# Emotional Well-Being and Economic Burden Research Network

> **NIH NIH U24** · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2022 · $596,625

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Managing any illness means also managing its economic burden, i.e., the burden due to costs of care
and productivity losses. This can financially devastate patients and their families. Not being able to
pay medical or other bills, borrowing money, using up savings, even declaring bankruptcy, are just a
few of the financial hardships patients experience. An emerging body of literature suggests that this
economic burden may also take an emotional toll. In our own program of research, we found that
cancer patients expressed worry about the cost of treatment or taking time off work when making
treatment decisions, and that one in two gynecologic cancer patients starting chemotherapy already
reported financial distress. To date, little attention has been paid to how emotional well-being
and economic burden are related. The opportunity to fully understand the underlying mechanisms
between economic burden, emotional well-being, and broader health outcomes is further hampered
by the lack of dedicated researchers and lack of ‘cross-talk’ across disciplines and fields of research.
Consequently, we do not know how to reduce the impact of the economic burden of disease and
enhance well-being. We propose to address knowledge gaps and overcome barriers to progress in
this emerging area of research by establishing the Emotional Well-Being and Economic Burden
(EMOT-ECON) Research Network. This Network will bring together multidisciplinary scientists
across institutions to take a transdisciplinary approach to answering the most urgent emotional well-
being and economic burden questions. Novel and outstanding features of the EMOT-ECON Network
include: i) leadership by a health economist and a clinical psychologist, long-term collaborators, and
colleagues. They will be supported by a leadership team that includes patients, caregivers, healthcare
providers, and policymakers who will bring unique knowledge and perspective to enrich Network
activities; ii) pilot project program portfolio of diverse funding mechanisms, including opportunities
specifically designed to recruit new investigators to the field; and iii) use of social media and an
interactive website to attract researchers, facilitate the formation of new research teams, and share
opportunities, resources and products. Our effort, designed to build research capacity in emotional
well-being and economic burden, will have a substantial impact by generating the body of knowledge
necessary to develop interventions that minimize the impact of the economic burden of disease and
enhance well-being.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10336536
- **Project number:** 5U24AT011310-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- **Principal Investigator:** MICHELLE MARTIN
- **Activity code:** U24 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $596,625
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-02-01 → 2025-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10336536

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10336536, Emotional Well-Being and Economic Burden Research Network (5U24AT011310-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10336536. Licensed CC0.

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