Understanding and Promoting Mental Health – Insights From Psychological Science

Thanks to advances in many areas of psychological science, from addiction to zoophobia, scientists can evaluate  existing treatments for mental health issues, design new and better approaches to intervention, and discover which biological factors  promote mental health.

Scientists will discuss the current state and future questions in clinical psychological science at the Association for Psychological Science’s 24th annual meeting in Chicago, May 24-27, 2012.

News Items

Facial Behavior in Diverse Contexts: Emotion, Deception, and Psychopathology
What’s in a face? Research from various areas of psychological science suggests that there’s more to learn from a person’s face than we might think. In this symposium, researchers will explore the different ways that our faces can reveal information about our mood, our mental health, and even our ability to tell a credible lie. Erika Rosenberg of the University of California, Davis, will present research that uses facial behavior as a way of measuring differences in sadness responses to visual scenes. Jeffrey Cohn of the University of Pittsburgh will discuss research that looks at facial expression as a possible indicator of symptom severity in outpatients with depression. And Gregory Shelley of Kutztown University will present research that suggests that people’s value orientations may influence the facial expressions they make when they lie, affecting the believability of those lies.

Erika Rosenberg, Consulting Scientist, University of California, Davis – [email protected]

Jeffrey Cohn, Professor of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh – [email protected]

Gregory Shelley, Professor of Psychology, Kutztown University – [email protected]

Location: Michigan
Date/Time: Friday, May 25, 2012 10:30 AM – 11:50 AM

As the demand for high-quality mental health treatment options increases, researchers have started to explore whether one-on-one sessions with a mental health professional are the only way to receive effective treatment. This symposium highlights the growing evidence for technology-based delivery of mental health interventions for substance use and mental health disorders. Kathleen Carroll from the Yale School of Medicine will present research on a computer-assisted cognitive behavioral therapy program that is showing promise as an effective, longer-lasting, and less costly way to treat individuals with substance dependence. Mary Brunette from the Dartmouth School of Medicine will discuss computerized decision support systems as an effective means of promoting smoking cessation treatment. Dror Ben-Zeev from Dartmouth Psychiatric Research Center will highlight the use of mobile devices as a way to monitor substance use and symptom presentation and deliver interventions for individuals with schizophrenia. And Robert Evans from Google will discuss the various ways that mobile platforms can be used to research diverse topics ranging from employee wellness to allergy management, mood tracking, and eating behavior change.

Kathleen Carroll, Professor of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine – [email protected]

Mary Brunette, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Dartmouth School of Medicine – [email protected]

Dror Ben-Zeev, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Dartmouth School of Medicine – [email protected]

Location: Huron
Date/Time: Friday, May 25, 2012 10:30 AM – 11:50 AM

The Paradox of Reverse Mental Health Disparities: Reduced Risk Among Ethnic Minorities

Despite persistent physical health disparities by race, Latino and Black Americans actually show lower risk for several psychiatric disorders when compared to White Americans. In this symposium, three researchers from the University of Miami will examine various sources of evidence for factors that might explain the paradox of reverse mental health disparities. Lauren Smith will discuss how transactional theory can help us to understand how stress and coping vary among both individuals and groups. Casta Guillaume will present research on the unique coping techniques that may mitigate psychological risk for Black Women. And Lily Kofler will examine the relationships between race, gender, and coping style and maladaptive behaviors like drinking alcohol for non-addicted people.

Lauren Smith, Doctoral Student, University of Miami – [email protected]

Casta Guillaume, Doctoral Student, University of Miami – [email protected]

Location: Huron
Date/Time: Friday, May 25, 2012 1:00 PM – 2:20 PM

Pain, Fear, and Suffering

Pain-related fear is thought to play an important role in the way people experience chronic pain and disability. This symposium brings together new insights from experimental research on pain-related fear and avoidance and their impact on people’s lives. Ann Meulders from the University of Leuven, Belgium will present new research that examines how fear of movement-related pain can generalize to unique movements. Petra Karsdorp of Utrecht University and Maastricht University will explore the hypothesis that goals unrelated to pain-avoidance may play a role in motivating performance during painful tasks. Katja Wiech of the University of Oxford will present new findings from neuroimaging studies on the neural mechanisms that may modulate pain. And Marlies den Hollander of Maastricht University will discuss the potential of Graded Exposure in Vivo as a treatment to reduce pain-related fear in patients with chronic pain.

Ann Meulders, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Leuven – [email protected]

Petra Karsdorp, Postdoctoral Researcher, Utrecht University [email protected]

Katja Wiech, Research Associate, University of Oxford – [email protected]

Marlies den Hollander, Doctoral Student, Maastricht University – [email protected]

Location: Ontario
Date/Time: Sunday, May 27, 2012 10:30 AM – 11:50 AM

A Multi-Disciplinary Look at Psychological Well-Being After the Tuscaloosa Tornado
Natural disasters, like tornados, can have a devastating impact on people’s well-being. In this symposium, four researchers from the University of Alabama will investigate the factors that may explain why some exposure to a tornado compromises mental health for some but not others. John Lochman will present research on children’s behavioral, emotional, social, and psychophysiological functioning both before and after exposure to a tornado. James Hamilton will discuss depression as a possible moderator of the risk and resilience factors that are associated with post-disaster outcomes. Nicole Muscanell will examine data that suggest that use of Facebook may lead to greater stress and negative affect after experiencing a tornado. And Rosanna Guadagno will explore gender differences in college students’ well-being following a tornado.

John Lochman, Professor of Clinical Psychology, University of Alabama – [email protected]

James Hamilton, Associate Professor, University of Alabama [email protected]

Nicole Muscanell, Doctoral Student, University of Alabama – [email protected]

Rosanna Guadagno, Assistant Professor, University of Alabama – [email protected]

Location: Ontario
Date/Time: Sunday, May 27, 2012 12:00 PM – 1:20 PM

Science and Practice in 2012 and Beyond
For over 60 years, clinical psychologists have attempted to integrate science into practice for the benefit of the public. David Barlow of Boston University will discuss the considerable progress that has been made and the many barriers to dissemination and implementation that still exist.

David Barlow, Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, Boston University – [email protected]

Location: Chicago Ballroom IX
Date/Time: Saturday, May 26, 2012 1:00 PM – 1:50 PM

SSCP Distinguished Scientist Award Address
Medication and behavior modification are two evidence-based treatments for ADHD, but the former are far more frequently used than the latter. Few studies have evaluated issues such as combining, dosing, and sequencing interventions; long-term safety; and effectiveness. In this talk, William Pelham of Florida International University will review recent studies that demonstrate the limitations of medication and the benefits of employing behavioral treatments as first-line interventions for individuals with ADHD.

William Pelham, Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, Florida International University – [email protected]

Location: Chicago Ballroom IX
Date/Time: Friday, May 25, 2012 3:00 PM – 3:50 PM

The Origins, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Neuroticism: Back to the Future

APS Award Address
The diagnosis of neuroticism disappeared in 1980 when it was eliminated from the DSM. But commonalities among neuroticism, anxiety, mood, and emotional disorders remain. In this talk, David Barlow of Boston University proposes a new way to diagnose and treat these related disorders.

David Barlow, Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, Boston University – [email protected]

Location: Sheraton Ballroom III
Date/Time: Friday, May 25, 2012 4:00 PM – 4:50 PM

Other Sessions of Interest

Meet the Editor of Clinical Psychological Science: Alan E. Kazdin
Alan E. Kazdin
Special Event
Location: Chicago Ballroom VIII
Date/Time: Thursday, May 24, 2012 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM

Teach Your Students Well: Mentoring Doctoral Students to Be Clinical Scientists in the 21st Century
Richard G. Heimberg
SSCP Presidential Address
Location: Chicago Ballroom IX
Date/Time: Friday, May 25, 2012 4:00 PM – 4:50 PM

Culture as Treatment for American Indian Mental Health Problems: Pursuing Evidence Through Community Collaborations

Joseph P. Gone
Location: Missouri
Date/Time: Saturday, May 26, 2012 2:00 PM – 2:50 PM

Self-Regulation of Effort: Adaptive and Maladaptive Processes

Chairs: Sander L. Koole, Guido Gendolla

Location: Chicago Ballroom VIII

Date/Time: Sunday, May 27, 2012, 12:00 PM – 1:20 PM

Current Directions in ADHD Research

Chairs: Arnaud Rey, Howard Berenbaum
Location: Chicago Ballroom X
Date/Time: Friday, May 25, 2012 10:30 AM – 11:50 AM

Understanding and Building Resilience in At-Risk Populations

Silvia H. Koller
Disaster, Response, and Recovery
Location: Sheraton Ballroom IV
Date/Time: Friday, May 25, 2012 9:45 AM – 10:25 AM

ACPN Workshop: Introduction to Neuropsychological Assessment

Patricia A. Pimental
Location: Missouri
Date/Time: Thursday, May 24, 2012 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Costs and Benefits of Trauma Research: Implications for Institutional Review Boards

Chair: Elizabeth A. Yeater
Date/Time: Friday, May 25, 2012 9:00 AM – 10:20 AM

Organizational Efforts to Disseminate and Implement Empirically Supported Interventions in Health Care Systems

Location: Chicago Ballroom VIII
Date/Time: Thursday, May 24, 2012 1:30 PM – 3:15 PM

Co-organized by the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science (APCS) and the Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology (SSCP)

Redefining Clinical Science Training: Progress Report on the Delaware Project

Location: Chicago Ballroom VIII
Date/Time: Thursday, May 24, 2012 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM

News media may register to attend the conference for free at http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/convention/aps-23rd-annual-convention-2011-press-information.


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