Department of Psychology

Sarah J. Erickson

Associate Professor
Email: erickson@unm.edu
Office: Logan 168
Phone: 505-277-0635

Degree Received
Ph.D., Stanford University, 1994

Research Interests
My research interests within the broader Clinical Child Psychology and Health Psychology domains are situated more proximally within Pediatric Psychology. These interests incorporate coping, a multi-dimensional, transactional process concerning how children and families manage stress, as a unifying theme. My research program includes three primary foci: (1) an attachment theory-based investigation of infant/toddler mental health associated with maternal parenting practices in pediatric samples. Specifically, with infants born very low birth weight (VLBW), an at-risk population, I have investigated infant-mother interactions and emotion regulation; the impact of ethnicity on the relationship between maternal interactive behavior and toddler developmental outcomes; the nature of dysregulation in this population; and differences in object permanence that underlie early working memory between toddlers born VLBW compared to toddlers born full term. (2) My second area of interest addresses children's adaptation to chronic illness. This study of adaptation incorporates both trauma spectrum and quality of life theoretical models in understanding the long term adjustment of children with chronic illness (pediatric cancer survivors, pediatric traumatic brain injury) and their families. For pediatric cancer survivors, I have focused on trauma spectrum adaptation, somatization, and the repressive adaptive personality style as a moderator of children’s symptom reports. For pediatric traumatic brain injury, I have addressed self-reported quality of life in the context of the larger pediatric quality of life domain. (3) The third research area within pediatric psychology addresses disordered eating and body image concerns in preadolescent girls, including developmental considerations, the relationship of these constructs to broader psychological domains such as self-esteem, an investigation of ethnic differences, and the psychological and physiological stress response in recovering adolescent anorexic girls. Other related areas of interest within the pediatric psychology realm include: adolescent coping as it pertains to health outcomes; associations between coping, defense, personality, humor, and psychological distress and well-being; and physiological reactivity associated with adolescent personality and defenses.

Publications

Articles in Refereed Journals:

Lowe, J., Erickson, S.J., Duncan, A., & Schraeder, R. (in press). Bayley Scales 2nd Edition Compared to the 3rd Edition: Are we measuring the same thing? Acta Paediatrica.

Erickson, S., Tonigan, J., & Winhusen, T. (in press). Therapist effects in a NIDA CTN intervention trial with pregnant substance abusing women: Findings from RCT and provider settings. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly.

Greenfield, S., Rosa, C., Putnins, S., Green, C., Brooks, A., Calsyn, D., Cohen, L., Erickson, S. et al. (2011). Gender research in the National Institute on Drug Abuse National Treatment Clinical Trials Network: A summary of findings. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse.

Metsch, L, Feaster, D., Gooden, L., Matheson, T., Mandler, R., Haynes, L., Tross, S., Kyle, T., Gallup, D., Kosinski, A., Douaihy, A., Schackman, B., Das, R., Linblad, R., Erickson, S.J., Sorensen, J., Szapocznik, J., Branson, B. & Cofax, G. (2011). A randomized controlled trial of the effectiveness of on-site rapid HIV testing and prevention counseling in substance use treatment programs. American Journal of Public Health.

Lowe, J.R., Erickson, S.J., Maclean, P., & Montague, E. (2010). Cognitive Correlates in Toddlers Born Very Low Birth weight and Full-Term. Infant Behavior and Development, 33, 629-634.

Erickson, S.J., Montague, E., & Gerstle, M. (2010). Health related quality of life in children with moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries. Developmental Neurorehabilitation, 13(3), 175-181.

Maclean, P., Erickson, S.J., & Lowe, J.R. (2009). Comparing emotional reactivity and regulation in infants born ELGA and VLGA Infant Behavior and Development, 32, 336-339.

Annett, R.D. & Erickson, S.J. (2009). Feasibility of a school re-integration program for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: Lessons learned. European Journal of Cancer Care.18(4), 421-428.

Lowe, J.R., Erickson, S.J., Maclean, P.C., & Duvall, S.W. (2009). Early working memory in toddlers born preterm. Acta Paediatrica, 98, 660-663.

Miller, S., Erickson, S.J., Branom, C., & Steiner, H. (2009). Habitual Response to stress in recovering adolescent anorexic patients. Journal of Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 40 (1), 43-54.

Erickson, S.J. Hahn-Smith, A., & Smith, J.E. (2009). One step closer: understanding the complex relationship between weight and self esteem in ethnically diverse pre-adolescent girls. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 30, 129-139.

Ondersma, S.J., Winhusen, T., Erickson, S.J., & Stine, S. (2009). Motivation Enhancement Therapy with pregnant substance-abusing women: Does baseline motivation moderate efficacy? Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 101, 74-79.

Erickson, S.J. & Tonigan, J.S. (2008). The role of trauma and intraveneous drug use in predicting child abuse potential among pregnant substance abusing women. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 26(3), 313-332.

Winhusen, T., Kropp, F., Babcock, D., Hague, D., Erickson, S.J. et al. (2008). Motivational enhancement therapy to improve treatment utilization and outcome in pregnant substance users. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 35, 161-173.

Hatzenbuehler, M., Nolen-Hoeksema, S., & Erickson, S.J. (2008). Minority stress predictors of depression, substance use, and HIV risk behavior: Results from a prospective study of bereaved gay men. Health Psychology, 27(4), 455-462.

Erickson, S.J., Gerstle, M., & Montague, E. (2008). Repressive Adaptive Style and Psychosocial Functioning in Adolescent Cancer Survivors. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 39(3), 247-260.

Erickson, S.J. & Lowe, J.R. (2008). The role of maternal responsiveness in predicting infant affect during the still face paradigm with infants born very low birth weight. Infant Mental Health Journal, 29(2), 1-19.

Steiner, H., Erickson, S.J., Maclean, P., Medic, S., Plattner, B., & Koopman, C. (2007). Relationship between Defenses, Personality, and Affect During a Stress Task in Normal Adolescents. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 38(2), 107-119.

Erickson, S.J. & Gerstle, M. (2007). Investigation of ethnic differences in body image among preadolescent girls. Body Image, 4, 69-78.

Erickson, S.J. & Gerstle, M. (2007). Developmental considerations in measuring children’s disordered eating attitudes and behaviors. Eating Behaviors, 8, 224-235.

Erickson, S.J. & Feldstein, S.W. (2007). Adolescent humor and its relationship to coping, defense strategies, psychological distress and well being. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 37(3), 255-271.

Erickson, S.J., Gerstle, M., & Feldstein, S.W. (2005). Brief interventions in pediatric health care settings: A review. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 159, 1173-1180.

Erickson, S.J. & Steiner, H. (2003). Predicting adolescents’ global functioning from personality typologies. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 34(1), 63-80.

Steiner, H., Erickson, S.J., Hernandez, N., & Pavelski, R. (2002). Coping styles as correlates of health in high school students. Journal of Adolescent Health, 30, 326-335.

Romero, AJ, Robinson, TN, Kramer, HC, Erickson, SJ, Haydel, KF, Mendoza, F & Killen, JD. (2001). Are perceived neighborhood hazards a barrier to physical activity in children? Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 155(10), 1143-1148.

Erickson, S.J. & Steiner, H. (2001). Trauma and personality correlates in long term pediatric cancer survivors. Child Psychiatry and Human Development 31(3), 195-213.

Palmer, L., Erickson, S., Shaffer, T., Koopman, C., Amylon, M., & Steiner, H. (2000). Themes arising in group therapy for adolescents with cancer and their parents. International Journal of Rehabilitation and Health, 51 (1), 43-54.

Erickson, S.J. & Steiner, H. (2000). Trauma spectrum adaptation: somatic symptoms in long term pediatric cancer survivors. Psychosomatics, 41(4), 339-346.

Erickson, S.J., Robinson, T.N., Haydel, K.F. & Killen, J.T. (2000). Are overweight children unhappy? Body mass index, depressive symptoms, and overweight concerns in elementary school children. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 154(9), 931-935.

Erickson, S.J., & Steiner, H. (1999). Somatization as an indicator of trauma adaptation in long term pediatric cancer survivors. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 4(3), 415-426.

Erickson, S.J., Feldman, S.S., & Steiner, H. (1997). Defense reactions and coping strategies in normal adolescents. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 28(1),45-56.

Erickson, S.J., Feldman, S.S., & Steiner, H. (1996). Defense mechanisms and adjustment in normal adolescents. The American Journal of Psychiatry.153, 826-828.

Books Co-Authored:

Goldblum, P.B. & Erickson, S.J. (1999). Working with AIDS bereavement: A comprehensive approach for mental health providers. UCSF AIDS Health Project Monograph Series Number 3. SF: UCSF AIDS Health Project.

Book Chapters:

Zelenko, M. & Erickson, S.J. (2011). Attachment and related psychopathology. In H. Steiner (Ed.) The Stanford University School of Medicine Handbook of Developmental Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents. NY, NY: Jossey-Bass.

Carrion, V., Erickson, S.J., & Bancroft, M.E. (2011). Traumatic stress and psychopathology. In H. Steiner (Ed.) The Stanford University School of Medicine Handbook of Developmental Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents. NY, NY: Jossey-Bass.

Erickson, S.J. & Achilles, G. (2004). Cognitive behavioral therapy with children and adolescents. In H. Steiner (Ed.) The Stanford University School of Medicine Handbook of Mental Health Interventions in Children and Adolescents: An Integrated Developmental Approach. NY, NY: Jossey-Bass.

Erickson, S.J. & Palmer, L. (2004). Group therapy with children and adolescents. In H. Steiner (Ed.) The Stanford University School of Medicine Handbook of Mental Health Interventions in Children and Adolescents: An Integrated Developmental Approach. NY, NY: Jossey-Bass.

Goldblum, P.B. & Erickson, S.J. (1998). Clinical management of AIDS bereavement. In J. Dilley and R. Marks (Eds.), The UCSF AIDS Health Project Guide to Counseling: Perspectives, Psychotherapy, Prevention, and Therapeutic Practice. SF: UCSF AIDS Health Project.

Current Graduate Lab Members

Student/Research Interests


	Melissa Gerstle Pediatric neuropsychology; pediatric psychology, particularly consultation/liaison; patient and family adjustment/adaptation to childhood chronic illness; family systems
	Peggy MacLean Identifying cognitive and socio-emotional outcomes in young children born preterm; identifying parent-child interactional styles associated with maladaptive outcomes in children born preterm; international child mental health (improving access to early intervention services)
	Mary Bancroft Children's development of coping skills; culture & socialization of children's emotions.
	Erica Montague Pediatric health psychology, with a focus on how chronic illness impacts psychosocial development and family functioning, and pediatric neuropsychology.
	Susanne Duvall Autism, executive functioning, child neuropsychology and neuroimaging, preterm child outcomes, international child mental health.
	Sarah Hile Understanding how the pediatric cancer experience relates to later functional outcomes in neurocognitive, social, and emotional domains.
	Jen Benson Jen Benson studied Psychology and Music at Haverford College, and is currently interested in early environment and parenting factors that can moderate the impact of poverty on cognitive development in toddlers
	Nikki Rowell Adolescent coping as it pertains to health outcomes and the reduction of health risk behaviors in this population as well as children's adaptation to chronic illness.