# Personal Health Libraries for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals

> **NIH NIH R01** · YALE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $39,681

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people are survivors of interpersonal and structural trauma and have
elevated rates of traumatic events and post-traumatic stress syndrome. The events that have led up to
incarceration often include interpersonal violence, extreme stress and anxiety, and institutional and structural
violence, including homelessness and poverty. Furthermore, the incarceration experience itself–with social
isolation, harsh conditions, and exposure to physical violence–can be painful and traumatic. The initial data
from the parent project that seeks to develop and refine a personal health library (PerHL) mobile app confirms
that experiences of people with a history of incarceration in community and correctional settings are traumatic
and influence perceptions of and interactions with technology. Therefore, trauma-informed care principles of
digital design should be integrated into the design of personal health information technology for people with a
history of incarceration. To increase acceptability of this technology, the proposed supplement seeks to
develop and integrate a trauma-informed approach in the development of the PerHL mobile app for formerly
incarcerated persons. The specific aims of this supplement are to: (1) assess facilitators and barriers of the
development and use of personal health information technology for formerly incarcerated individuals using a
trauma-informed approach, and (2) to develop and refine the PerHL using a trauma-informed approach. Ms.
Amelea Lowery's long-term career goal is to become an independent researcher with expertise in addressing
inequities in access to trauma informed care through the use of digital health tools. A comprehensive training
plan was constructed in collaboration with her mentors to: (1) expand Ms. Lowery's research expertise to
include development and testing of personal health information technologies, through a trauma informed lens,
for formerly incarcerated individuals, (2) acquire skills in qualitative and quantitative data collection and
analysis, (3) gain knowledge in the use of personal health information technology for mental health support and
treatment in vulnerable populations, and (4) further develop skills in scientific writing and research
dissemination through grant proposal development, manuscript preparation and publication, and research
conference presentations. The planned research and training activities builds upon Ms. Lowery's prior
foundational experience in community-based participatory research training. By completing the research and
training activities, supported by a robust mentorship plan, Ms. Amelea Lowery will be well-positioned to reach
her next training goal of entering a doctoral program. Consistent with NLM's mission and the purpose of the
Research Supplement to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research, the mentorship, training, and
research activities will provide Ms. Lowery the opportunity to receive the necess...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10661916
- **Project number:** 3R01LM013477-03S2
- **Recipient organization:** YALE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Karen H Wang
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $39,681
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2020-09-10 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10661916

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10661916, Personal Health Libraries for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals (3R01LM013477-03S2). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10661916. Licensed CC0.

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