Our work
Research
Guided by an interdisciplinary lens, our research examines how systemic inequities, family dynamics, identity development, and help-seeking behaviors intersect to influence mental health outcomes in Black communities.
Research areas
- Family-centered care
- Diagnosis experiences
- Service access
- Cultural adaptation
- Stress & coping
- Social determinants
- Help-seeking
- Treatment engagement
- Parent-child relationships
- Identity development
- School & community contexts
- Protective factors
- Community advisory boards
- Participatory methods
- Qualitative inquiry
- Implementation science
- Culturally adapted interventions
- Telehealth & digital tools
- Peer support
- Provider training
- Policy briefs
- Public education
- Professional training
- Community workshops
Current projects
Active study · NIH/NIMHD R21
Asking for Help (A4H): A Simulation-Based Mental Health Intervention for Black Autistic Youth
R21MD020267-01A1, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities
A4H is a culturally informed mobile health tool developed with a community advisory board and Black autistic youth, parents/caregivers, and autism advocates. It pairs depression literacy training with a simulated conversation in which youth practice communicating depressive symptoms to a trusted adult and receive live feedback. The R21 supports an updated acceptability, usability, and feasibility evaluation, user-centered refinement of the prototype, and a preliminary efficacy trial measuring depression knowledge, mental health communication, self-efficacy, stigma, anxiety, and help-seeking attitudes.
Active study · Noonan Memorial Research Fund
Feasibility, Usability, and Refinement of the A4H Prototype
Deborah Munroe Noonan Memorial Research Fund (2024), two-year, $154,000
A user-centered, mixed-methods feasibility and usability study with 32 participants using surveys and semi-structured interviews. Participants described A4H as engaging, useful, and innovative, and their feedback is guiding refinements including brief videos, a more approachable teacher character, and a revised scoring system. The team is now optimizing A4H for use on any internet-connected device ahead of a larger efficacy trial.
Active study
Black Autistic Youth Mental Health, Depression, and Help-Seeking
A program of research examining how Black autistic youth experience depression, how they navigate help-seeking, and how research and service systems can be reshaped to meet their needs. Recent and in-progress work includes studies of demographic differences among Black autistic young adults with and without a depression diagnosis and correlates of depression and mental distress among Black autistic transition-aged youth.
Active study · Pilot and cohort development
Black and Latino Fathers of Autistic Children
A pilot study conducted in 2024–2025 yielded 158 survey responses and 28 in-depth interviews with fathers, examining masculine norms, family context, caregiving and parenting style, emotional support, parent–child communication, depression, anxiety, and parental efficacy. The team is preparing multiple manuscripts and building toward a two-year, mixed-methods cohort study, with the long-term aim of developing a second simulation-based intervention to strengthen parents' mental health literacy and parent–child communication.
Selected publications
2025 · Autism: the international journal of research and practice, 29(8), 2016–2029
The development and utilization of a diversity advisory board in an intervention to support social skill development for autistic transition-aged youth
Williams, E. G., J Smith, M., Mitchell, J., B Tucker, T., Sung, C., Sherwood, K., Dababnah, S., Magaña, S., Lovelace, T., Kattari, S. K., Olsen, D., Elkins, J., Humm, L., Steacy, C., Riddle, E., & Liggett, C.
https://doi.org/10.1177/136236132513308472025 · Social Problems, spad018
Black Boys’ Perceptions of Depression and Mental Health: Findings from the YBMen Project
Williams, E. G., Casanova, A., & Watkins, D. C.
https://doi.org/10.1093/socpro/spad018In press · Research in Autism
Fatherhood, race, and autism: A scoping review of Black and Latinx fathers' experiences
Williams, E. G., Medrano, A. S., Roberts, D., Latin, A., Lopez, A. M., Ganu, D., Vakil, F., & Ware, L.
2026 · Frontiers in Psychiatry, Autism Section
Asking for Help: The Development of a Simulation-Based Mental Health Application to Enhance Depression Literacy, Mental Health Communication, and Help-Seeking Among Black Autistic Youth
Williams, E. G., Vakil, F.*, Abubakara, O.*, Latin, A.*, Ware, L.*, Nelson, D.*, & Smith, M. J.
2026 · Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology
Exploring Black College Men's Mental Health Experiences with Vigilance and Microaffirmations
Williams, E. G., Ellis, J., Brown, B. R., Jones, H*, & Watkins, Daphne C.
2026 · Scientific Reports
Racial disparities in depression and mental health service use among black and white autistic adults
Williams, E. G., Sivathasan, S., Anthony, N., Eack, S. M., & Mazefsky, C. A.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-34696-8These are representative publications. For a complete list, please contact the lab.
Interested in collaborating on research?
We welcome research partnerships, student involvement, and community input. Reach out to learn more about current opportunities.