FOCUS
Tremaine’s ultimate goal is to reduce mental health disparities among African American men through empowering churches and faith-based organizations to become more involved in public health practice. He brings African American men into closer proximity to public mental health research by utilizing churches and faith-based organizations as formulators of data and locations where interventions can take place. African American men experience the worst mental health outcomes of all racial/gender groups. Religious institutions have historically stood as trusted bastions of support in African American communities and can help improve the mental health of African American men. Through employing research methods that examine how religious institutions, religiosity, and spirituality regulate mental health, Tremaine hopes to influence policy and help African American men improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and develop the tools to achieve their full potential.
MORE ABOUT TREMAINE
Tremaine is both a minister and public health scholar. He earned his MDiv from Vanderbilt University in 2019 and has combined the knowledge he gathered while working in the parish with his growing public health expertise to examine variables that have been overlooked in health policy research.
DISSERTATION GRANT AWARDEE — SPRING 2025
Lived experience of homeless Black men at risk of poor mental health in Columbia, SC: Perspectives of homeless black men and social service providers
Tremaine conducts semi-structured interviews using thematic analysis to explore the structural-level factors (e.g., educational inequities and mass incarceration) that contribute to homelessness among African American men at risk for poor mental health and how these individuals navigate their search for basic needs such as food, shelter, and clothing. He also compares services provided by religious, nonreligious, and governmental social service organizations, noting confluences, differences, gaps, and opportunities for collaboration to address the needs of African American men who are unhoused and at risk for developing a mental illness. The findings from this study may be used to inform culturally appropriate and religiously tailored interventions for African American men who are unhoused.
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