Genevra Murray

Assistant Professor of Public Health Policy and Management

Professional overview

Genevra F. Murray, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health Policy and Management. Her research and teaching focus is on the organization and management of health care services, examining the organizational dimensions of payment and delivery system reform and its impact on racial, ethnic and socioeconomic disparities.

Dr. Murray’s current projects are focused on primary care delivery, with an emphasis on the health care safety net; the social determinants of health, particularly the integration of social services and medical care; advance care planning and palliative care integration; and global health systems and governance, particularly related to sexual and reproductive health care. She uses a mix of research methods with expertise in longitudinal qualitative methods.

Prior to joining the faculty at GPH, Dr. Murray was a fellow at Boston Medical Center and a research scientist at The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice. She has published in leading journals such as Health Affairs, Milbank Quarterly and Health Care Management Review.

Dr. Murray received her PhD in medical anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania, having graduated from there summa cum laude with a BA in anthropology.

Education

PhD Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania

BA Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania

Honors and awards

Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Recipient (202020212022)

Fulbright Scholar (20052006)

William Penn Fellowship (2002200320042005)

Summa Cum Laude, University of Pennsylvania (2001)

Phi Beta Kappa, University of Pennsylvania (2001)

Valedictorian, Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania (2001)

Publications

Publications

A mixed-methods approach to understanding loneliness and depression in older adults

Barg, F. K., Huss-Ashmore, R., Wittink, M. N., Murray, G. F., Bogner, H. R., & Gallo, J. J. (n.d.).

Publication year

2006

Journal title

Journals of Gerontology - Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences

Volume

61

Issue

6

Page(s)

S329-S339

10.1093/geronb/61.6.S329

Abstract

Abstract

Objectives. Depression in late life may be difficult to identify, and older adults often do not accept depression treatment offered. This article describes the methods by which we combined an investigator-defined definition of depression with a person-derived definition of depression in order to understand how older adults and their primary care providers overlapped and diverged in their ideas about depression. Methods. We recruited a purposive sample of 102 persons aged 65 years and older with and without significant depressive symptoms on a standardized assessment scale (Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale) from primary care practices and interviewed them in their homes. We applied methods derived from anthropology and epidemiology (consensus analysis, semi-structured interviews, and standardized assessments) in order to understand the experience and expression of late-life depression. Results. Loneliness was highly salient to older adults whom we asked to describe a depressed person or themselves when depressed. Older adults viewed loneliness as a precursor to depression, as self-imposed withdrawal, or as an expectation of aging. In structured interviews, loneliness in the week prior to interview was highly associated with depressive symptoms, anxiety, and hopelessness. Discussion. An improved understanding of how older adults view loneliness in relation to depression, derived from multiple methods, may inform clinical practice.