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Advancing Clinical Science: The PCSAS Blog

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  • PCSAS Student Town Hall Held on 1/26/24

    Joanne Davila, President of the PCSAS Board of Directors, and Joe Steinmetz, PCSAS Executive Director, met with students from several PCSAS programs to answer questions posed by the students. A link to a recording of the Town Hall can be found here.

  • Antipsychotic Medications in Youth: A Critical Review of Existing Literature

    Antipsychotic Medications in Youth: A Critical Review of Existing Literature

    By Linnea Sepe-Forrest, Indiana University          Antipsychotic medications have revolutionized the pediatric psychiatry field, placating children with severe disruptive behavior disorders and ameliorating psychosis symptoms that can torture developing children (Jensen et al., 2007; Scotto Rosato et al., 2012). These drugs can improve extreme difficulties in functioning by altering neurochemical levels, particularly for the dopamine […]

  • Overcoming Challenges in Preregistration to Improve Statistical Inferences in Clinical Science

    Overcoming Challenges in Preregistration to Improve Statistical Inferences in Clinical Science

    By Jeremy Eberle, M.A., University of Virginia Preregistration of hypotheses and analysis plans on a public, time-stamped registry (e.g., Open Science Framework; OSF) before observing research outcomes promotes transparency and distinguishes planned from unplanned analyses, thereby guarding against selective reporting, improving validity of inferences for planned analyses, and enabling calibration of confidence for unplanned analyses […]

  • The Early Faculty Experience in Clinical Science: An interview with Dr. Craig Rodriguez-Seijas and Dr. Leah Richmond-Rakerd

    The Early Faculty Experience in Clinical Science: An interview with Dr. Craig Rodriguez-Seijas and Dr. Leah Richmond-Rakerd

    By Margo Menkes, M.S., University of Michigan I interviewed our department’s two newest faculty members about their perspectives on clinical science training, the transition from trainee to early faculty, and more. I have highlighted key points from these interviews to provide current trainees with advice, insight into this career transition period, and considerations for our […]

  • How to Prepare for Clinical Internship Early

    How to Prepare for Clinical Internship Early

    By Alexander Williams, M.S., Northwestern University Preparing internship applications is among the most time consuming and effortful tasks of a clinical trainee. My intent here is to provide clinical graduate students early in their graduate years (years 1-4; at least a year out from the application cycle) with general internship principles and tips that I have […]

  • What to Know as a Clinician Working with Eating Disorders for the First Time: A Trainee Primer

    What to Know as a Clinician Working with Eating Disorders for the First Time: A Trainee Primer

    By Samantha Dashineau, M.A., Purdue University Many clinical psychology programs do not explicitly train graduate student clinicians to work with certain populations, such as those diagnosed with eating disorders. As a result, trainees in these programs are often tasked with finding practicum placements to receive experience treating these populations. There are a variety of considerations that […]

  • Barriers to and Recommendations for Increasing Diversity in Psychological Science

    Barriers to and Recommendations for Increasing Diversity in Psychological Science

    By Bingjie Tong, M.A.1, Madeline Palermo, M.A.1, Leslie E. Sawyer, M.A.1, & Fallon Goodman, Ph.D.2. 1 University of South Florida; 2 George Washington University The “leaky pipeline” phenomenon has existed for decades in academia. Students from marginalized backgrounds, especially those from racial/ethnic minorities and lower socioeconomic backgrounds, are more likely to drop out at each stage of the […]

  • Normative Misperception in Clinical Science

    Normative Misperception in Clinical Science

    By Caroline Boyd-Rogers, M.A., University of Iowa The value of peer support and learning is well-known in clinical science, particularly in group-therapy contexts (American Psychological Association, 2019). However, the role of peers and peer perceptions may be relevant to assess in individual therapy settings as well. Research has demonstrated that peer perceptions significantly relate to one’s […]

  • BDSM 101 for Clinical Scientists

    BDSM 101 for Clinical Scientists

    by Caroline Boyd-Rogers University of Iowa Bondage/discipline, dominance/submission, sadism/masochism (BDSM) is commonly associated with a sexual preference for consensually giving or taking control during a sexual encounter. Though commonly seen as a “niche” sexual interest, 76% of a large sample of therapists reported working with at least one client with a history of engaging in BDSM. However, only […]

  • On Planning the Clinical Science Summit

    On Planning the Clinical Science Summit

    by Cindy Yee-Bradbury, Ph.D., Past-President, Academy of Psychological Clinical Science (APCS)               In 2019, I began to consider priorities that would focus my efforts as the newly-elected president of the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science (APCS). One immediate goal was to reduce barriers to a clinical science education, which we began […]

  • An APPIC Perspective

    An APPIC Perspective

    by Shona Vas, Ph.D., ABPP  &  Amy Silberbogen, Ph.D., ABPP, Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC)            Drs. Shona Vas and Amy Silberbogen appreciated the opportunity to represent the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) at the Clinical Science Training Summit and to have a seat at the table […]

  • Since the Summit: Future Directions

    Since the Summit: Future Directions

    by Tom Rodebaugh, Ph.D., University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill            Since the Summit, the Planning Committee has been working on how to move the work of the Summit out into the world. (See Cindy Yee-Bradbury’s description of the background of the Summit for more details about the planning committee.) I […]

  • Equity and Justice in Clinical Science: A Student Perspective

    Equity and Justice in Clinical Science: A Student Perspective

    by Jaisal Merchant, M.A., Washington University in St. Louis             As a clinical science graduate student engaged in efforts to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) in our training programs, I was honored to be part of the introductory talk on Equity and Justice in Clinical Science at the APCS […]

  • Reflections from a Department Chair

    Reflections from a Department Chair

    by Annette Stanton, Ph.D., Council of Graduate Departments of Psychology (COGDOP)          When I was invited to join the planning committee for the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science Summit on Clinical Science Training as a representative from the Council of Graduate Departments of Psychology (COGDOP), I readily accepted. My doctoral training was […]

  • PCSAS and the Summit

    PCSAS and the Summit

    by Joanne Davila, Ph.D., President, Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) Board of Directors         On May 4-5, 2023, the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science held a Summit on Clinical Science Training at the Eric P. Newman Education Center at Washington University in St. Louis. The purpose of the Summit was to […]

  • PCSAS Newsletter Series: Surviving and Thriving in Clinical Science Training Article #2: Accessing and Acting from Wise Mind

    PCSAS Newsletter Series: Surviving and Thriving in Clinical Science Training Article #2: Accessing and Acting from Wise Mind

    by Samantha Hellberg, M.A.*, Jennifer Kirby, Ph.D.*, & Tiffany Hopkins, Ph.D.***University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill**University of North Carolina, School of Medicine Welcome back to Surviving and Thriving in Clinical Science Training! We are glad that you have stepped away from your endless task list and are considering ways to support your well-being as a […]

  • Marginalized Populations Deserve Our Very Best: Measurement Invariance as the Foundation of Mental Health Disparities Research

    Marginalized Populations Deserve Our Very Best: Measurement Invariance as the Foundation of Mental Health Disparities Research

    by Riley McDanal, M.A., Stony Brook University Our ability to understand and reduce mental health problems among marginalized groups rests, in part, on our ability to accurately measure disparities in mental health problems across groups with different levels of privilege. If our measures are inadequate, then so will be our results, conclusions, and applications. When we use a […]

  • Psychoeducation Embedded into Core Curriculum for College Students: One Strategy to Help Close College Student Mental Healthcare Treatment Gaps

    Psychoeducation Embedded into Core Curriculum for College Students: One Strategy to Help Close College Student Mental Healthcare Treatment Gaps

    by Shannon Savell, M.A., University of Virginia Many clinical psychology graduate students serve the college students at their home institutions in their training clinics. In my opinion, it is essential that we are also critically thinking and contributing to structural and systemic efforts to help close the mental health treatment gaps for college students seeking mental healthcare. Even […]

  • Tangible Steps for Clinical Students to Navigate Conflicting Demands and the Advisor-advisee Relationship

    Tangible Steps for Clinical Students to Navigate Conflicting Demands and the Advisor-advisee Relationship

    by Shannon E. Grogans, M.S. & Nicholas P. Marsh, M.S., University of Maryland Among the most important factors for determining a great doctoral program experience is having a successful relationship with your mentor (Gee et al., 2022; Sverdlick et al., 2018). Most of us likely enter the application process hoping for this, but unfortunately for some students, […]

  • Impacts and Implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on Early Childhood Socioemotional Development

    Impacts and Implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on Early Childhood Socioemotional Development

    by Gretchen Perhamus M.A., University at Buffalo A growing literature has highlighted the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on academic, social, and emotional development of children and adolescents. From a life course theory perspective, COVID-19 disruptions in early childhood (i.e., younger than age 8) may be particularly impactful and have both immediate and longstanding effects with important […]

  • From Mentee to Mentor: Tips on How to Effectively Mentor Undergraduate Students as a Graduate Student

    From Mentee to Mentor: Tips on How to Effectively Mentor Undergraduate Students as a Graduate Student

    by Anna Maralit, B.A.,  University of Missouri Graduate students often engage in informal mentoring of undergraduate students in their roles as graduate teaching and research assistants, however, little attention has been given to understanding and improving mentoring relationships between graduate students and undergraduate students (Brown, 2016). As we are often close in age to undergraduates who may […]

  • Barriers to Retention: Systematic Financial Barriers for Graduate Students from Traditionally Underrepresented Backgrounds

    Barriers to Retention: Systematic Financial Barriers for Graduate Students from Traditionally Underrepresented Backgrounds

    by Katherine A. Carosella, M.A., University of Minnesota Many students would agree that the process of gaining admission to graduate programs is arduous but the process of completing a doctoral program is significantly more difficult. This is the case for all graduate students, though students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, namely those who are not white and from […]

  • Building R Coding Skills as a Clinical Trainee

    Building R Coding Skills as a Clinical Trainee

    by Alexander L. Williams, M.S., Northwestern University Clinical trainees juggle a number of responsibilities.  When you are working to keep up with your caseload, stay on top of classes, all the while carving out the time you can for your research, there are compelling reasons to spend as little time as possible on anything else!  An […]

  • Financial Debt and Stress in Clinical Psychology Doctoral Students

    Financial Debt and Stress in Clinical Psychology Doctoral Students

    by Erica Szkody, Ph.D.*  &  Steven Hobaica, Ph.D.*** Stony Brook University; ** The Trevor Project Graduate student debt loads are steadily rising, and financial stress remains a significant stressor for many graduate students. In our recent study (Szkody et al., 2022; (N = 912), the average clinical psychology doctoral student loan debt was $76,000 by […]

  • How Neighborhood Factors Contribute to Well-Being and the Etiology of Psychopathology in Children and Adolescents: A Path Forward

    How Neighborhood Factors Contribute to Well-Being and the Etiology of Psychopathology in Children and Adolescents: A Path Forward

    by Estelle Berger, M.S., University of Oregon The places we live and the spaces we inhabit can play a significant role in shaping our mental and general health. This is especially true for children and adolescents as they develop physically, psychologically, and socially. Below, I critically discuss the literature on this topic.  Currently, over half of […]