The overall goal of my research is to advance our understanding of how and why the family environment contributes to adolescents’ socio-emotional development, with a specific interest in adolescent depression. My program of research examines (1) family stress as a predictor of individual differences in adolescents’ developmental trajectories, and (2) adolescents’ responses to family stress--at the physiological, emotional, and behavioral level—as possible mechanisms linking the family environment to adolescents’ adjustment. Among family stressors, I have a particular interest in exposure to marital conflict and parental psychopathology. A second line of research examines the interplay between relationship functioning (satisfaction, conflict) and couples' depressive symptoms, with a focus on underlying mechanisms. Ultimately, my long-term goal is to use the findings from this research to develop a program of family-based translational research aimed at promoting adolescent and family well-being.
