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

More than just a communication medium: What older adults say about television and depression

Nguyen, G. T., Wittink, M. N., Murray, G. F., & Barg, F. K. (n.d.).

Publication year

2008

Journal title

Gerontologist

Volume

48

Issue

3

Page(s)

300-310

10.1093/geront/48.3.300

Abstract

Abstract

Purpose: Older adults watch more television than younger people do. Television's role in mental health has been described in the general population, but less is known about how older adults think of television in the context of depression. Design and Methods: Using a semistructured interview created to help clinicians understand how older adults conceptualize depression diagnosis and treatment, we conducted a qualitative study of 102 patients aged 65 years or older. We recruited them from primary care offices and interviewed them in their homes. During our analysis, we found that many respondents offered spontaneous thoughts about the relationship between television and depression. We extracted all television-related content from the interview transcripts and identified themes by using grounded theory. Results: Participants cited television as a way to identify depression in themselves or others (either through overuse or lack of interest) or as a way to cope with depressive symptoms. Some felt that television could be harmful, particularly when content was high in negativity. A substantial number of participants discussed more than one of these themes, and a few mentioned all three. Married people were more likely to discuss television's role in identifying depression. Participants with low education more often mentioned that television could be helpful, whereas those with a history of depression treatment were more likely to discuss television's potential harm. Implications: Researchers should conduct further studies to help them better understand the relationship among depression, television viewing, and individual viewpoints concerning television's role in geriatric depression. An exploration of these issues may yield new approaches to help clinicians address depression in late life.

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.