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Damion J. Grasso, Ph.D.Associate Professor of Psychiatry
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- Overview
- Education & Training
- Clinical Interests
- Teaching
- Research
- Research Opportunities
- Publications
Damion Grasso, Ph.D. a licensed Clinical Psychologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UConn Health with a secondary appointment in the Department of Pediatrics. Dr. Grasso's research broadly focuses on understanding biobehavioral mechanisms involved in trauma- and stress-related disorders in children and effective strategies for assessing and treating trauma-related impairment. He co-leads the UConn Health Family Adversity and Resilience Research (FARR) Program and provides evidence-based psychotherapy interventions for treating trauma-related disorders in the UConn Health Psychological Trauma Clinic.
Degree | Institution | Major |
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B.A. | Skidmore College | Psychology |
M.A. | Wesleyan University | General Psychology |
Ph.D. | University of Delaware | Clinical Psychology |
Dr. Grasso provides trauma-informed clinical assessment and psychotherapy within the UConn Health Psychological Trauma Clinic, a faculty clinic that treats children and adolescents presenting with trauma-related psychopathology, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The clinic is equipped to provide trauma-informed diagnostic assessment and several evidence-based, behavioral treatment models (e.g., Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Prolonged Exposure, Trauma Affect Regulation: Guide for Treatment and Education).
Teaching experiences center on developmental psychopathology, psychological trauma, assessment, and evidence-based psychotherapy models for treating stress- and trauma-related disorders.
Dr. Grasso's research broadly focuses on understanding biobehavioral mechanisms involved in trauma- and stress-related disorders in children and effective strategies for assessing and treating trauma-related impairment. Current and past research are summarized by four foci: (1) Biological and environmental mechanisms associated with violence- and trauma-related stress reactivity in children; (2) Cumulative patterns of exposure to adversity, trauma and associated risk of psychopathology and impairment; (3) Screening and assessment of adversity and associated symptoms; and (4) Psychosocial interventions for treating trauma-related symptoms across the lifespan. Primary research projects include a study examining physiological and epigenetic mechanisms explaining the intergenerational transmission of trauma-related risk in pregnant women and their infants offspring funded by the National Institute for Child Health and Development (NICHD: 1 R21 HD090379-01A1), a NARSAD award from the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, and a Patterson Trust Fellowship Award. Dr. Grasso is also a dual principal investigator with Dr. Margaret Briggs-Gowan on a study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH; 1 U01 MH113390-01A1) to examine biological and behavioral mechanisms explaining linkages between early violence exposure, stress reactivity, and psychiatric symptoms in young children; i.e., the Adaptation and Resilience in Childhood Study (ARCS). Research and clinical training opportunities for these studies are available.
The Family Adversity and Resilience (FARR) Program currently has three active NIH-funded studies centered on understanding how exposure to stress, trauma and other adversity affects children and families. We have many research opportunities for individuals from all levels of training (undergraduate, doctoral, and medical students, as well as residents and fellows).
Journal Articles
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Maternal posttraumatic stress predicts Mother-Child Symptom Flare-Ups over Time.
Research on child and adolescent psychopathology 2022 Jun;
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Linkages Between Childhood Maltreatment, Intimate Partner Violence, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Pregnant Hispanic Women: A Network Analysis.
Child maltreatment 2022 Apr;10775595221092948
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An in-Vivo Daily Self-Report Approach to the Assessment of Outcomes of Two Psychotherapies for Women With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
Behavior therapy 2022 Jan;53(1):11-22
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Caregiver Behaviors and Child Distress in Trauma Narration and Processing Sessions of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT).
Behavior therapy 2022 Jan;53(1):64-79
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Introduction to the Special Issue on the Intersection of Intimate Partner Violence and Child Maltreatment.
Child maltreatment 2021 Aug;10775595211036411
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Profiling COVID-related experiences in the United States with the Epidemic-Pandemic Impacts Inventory: Linkages to psychosocial functioning.
Brain and behavior 2021 Jul;e02197
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An Item Response Theory examination of the original and short forms of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) in pregnant women.
Journal of clinical psychology 2021 Jul;77(7):1591-1606
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Neurophysiological patterns associated with blunted emotional face processing and withdrawal tendencies in young children exposed to intimate partner violence.
Developmental psychobiology 2021 Jul;
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Three-variable systems: An integrative moderation and mediation framework for developmental psychopathology.
Development and psychopathology 2021 Jun;1-12
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Maternal posttraumatic stress and FKBP5 Genotype interact to predict trauma-related symptoms in preschool-age offspring.
Journal of affective disorders 2021 May;292212-216
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Structured Trauma-Related Experiences and Symptoms Screener for Adults (STRESS-A): Validation in a child welfare sample of mothers and fathers with active domestic violence.
Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy 2021 Mar;
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Associations among childhood threat and deprivation experiences, emotion dysregulation, and mental health in pregnant women.
Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy 2021 Jan;
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Structured Trauma Related Experiences and Symptoms Screener for Adults (STRESS-A): Validation in a child welfare sample of mothers and fathers with active domestic violence
Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy 2021 Jan;
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Intimate partner violence exposure and childhood psychopathology: Associations with discriminating fearful and angry faces in young children.
Journal of Family Violence 2020 Dec;
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Evaluation of a Statewide Implementation of Fathers for Change: A Fathering Intervention for Families Impacted by Partner Violence
Journal of Family Violence 2020 Sep;
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Using Child Protective Services Case Record Data to Quantify Family-Level Severity of Adversity Types, Poly-victimization, and Poly-deprivation.
Child abuse & neglect 2020 Aug;108104688
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An evaluation of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia: A systematic review and application of Tolin’s Criteria for empirically supported treatments
Clinical Psychology: Science and Pra 2020 Jun;
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Adverse childhood experiences, posttraumatic stress, and FKBP5 methylation patterns in postpartum women and their newborn infants.
Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020 Apr;114104604
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Interpersonal Violence Exposure and Chronic Pain in Adult Sickle Cell Patients.
Journal of interpersonal violence 2020 Mar;886260517691521
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Factor Structure, Reliability, and Validity of the Daily Self-Report Measure for Trauma-Related Sequelae (DSR-TRS).
Journal of trauma & dissociation : the official journal of the International Society for the Study of Dissociation (ISSD) 2020 Mar;1-25
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The Effects of Intimate Partner Violence and a History of Childhood Abuse on Mental Health and Stress during Pregnancy
Journal of Family Violence 2020 Mar;
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A multi-method and multi-informant approach to assessing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children.
International review of psychiatry (Abingdon, England) 2019 Dec;1-9
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Call for Papers: Prospectus for Special Issue of Child Maltreatment: "The Intersection of Intimate Partner Violence and Child Maltreatment".
Child maltreatment 2019 Nov;24(4):469-470
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Multi-method assessment of irritability and differential linkages to neurophysiological indicators of attention allocation to emotional faces in young children.
Developmental psychobiology 2019 Oct;
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Preliminary psychometrics of the Structured Trauma-Related Experiences and Symptoms Screener for Adults (STRESS-A) in an urban prenatal healthcare clinic.
Psychological Trauma : Theory, Research, Practice and Policy 2019 May;11(8):927-935
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Quantifying Severity of Maltreatment, Adversity, and Trauma From Child Protective Services Case Record Files.
Journal of interpersonal violence 2019 May;886260519847774
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Two Rapid Screens for Detecting Probable Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Interpersonal Violence Exposure: Predictive Utility in a Juvenile Justice Sample.
Child maltreatment 2018 Nov;1077559518808584
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A dual-method approach to identifying intimate partner violence within a Level 1 trauma center.
The journal of trauma and acute care surgery 2018 Oct;85(4):766-772
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Toward an Empirically Based Developmental Trauma Disorder Diagnosis for Children: Factor Structure, Item Characteristics, Reliability, and Validity of the Developmental Trauma Disorder Semi-Structured Interview.
The Journal of clinical psychiatry 2018 Sep;79(5):
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Parsing dimensions of family violence exposure in early childhood: Shared and specific contributions to emergent psychopathology and impairment.
Child abuse & neglect 2018 Aug;
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Developmental timing of polyvictimization: Continuity, change, and association with adverse outcomes in adolescence.
Child abuse & neglect 2018 Jul;
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Randomized clinical trial pilot study of prolonged exposure versus present centred affect regulation therapy for PTSD and anger problems with male military combat veterans.
Clinical psychology & psychotherapy 2018 Apr;25641-649
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Emotion Regulation Enhancement of Cognitive Behavior Therapy for College Student Problem Drinkers: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse 2017 Dec;2747-58
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A Study of the Impact of Screening for Poly-Victimization in Juvenile Justice: The Rocky Road to a Successful Investigation in the Real World.
Journal of interpersonal violence 2017 Nov;33810-831
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A Clinical Care Algorithmic Toolkit for Promoting Screening and Next-Level Assessment of Pediatric Depression and Anxiety in Primary Care.
Journal of pediatric health care 2017 Sep;31(3):e15-e23
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Development and Preliminary Feasibility Testing of a Decision Support Tool for Childhood Anxiety Treatment
Cognitive and Behavioral Practice 2017 Jul;
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Constructive and Unproductive Processing of Traumatic Experiences in Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Youth.
Behavior therapy 2017 Mar;48(2):166-181
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Unpacking the Burden of Care for Infants in the NICU.
Infant Mental Health Journal 2017 Feb;38306-317
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Examining Patterns of Exposure to Family Violence in Preschool Children: A Latent Class Approach.
Journal of traumatic stress 2016 Nov;29491-499
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The Family Socialization Interview-Revised (FSI-R): a Comprehensive Assessment of Parental Disciplinary Behaviors.
Prevention science : the official journal of the Society for Prevention Research 2016 Oct;18292-304
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Infant Medical Trauma in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (IMTN): A Proposed Concept for Science and Practice.
Advances in neonatal care : official journal of the National Association of Neonatal Nurses 2016 Aug;16(4):289-97
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Attention bias in the developmental unfolding of posttraumatic stress symptoms in young children at risk.
Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines 2016 Jun;571083-91
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Practical applications of injury surveillance: a brief 25-year history of the Connecticut Injury Prevention Center.
Injury prevention : journal of the International Society for Child and Adolescent Injury Prevention 2016 Jan;22 Suppl 1i12-6
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Attention bias and anxiety in young children exposed to family violence.
Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines 2015 Nov;56(11):1194-1201
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Developmental Patterns of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Current Symptoms and Impairment in Youth Referred For Trauma-Specific Services.
Journal of abnormal child psychology 2015 Oct;44871-86
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The Structured Trauma-Related Experiences and Symptoms Screener (STRESS): Development and Preliminary Psychometrics.
Child maltreatment 2015 Aug;20(3):214-20
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Harsh Parenting As a Potential Mediator of the Association Between Intimate Partner Violence and Child Disruptive Behavior in Families With Young Children.
Journal of interpersonal violence 2014 Dec;312102-26
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A Patient-Centered Decision-Support Tool Informed by History of Interpersonal Violence: "Will This Treatment Work for Me?"
Journal of interpersonal violence 2014 Nov;31465-80
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Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Youth: Effectiveness in a Community Setting.
Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy 2014 Sep;6(5):555-562
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Implementation of a Computerized Algorithmic Support Tool for Identifying Depression and Anxiety at the Pediatric Well-Child Visit.
Clinical pediatrics 2014 Aug;54(8):796-9
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Trauma-focused treatment in a state system of care: is it worth the cost?
Administration and policy in mental health 2014 May;41(3):317-23
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Patterns of multiple victimization among maltreated children in Navy families.
Journal of traumatic stress 2013 Oct;26(5):597-604
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Poly-victimization among juvenile justice-involved youths.
Child abuse & neglect 2013 Oct;37(10):788-800
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Clinical significance of a proposed developmental trauma disorder diagnosis: results of an international survey of clinicians.
The Journal of clinical psychiatry 2013 Aug;74(8):841-9
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An open-label study of guanfacine extended release for traumatic stress related symptoms in children and adolescents.
Journal of child and adolescent psychopharmacology 2013 May;23(4):244-51
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Building a consumer base for trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy in a state system of care.
Administration and policy in mental health 2013 May;40(3):240-54
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Early life trauma exposure and stress sensitivity in young children.
Journal of pediatric psychology 2013 Jan;38(1):94-103
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Opening Pandora’s box: The importance of trauma identification and intervention in hospitalized and incarcerated adolescent populations.
Adolescent Psychiatry 2012 Oct;
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Electrophysiological responses to threat in youth with and without Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
Biological psychology 2012 Apr;90(1):88-96
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Seeing the silver lining: potential benefits of trauma exposure in college students.
Anxiety, stress, and coping 2012 Mar;25(2):117-36
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Using heart rate to quantify exposure in exposure-based treatment of PTSD
lnternational Society for Traumatic Stress Studies Traumatic Stress Points 2012 Jan;26(6):6-7
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Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy of a child with posttraumatic stress disorder.
Psychotherapy (Chicago, Ill.) 2011 Jun;48(2):188-97
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Perceived parental support predicts enhanced late positive event-related brain potentials to parent faces.
Biological psychology 2011 Jan;86(1):26-30
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ERP correlates of attention allocation in mothers processing faces of their children.
Biological psychology 2009 May;81(2):95-102
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Posttraumatic stress disorder: the missed diagnosis.
Child welfare 2009 Jan;88(4):157-76
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Brain-derived neurotrophic factor-5-HTTLPR gene interactions and environmental modifiers of depression in children.
Biological psychiatry 2006 Apr;59(8):673-80
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The early intervention foster care program: a glass half full.
Child maltreatment 2006 Feb;11(1):90-1; author reply 92-4
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Olfactory discrimination and transient mood change in young men and women: variation by season, mood state, and time of day.
Chronobiology international 2004 Jul;21(4-5):691-719
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Emotion Regulation Enhancement of Cognitive Behavior Therapy for College Student Problem Drinkers: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse
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Foster mother-infant bonding: associations between foster mothers' oxytocin production, electrophysiological brain activity, feelings of commitment, and caregiving quality.
Child development 84(3):826-40
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Pandemic-related Experiences and Psychosocial Risk Among U.S.
Medical Students. International Journal of Medical Students 9(4):288-293
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Pandemic-Related Experiences and Stress Among Children’s Hospital Staff Predict Psychosocial Risk
Journal of Healthcare Management
Books
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Trauma-Informed Treatment for Children: A Workbook/or Clinicians 2013 Jan;
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Clinical workbook to facilitate Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Children and Adolescents. 2009 Jan;
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Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Second Edition: Scientific and Professional Dimensions
Book Chapters
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Adverse Childhood Experiences and Traumatic Stress Disorders
Oxford Handbook of Traumatic Stress Disorders, Second Edition 2020 Dec;
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Assessment and Clinical Decision-making with Adult Survivors of Interpersonal Violence
Handbook of Interpersonal Violence Across the Lifespan 2019 Dec;
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Trauma- and stressor-related disorders: biological factors
The sage encyclopedia of abnormal and clinical psychology 2017 Jan;3594-3596
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Trauma- and stressor-related disorders: risk for
The sage encyclopedia of abnormal and clinical psychology 2017 Jan;3626-3628
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Exposure Therapy: Mechanisms and Applications
CME to Go: Psychiatry Series III 2016 Jan;
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Emotion regulation in the wake of childhood complex trauma
Helping Children Cope with Trauma 2014 Jan;
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Adolescent Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders
CME to Go: Psychiatry Series III 2013 Jan;
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Cumulative Trauma in Childhood
Treating Complex Traumatic Stress Disorders in Children and Adolescents: Scientific Foundations and Therapeutic Models 2013 Jan;79-99
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Designing, implementing, and interpreting the randomized controlled trial
CME to Go: Psychiatry Series II. 2012 Jan;
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Posttraumatic stress disorder in children and adolescents
Pediatric Anxiety Disorders: A Clinical Guide, Current Clincal Psychiatry Series. 2012 Jan;
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Update on pharmacological and behavioral treatment of acute stress and posttraummic stress disorders
CME to Go: Psychiarty Series. 2011 Jan;
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The role of caregiver commitment in foster care: Insights from the
This is My Baby Interview
Attachment Theory in Clinical Work with Children 2007 Jan;90-108
Other
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Computer-Assisted Structured Trauma-Related Experiences and Symptoms Screener (CASTRESS). Charleston, SC. (Computer software program)
2012 Jan;
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Likelihood of Diagnosis Index (LODI) software program. Pittsburgh, PA.
2012 Jan;
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Computer-Assisted UCLA PTSD Reaction Index (CA-UCLA) beta. Newark, DE. Computer software progam)
2009 Jan;