Talk description: As prevalence rates for mental illness rise – especially among young adults – so too do the pressures associated with navigating the decision of whether (and when) to disclose the experience of a mental illness. Dr. Schofield’s research program explores the nature and impact of stigma outcomes associated with such disclosure, as well as the role that social pressures play in constraining people’s willingness to authentically report stigmatizing attitudes. This research talk will present data from a series of studies concerned with exploring impacts of disclosure for young adults in particular, across the contexts of college admissions and college housing decisions.

Brief bio: Casey Schofield, PhD is a Professor of Psychology at Skidmore College and a licensed clinical psychologist. She completed her doctoral training at Binghamton University, and both her postdoctoral residency and fellowship at Brown University. Her research program documents the presence and nature of mental health stigma for patients with mood and anxiety disorders – from young adults to perinatal women. In addition, this work confronts the measurement challenges that present when assessing socially sensitive topics. She teaches coursework across the psychology curriculum, including Introduction to Psychological Science, Research Methods and Statistics, Psychological Disorders, and Psychological Testing. She maintains a small private practice offering evidence-based psychotherapy for anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder.