GSMS Longitudinal Study
The Great Smoky Mountains Study (GSMS) is a longitudinal, population-based community survey of children and adolescents in North Carolina with a focus on examining the development of psychiatric and substance abuse disorders. More specifically, the study aims to estimate the number of youth with emotional and behavioral disorders, the persistence of those disorders over time, the need for and use of services for emotional and behavioral disorders, and the possible risk factors for developing emotional and behavioral disorders. The GSMS has provided policy-relevant information in the areas of:
- Need for mental health services;
- Risks for emotional and behavioral disorders;
- Outcomes of serious emotional disorders;
- Use of mental health services across sectors; and
- Effectiveness of mental health services among cohorts.