REYES
PORTILLO LAB
Current Research Projects
Improving Clinician Training in Evidence-Based Treatments
There is a critical shortage of mental health clinicians trained in evidence-based treatments (EBTs). We are interested in examining how technology, such as Internet-based trainings, video conferences, and mobile applications, can increase accessibility to specialized training and enhance traditional face-to-face training. As part of this research, we recently conducted a systematic review to identify and summarize research on the use of technology to train clinicians in EBTs.
Traditional and Online Mental Health Service Among College Students At -Risk for Suicide
Despite the elevated risk for suicidal ideation and behavior, few college students receive mental health services. Given the ubiquity of technology in college students’ lives, online interventions
and mobile apps may increase opportunities for engaging college students in need of psychotherapy and help college and university mental health centers meet the increasing demand for services.
However, research examining college students’ use of online interventions and mental health apps has been limited. Currently, our work centers on examining rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation and behavior among college students, social and
cultural factors that increase suicide risk, and traditional and online mental health service use.
Social Media and Youth Mental Health
Many adults are concerned about the personal and societal consequences of the surge in and reliance on digital technology. Digital-screen activities like social media use may exert a negative influence on youth mental health through cyber-bullying, normalizing self-harm, and even discouraging help-seeking. At the same time, social media use has been found to be linked with lower levels of loneliness and greater feelings of belonging, actual and perceived access to social support, and life satisfaction.
Given the positive and negative findings recent research has yielded, our research aims to examine and define the boundaries of “healthy” social media use among youth and using social media data to improve assessment and treatment of depression and anxiety disorders among youth.
