Global Health Institute

Previous years’ topics included improving the health of women experiencing homelessness, lead and adverse childhood experiences, and reducing health disparities in maternal mortality. This year’s event, held on October 18, 2024, centered around the topic of “A Public Health Approach to Address Substance Use and Mental Health Concerns Among Emerging Adults in the DMV Area.” It brought together seven teams from universities across the DC area, each tasked with addressing a complex and urgent issue: substance use and mental health concerns among emerging adults in the DMV region. In a test of innovation and collaboration, each team—comprising up to six students from at least three different disciplines—had just over two weeks to craft an intervention, guided by a hypothetical budget of $1.5 million over a three-year period.

The Georgetown University team consisted of five students from five different disciplines.

• Olayinka Adedeji (G’25) is a Nigerian lawyer who has dedicated her career to advancing the intersection of law, health, and gender; she is currently pursuing a master’s degree in global human development.
• Dhruvi Banerjee (C’25) is a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, majoring in anthropology with a science, technology, and international affairs minor, and currently works as an EMT.
• Eleanor Grudin (G'26) is an at-risk youth program coordinator and graduate student in the McCourt School of Public Policy, pursuing a Master in Public Policy.
• Clare Mazzeo (G’25) is a second-year graduate student in the Master of Science in Global Health program and currently works as an environmental scientist at Tetra Tech.
• Caleb Oh (M’25) is a third-year medical student in the School of Medicine, applying into psychiatry, and fall 2023 Global Health Institute Student Fellow.
  

​The Crisis of Loneliness and Isolation

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has identified loneliness and social isolation as a rising public health crisis, particularly affecting young adults. This life stage is characterized by major transitions, greater independence, and the pressure of significant decisions, all contributing to increased rates of loneliness and higher instances of substance use compared to older adults. In the past year, nearly half of individuals aged 18 to 25 reported experiencing either a mental health issue or a substance use disorder. Each team’s solution focused on a different aspect of the issue of loneliness, from LGBTQ+ youth and alcohol use to youth in the foster care system and first-generation college students.

​PeerForward

The Georgetown University team’s solution drew on their interdisciplinary backgrounds and highlighted their individual strengths in problem-solving. To address depression and substance use disorders in emerging adults in the DMV area, the team chose to focus on addressing the effects of unemployment on the most at-risk populations.

They leveraged Oh’s experience as a medical student and his work with the Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children to pinpoint the most vulnerable populations and wards in the District of Columbia. Building on this foundation, the team designed their solution around the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) model, recognizing the critical need for community-based emotional support, particularly for individuals facing unemployment. Grudin brought her experience in policy and her work as a coordinator for at-risk youth programs to shape the policy framework of the solution. Developing the budget allocation and implementation plan allowed her to dive into the practical details of making PeerForward feasible in the real world. 

To ground their solution in real-world applicability, Mazzeo attended an open AA meeting as an observer, drawing insights from the meeting structure and impact that would inform their approach. She recounted her firsthand experience, which deepened their understanding of how community can foster resilience in times of crisis.

“Hearing people's stories and testament to the community they felt in that space and how it has impacted their journey was very beneficial to the development of our intervention.”

The group called their solution PeerForward, a peer-led support group model aimed at reducing depression symptoms among unemployed youth. Meetings would be held in accessible community spaces like public libraries, with transportation subsidies for attendees. Local universities and job search organizations would partner to expand group reach. Trained facilitators, certified in Mental Health First Aid and suicide prevention, would lead sessions and receive stipends. Each meeting fosters accountability and motivation, as members set job search goals to review in the following session.

Reflections and Peering Forward

The student team described how the experience provided an opportunity to work on some of the most pressing issues affecting youths in the region, sharpening their skills and preparing them to contribute to the future of public health.

Banerjee reflected on how the interdisciplinary approach of the case challenge resonated deeply with his future ambitions. Driven by a passion for the intersections of medical anthropology and global health, he sees this experience as a key step on his path. With the Georgetown University School of Medicine in his sights, Banerjee is determined to become a physician medical anthropologist—an aspiration to bridge clinical practice with the broader cultural and social dimensions of health.

“Ranging from law to clinical medicine, weaving together a solution which was able to address the challenge through multiple aspects was incredible.”

While the team did not win this year, their ambitious idea impressed the panel of six expert judges, which included Wendi Schweiger-Moore, director of Global Capacity Building at the National Board of Certified Counselors, with its interdisciplinary nature and narrowed focus. They were also invited to present at the scientific symposium “Bridging Science, Practice, and Policy to Advance Mental Health,” part of the NAM annual meeting on October 21, 2024. Their work will be included in a published discussion paper along with all of the other university teams’ solutions.

Getting Involved

If you're interested in participating on the Georgetown University DC Public Health Case Challenge team next year, please sign up for our monthly newsletter and keep an eye out for the application opening again in August 2025.