There are two projects housed within the Mindfulness & Culture Labs. Each project has its own team with Mark Driscoll, Ph.D., serving as Principal Investigator.
Our research investigates behavioral and interpersonal models of stress and depression among individuals of underrepresented and/or marginalized groups, with an emphasis on Latinxs. The goal of this research is to identify the social and psychological mechanisms by which cultural change and adaptation occur and their relationship to mental health.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship of daily fluctuations in acculturation to daily experiences of context-specific interpersonal stressors and their influence on mental health over time among U.S. Latinx adults.
This research focuses on cultural adaptation with respect to culturally relevant behaviors, values, and attitudes; as well as one’s commitment, attachment to, and exploration of racial-ethnic identity. We are also interested investigating how the ability to flexibly express and synthesize disparate cultural identities influences cultural behaviors and subsequent mental health. Our lab uses mainly community-based approaches, with recent research projects implementing ecological momentary assessment (EMA) techniques to understand cultural adaptation process in the context of daily Latinx lives as they are lived.
Collaborator
Lucas Torres, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology
Marquette University
Our research interest is in the study of evidence-based, behavioral psychotherapies for disorders of overcontrol (OC), particularly Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO DBT). Several studies investigating the efficacy of RO DBT suggest that it may be superior to treatment-as-usual for disorder of maladaptive OC (Chen et al., 2015; Isaksson et al., 2021; Lynch et al., 2003; Lynch et al., 2007; Lynch et al., 2013; Lynch et al., 2019). The long-term goal is to further understand maladaptive overcontrol and subsequently refine and adapt treatment approaches related to OC. We have two main areas of research in our lab. The first area is currently investigating whether: (1) specific behavioral subtypes of overcontrol exist and can be reliably measured in clinical practice, and (2) to evaluate whether subtypes of OC personality style correspond to differences in interpersonal problems and distress. A second area of inquiry is examining the role of therapy alliance in RO DBT and investigating whether effective-rupture repairs between client and therapist are predictive of clinical outcomes among treatment seeking adults.
CURRENT PROJECTS:
Interpersonal Behavior Subtypes among Overcontrolled (OC) Personality Styles
This study is investigating whether individuals with overcontrolled (OC) personality styles exhibit specific subtypes of interpersonal behavior as proposed by Lynch (2018). The specific objectives of this project are 1) to examine whether the theorized subtypes of OC personality style interpersonal behavior – overly agreeable and overly disagreeable – exist and align with those proposed by Lynch (2018), and 2) to evaluate whether subtypes of OC personality style correspond to differences in interpersonal problems and distress. This project.
Mia (she/her/hers) is pursuing her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at The Family Institute at Northwestern University. Mia holds a BA in both Psychology and Political Science from the University of Michigan, where her curiosity for human behavior and relational dynamics flourished. Mia was motivated to be an RA in the MBT Lab to deepen her understanding of evidence-based treatments for hard-to-treat populations. Currently, her clinical interests are around interpersonal dynamics in couples' work, familial systems, and group therapy. She also immerses herself in CBT, trauma-informed care, human sexuality, and grief and loss work. Mia likes to teach yoga, try out new recipes, and run along the Chicago lakefront in her free time.
Amanda Galarza (she/her/hers) is a second-year Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) student at the Family Institute at Northwestern University. She received her BA in Sociology and double minored in Psychology and Child Development at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. In her free time, Amanda likes to do yoga, cook, hike, and travel with friends and family. Her research interests lie around multicultural psychology, including acculturation, ethnic identity, immigration, and mental health outcomes for marginalized populations. Currently, Amanda's clinical interests are around working with underserved community members with diverse backgrounds as a clinical trainee within The Family Institute clinic and the Community Outreach Program.
Angela “Andi” Pham (she/her/hers) is a recent graduate of the University of Utah. Having finished with a Bachelor of Science in both Psychology and Gender Studies with a minor in Ethnic Studies, she is interested in refining treatment mechanisms to create more accessible mental health systems and treatments for marginalized communities using community-based research methods. In her free time, Andi enjoys sewing and watching low-budget action films or early 2000s rom-coms.
Driscoll, M. W., & Torres, L. (2021). Cultural adaptation profiles among Mexican-descent Latinxs: Acculturation, acculturative stress, and depression. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000503
Driscoll, M. W., & Torres, L. (2020). The protective roles of intercultural competence and Latino acculturation on acculturative stress and depression: A brief longitudinal study. Journal of Latinx Psychology, 8, 161-177. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/lat0000138
Driscoll, M. W., Reynolds, J. R., & Todman, L. (2015). Dimensions of race-related stress and African American life satisfaction: A test of the protective role of collective efficacy. Journal of Black Psychology, 41, 462-486.
Driscoll, M. W., & Torres, L. (2013). Acculturative stress and Latino depression: The mediating role of behavioral and cognitive resources. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 19, 373-382.
Fivecoat, H. C., Mazurek, C., Cunningham, C. N., Ghandi, K., Driscoll, M. W., Reischer, H., Hendershot, Q., Kritzik, R., & Lawrence, E. (2022). It’s not us, it’s COVID-19: Individual and relational stress among Latine couples early in the pandemic. Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice. Advance online publication http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/cfp0000222
Galarza, A.*, & Driscoll, M. W. (November, 2022). Ethnic-racial identity profiles as a protective factor against racial discrimination in Black American adults. Poster presented at the meeting of the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapists, New York, NY.