Mental Health Research

The goal of the Mental Health Research Program is to advance the understanding and treatment of youth mental illness to improve mental health outcomes for children and adolescents. A particular focus of our research is on understanding and preventing suicidal thoughts and behaviors. In this research, we work in close collaboration with the Nock Lab at Harvard University and the Kleiman Lab at Rutgers University.

Our research often uses digital technology (e.g., smartphones, wearable devices) and real-time monitoring to better understand clinical outcomes, such as suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and test novel interventions aimed preventing suicide and improving youth mental health.

Ongoing Projects

  • Testing a brief, scalable smartphone-based intervention aimed at reducing suicidal thoughts and behaviors among adolescents during and after inpatient hospitalization. This project is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (R34MH124973, PI Zuromski).
  • Using smartphone surveys, wearable devices (e.g., Fitbits), and phone behavior (e.g., screen time) to better understand suicidal thoughts and behaviors in the six months following hospitalization. This project is funded by two National Institute of Mental Health grants (U01MH116928, PI Nock; K23MH120439, PI Zuromski).
  • Understanding how adolescents with suicidal thoughts and behaviors may feel and understand their body sensations differently than other adolescents. This project is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (F31MH132231, PI Reid-Russell).
  • Examining the link between social connections and suicide risk using real-world smartphone call and text data collected during the months leading up to inpatient hospitalization.
  • Testing a novel intervention smartphone-delivered intervention that helps youth manage emotions and use psychological skills in their daily life.
  • Identifying and addressing sleep disturbances that affect many hospitalized youth and adversely contribute to mental health issues.

People

Kelly Zuromski, Ph.D., Director of Research
Ralph Buonopane, Ph.D., Director of Clinical Operations, Simches Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, McLean Hospital
Kendall Tinianov., B.A., Research Assistant
Sydney Tucker, A.B., Research Assistant
Azure Reid-Russell, M.A., Doctoral Student in Clinical Psychology at Harvard University

Collaborators

Matthew Nock, Ph.D.
Evan Kleiman, Ph.D.
Alex Millner, Ph.D.
Members of the Nock Lab

Alumni

Lia Follet, M.P.S. (Current Graduate Student in Clinical Psychology at the University of Georgia)
Flynn Kelly, B.A. (Current Graduate Student in Clinical Psychology at the University of Tennessee)

Support
National Institute of Mental Health
Fuss Family Research Fund
Novack Family Foundation
Alden Trust
John Leopold Weil and Geraldine Rickard Weil Memorial Charitable Foundation
Patient Centered Research Outcomes Institute (PCORI)
Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services
Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of Massachusetts
Yawkey Foundation
Rockland Trust Foundation

Recent Representative Publications

Millner, A. J., Zuromski, K. L., Joyce, V. W., Kelly, F., Richards, C., Buonopane, R. J., & Nash, C. C. (2022). Increased severity of mental health symptoms among adolescent inpatients during COVID-19. General Hospital Psychiatry, 77, 77-79.

Fortgang, R.G., Wang S.B., Millner A.J., Reid-Russell, A.,, Beukenhorst, A.L., Kleiman, E.M., Bentley, K.H., Zuromski K.L., Al-Suwaidi M., Bird S.A., Buonopane R.J., DeMarco, D., Haim A., Joyce V.W., Kastman E.K., Kilbury, E., Lee H.S., Mair P., Nash C.C., Onnela J., Smoller J.W., Nock, M.K. (2021) Increase in Suicidal Thinking During COVID-19 Clinical Psychological Science

Weinstein, E., Kleiman, E. M., Franz, P. J., Joyce, V. W., Nash, C. C., Buonopane, R. J., & Nock, M. K. (2021). Positive and negative uses of social media among adolescents hospitalized for suicidal behavior. Journal of Adolescence, 87, 63-73.

King, C.D. , Joyce V.W., Nash, C.C., Buonopane, R.J., Black, J.M., Zuromski, K.L., Millner, A.J. (2021) Fear of sleep and sleep quality mediate the relationship between trauma exposure and suicide attempt in adolescents. Journal of Psychiatric Research 21;135:243-247

Kleiman, E., Millner, A. J., Joyce, V. W., Nash, C. C., Buonopane, R. J., & Nock, M. K. (2019). Using Wearable Physiological Monitors With Suicidal Adolescent Inpatients: Feasibility and Acceptability Study. JMIR MHealth and UHealth, 7(9), e13725.

Want to learn more about our mental health research?

Contact Kelly Zuromski, Director of Research, at KZuromski@franciscanchildrens.org.

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