Current Research

Maternal Health, Well-being, and Mother-Infant Bonding

The purpose of this study is to clarify the differences in physical health, return to participation, mental well-being, mother-child bonding, family functioning, and trauma experiences when comparing women with pelvic trauma to those without. This is a National Institute of General Medical Sciences grant funded study.

Risk and Resilience Among First Responders' Children

The purpose of this study is to investigate factors that may influence the psychological functioning of children with a first responder parent. Specifically, we will examine how trauma exposure in the line of duty is associated with child mental well-being. Additionally, family-level and community-level risk and resilience factors will be assessed to determine potential associations with child psychological functioning.

Experiences of Children After Surgery

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between parent and child reports of the child's psychological functioning following a surgical procedure, identify factors that predict parent-child concordance, and assess the impact of parent-child concordance on the child’s trauma response.

Hurricane Ian – Experiences of Parents and Youth

The purpose of this study is to understand how Hurricane Ian impacted parents and their children. Specifically, the study will investigate how a hurricane impacts family interactions, characterize evacuation experiences, evacuation decision-making, and evacuation barriers, and investigate how specific populations (e.g., families of color and families that have a child with complex health needs) may be disproportionately impacted by the hurricane

Online Social Support in Adolescents

The purpose of this study is to investigate how youth from rural and urban areas differentially experience social support through social media and how their perceptions of online social support impact their psychological wellbeing.

Resiliency and Coping After a School Shooting

The purpose of the study is to learn more about high school students’ feelings about experiencing a school shooting and the COVID-19 pandemic, and what coping strategies have been helpful to students in coping with these events.

Stress and Coping During COVID-19

The purpose of the study is to learn more about experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how these experiences affect feelings and health. This information will help us prepare adults and youth to be more resilient and to cope better with the COVID-19 crisis.

South Dakota COVID-19 Community Impact Project

The purpose of this study is to better understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted families in South Dakota. The results of this study will help to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on our communities. Click here to learn more about our project.

Genetic Risk for Childhood PTSD

The purpose of this study is to identify genetic biomarkers that show promise for advancing the ability to assess and diagnose PTSD in children. This study involves determining the diagnostic and prognostic implications of candidate genetic variants (SLC6A3, DRD2, TPH2, 5HTR2A, FKBP5, ADCYAP1R1) in children exposed to a natural disaster.