Kourtney Schroeder, Psy.D.
Clinical Psychologist & Assistant Professor
Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
University of Florida, College of Medicine- Jacksonville
Feeling that summer breeze yet? I hope you’re reading this summer edition of the Health Psychologist e-zine by a pool with a cold glass of lemonade in hand. Or maybe you’re reading this issue of the Health Psychologist e-zine in preparation for the upcoming APA convention. Both excellent ways to learn something from each of the carefully curated articles in this Pre-Convention issue of the Health Psychologist e-zine.
Unfortunately, this will be our last issue with our wonderful current president, Dr. Barbara Ward-Zimmerman. She reflects on the long history of our Division and the upcoming historical mark of 50 years! Dr. Ward-Zimmerman describes how our past will be used to inform our future in growing this Division. In another piece by Danielle Miller, she describes the need for a shift toward increasing empathy in the patient physician relationship in order to improve not only patient outcomes but also physician outcomes.
Dr. Meg Crotty illustrates the journey from graduate school to become an early career psychologist and the relationships made along the way. She notes how she supports not only her colleagues’ professional but also personal wins and the value of staying connected with peers. In the article written by Madeline Foster and colleagues, they describe the utilization of secondary data analysis and how this can be used to answer complex health questions within the health psychologist field.
Even though COVID-19 is no longer declared a state of emergency, the impact of the pandemic on mental health still needs to be discussed and addressed. Dr. Alice Schluger evaluates the impact of COVID-19 on the adolescent population and the crisis that is being faced for these young people. She highlights three important areas of focus for this population, substance use issues, disordered eating, and depression and suicide risk. Dr. Dina Goldstein Silverman also focused on the impact on COVID-19 with her article. She provides multiple case examples of how to care for survivors of COVID-19 as their mental health has been affected by the virus.
In another article, Dr. Erin Miers details information that is helpful in working with patients living with HIV. She explains the stigma associated with this infection and the advancements that have been made for those living with HIV. Drs. Amber Deneen Gray and Tabitha Chapman describe the long term impact of trauma. They call attention to how trauma impacts health and psychophysiology, diversity as a factor in traumatic experiences, and intervention as well as prevention for trauma.
Don’t forget to check our Division’s program guide for the upcoming convention at APA in Washington D.C. on August 3rd to the 5th!
Reflecting on history to improve the future and care for patients can be found in these excellent articles, blending together past, present, and future needs within health psychology.
Each article was created with hardwork and I want to acknowledge the dedication from the authors of every piece. Huge thank you to each of you! Please do not hesitate to contact me at thehealthpsychologist@gmail.com if you have any questions or an idea for a piece (one does not have to be a member to contribute).
Kindly,
Kourtney Schroeder, Psy.D.
Editor in Chief, The Health Psychologist