Past projects
BetterBET gamification
Lead: Alex Curland
Can adding gamification elements improve adherence and engagement of users of an automated depression intervention?
SOS: Structure of Suicidality
Lead: Eric Uhl
Can leading models of suicidality be combined into a hierarchical structure?
Yes, and the structure is relatively stable across subsamples.
Psycho-education intervention for Asian Americans
Lead: Kaylin Jones
Can an automated online psychoeducation intervention reduce stigma of mental illness in Asian Americans?
Yes, and the more people use the intervention, the greater the reduction in stigma.
Special K (thru 12): Perceptions of Special Ed students
Lead: Eunice Magat
Can we improve teachers' impressions of special education students?
Yes, if we present students to the teachers using strength-based language.
Deal or No Deal Decision-making of former foster youth
Lead: Megan Sullivan
How do individuals recently aged out of the foster care system make choices in a behavior economics game?
They appear to be have heightened perception of unfairness, and make less adaptive decisions when anxious.
Effect of depression on eyewitness identification
Lead: Jamie Giglio, PhD
Does depression interfere with the ability to make an accurate and confident eyewitness identification?
For simultaneous line-ups -- yes, along with stress.
Determination of capacity to stand trial
Lead: Erica Hamlin, PhD
Can an automated guided decision aid help forensic examiners determine perpetrator's capacity to stand trial?
It can help less experienced students feel more confident about their determinations.
MITRE: Microinterventions for Indian-Americans
Lead: Kalpana Sundaram, PhD
Would users prefer culturally adapted and personalized microinterventions for mood management to standard ones?
Yes, they seem to prefer culturally adapted and personalized versions.
Treatment seeking for depression in the Arab region
Lead: Sariah Daouk, PhD
What factors are related to the decision of individuals in the Arab world to seek or forgo treatment for depression?
Theory of Planned Behavior (attitudes, norms, behavioral control) influenced intentions. But few people seek treatment overall.
DAHLIA: Micro-inverventions for sexual assault survivors
Lead: Danni Goodmann, PhD
Can automated micro-interventions help manage distress and improve mood for female sexual assault survivors?
Yes, especially for distress.
Perception of depression treatment of Russians and Americans
Lead: Anna Freedland, PhD
Are there differences in the perceptions of depression and its treatment between Russians and Americans?
More differences in treatment stigma than in stigma about depression itself.
Planned transition in a student therapy clinic
Lead: Chelle Tran, PhD
What are the effects of planned transitions on clinical outcomes and treatment adherence?
Generally more missed sessions and some dips in outcomes.
Representation of minorities in stories
Lead: Felipe Barba, PhD
Do people identifying as minorities prefer to see their identities reflected in the media?
Sort of, but in some unexpected ways.
Juror Decision-Making
Lead: Bethany Young, PhD
Does depression influence juror's opinions about culpability and morality?
Depression can influences the decisions made by jurors, but its effects differ depending on the type of decisions.
Mental Health among Indian IT Professionals
Lead: Vidya Bharat, PhD
What do we know about mental health difficulties in the vast population of Indian IT professionals?
IT professionals residing in India struggle with high rates of mental health difficulties, and would prefer digital interventions.
Decisions about depression treatment in Latin America
Lead: Ashley Elefant Baratz, PhD
What factors are related to the decision of individuals in Latin America to seek or forgo treatment for depression?
Social support, stigma, suicidality are associated with greater treatment-seeking.
Internet-Based Safety Plan
Lead: Danielle Spangler, PhD
What do individuals with suicidal ideation think about an automated safety plan tool?
An interactive and self-guided Internet-Based Safety Plan may be a useful tool for individuals at risk for suicide.
Does depression influence decisions about joining clinical trials?
Does depression influence decisions about joining clinical trials?
Depressed individuals are less rational (more risk-averse) when deciding on acceptable level of risk when joining clinical trials compared to individuals with chronic pain.
Depression Management Course
Can an automated internet intervention help with symptoms of depression?
A fully-automated eight-lesson internet-based intervention for depression can reduce symptoms and improve depression-related self-efficacy, with improvements sustaining over several months.
MINT: Mood-Improving Internet Tools
Can small, easy to use tool improve mood of individuals with depression?
Micro-interventions for depression can improve mood and reduce distress, but only in the short-tem.
Treatment Decisions
What are the factors that go into a person's choice to seek treatment for depression?
Decisions regarding whether to seek depression treatment are influenced by understanding of treatments, goals for improvement, knowing others in treatment, and various other factors.