the research project, she discovered something different. The majority of these young people have significant histories of trauma, depression, hopelessness, and other mental health conditions that directly lead to or increase their risk of involvement in community violence.
"She said that not only did it help her understand and empathize with our research participants more, but it gave her hope for these young people and for her entire community," Dr. Brook recalls. "This is something that is treatable, that could be addressed."
Breaking new ground
Dr. Brook's team is now conducting a unique prospective study of community violence in Chicago's inner-city communities. They recruit young people directly from communities and assess complex biopsychosocial determinants of violence, including mental health symptoms, following participants monthly.
"Because we were able to use CAT-MH® in this study, we're able to prospectively assess mental health symptoms in our participants repeatedly, monthly, and then look at correlations between mental health symptomatology and propensity for being involved in an incident of community violence," Dr. Brook explains.
The approach of looking at community violence through the lens of mental health represents a unique way of understanding violence that really hasn't been done before.
The bigger picture
Dr. Brook's research reveals something crucial: mental health and community violence are deeply connected. When we treat the underlying mental health conditions—depression, trauma, hopelessness—we can actually reduce the risk of violence and re-incarceration.
This isn't just about individual treatment. It's about transforming how entire communities understand and respond to violence. When we see young people involved in violence not as "bad people" but as individuals struggling with treatable mental health conditions, everything changes.
The mother who lost family members to violence said it best: realizing there was a significant mental health component gave her hope for these young people and for her entire community.
Looking forward
Dr. Brook's work demonstrates the power of the right tools in the right hands. CAT-MH® didn't just make his research possible—it made it transformative. By providing quick, reliable, and comprehensive mental health assessment, it's helping researchers and communities understand the true roots of violence.
As we continue to grapple with community violence, this research offers something precious: hope. When we understand that violence often stems from untreated mental health conditions, we can focus on solutions that actually work: treatment, support, and healing rather than just punishment.
The young people in Dr. Brook's studies aren't just statistics. They're individuals with treatable conditions, deserving of understanding, empathy, and effective intervention. And thanks to tools like CAT-MH®, we're finally able to see them clearly.
Ready to transform your mental health screening? Learn more about how CAT-MH® can help you deliver more accurate, efficient care.