Current Research & Program Development Activities

Behavioral Cardiology

1. Problem-Solving Therapy (PST) for Depressed Heart Failure Patients
   • Developing and testing the efficacy of a PST intervention specifically adapted to treat major depressive disorder among individuals diagnosed with heart failure
   • Developing and evaluating the psychometric properties of a measure assessing heart failure-specific stressful problems
   • Developing and testing the potential efficacy of a telephone-based PST intervention for depressed heart failure patients
2. Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) Among Individuals with Heart Failure
   • Assessing the presence of PTG among this population
   • Testing the hypothesis that social problem solving is a mediator between PTG and quality of life among heart failure patients
3. Caregiver Problem Solving and Depression in Heart Failure Patients
   • Kristin Salber’s MS thesis
   • Assessing the relationship between caregiver problem solving and heart failure patient’s depression
4. Problem-Solving Therapy for Adults with Hypertension
• Lauren Greenberg’s Ph.D. dissertation
• Evaluating the efficacy of PST to reduce hypertension as compared to mindful meditation and enhanced treatment as usual

Military Service Members/Veterans and Their Families

1. PST-Based Group Program to Prevent Psychopathology and Enhance Resilience
   • Program evaluation of 4-session PST protocol (entitled “Moving Forward”) for OEF/OIF Veterans on national level in conjunction with the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of Mental Health Services
   • Develop “train the trainers” program for Moving Forward
   • Develop web-based Moving Forward program; train the trainers web-based program, and Moving Forward smartphone "app"
2. Reintegration Training for Recently Deployed National Guard Service Members and Their Families (@ University of Southern California’s Center for Innovation & Research on Veterans and Military Families; Art Nezu & Chris Maguth Nezu, consultants; Art Nezu, co-investigator)
   • Evaluating the efficacy of a PST-based web program to enhance resilience among recently deployed National Guard service members

Psychosocial Oncology

1. Treating Depressed Breast Cancer Patients (@ New York State Psychiatric Institute/ Columbia University; Art Nezu, Consultant/Co-investigator)
   • Comparing the relative efficacy of 3 different psychosocial treatments for depression among breast cancer patients: Interpersonal Psychotherapy, PST, Supportive Psychotherapy
2. Post-Cancer Treatment Distress
   • Kristin Salber’s dissertation
   • Examining the relationship between experiential avoidance and distress after successful treatment of cancer

Problem Solving & Personality/Personality Disorders

1. Social Problem Solving and Personality Characteristics
   • Sarah Ricelli's MS thesis
   • Examining the role of SPS regarding the relationship between personality characteristics and emotional distress
2. PST for Personality Disorders (@ The University of Nottingham, United Kingdom; Chris Maguth Nezu & Art Nezu, consultants)
   • Evaluating the efficacy of PST for outpatients with Axis II diagnoses

Problem Solving and Women’s Health

1. Psychological Distress Among Pregnant Women
   • Amy Evan’s MS thesis
   • Examining the relationship between social problem solving and distress (depression and anxiety) among pregnant women

Adults with Intellectual Disabilities

1. PST for Adults with ID (@Rush University Hospital, Chicago; Art Nezu, consultant)
   • Evaluating PST programs adapted for adults with ID and their residential treatment staff

Adults with Comorbid Diabetes and Depression

1. PST for depressed diabetic patients (@ University of Southern California; Art Nezu, consultant/co-investigator)
   • Evaluating the impact of training diabetes primary care health care professionals in safety net hospitals in Los Angeles in PST