Dr. Colleen Conley

Overview: My research blends observational patterns, meta-analytic/systematic reviews, and intervention development and evaluation, with the goal of improving well-being, especially through critical life experiences and developmental transition periods.

Observational research:  Much of my earlier research examines trajectories of psychological well- and ill-being in adolescence and emerging adulthood. These pathways are illuminated in the context of developmental transition periods, such as school transitions. Grounded in a developmental psychopathology perspective, my research examines the dynamic interplay between individuals and their developmental contexts over time, and the interacting contributions from multiple systems – biological, psychological, cognitive and social/interpersonal. Toward this end, my research has examined the contributions of individual factors (gender, physical development, cognitive styles) and interpersonal factors (peer and family relationships, interpersonal styles), as well as the interactional and transactional processes by which these factors relate to each other and to psychosocial distress. I am also interested in gender issues, such as exploring the characteristics, contexts, and mechanisms that place adolescent girls and young women at elevated risk for internalizing problems, and our ongoing work seeks to contribute insight and innovation to addressing LGBTQIA+ well-being. It is my hope that this program of research will inform family-, school-, and community-based interventions aimed at building resiliency in adolescents and emerging adults, in the face of normative and atypical developmental challenges. 

Meta-analytic and systematic reviews: Our lab has conducted several meta-analytic and systematic reviews that have shaped our later work on intervention development.

Intervention research:  More recently, my research team has been developing, implementing, and evaluating the effectiveness of interventions for youth of various ages, including emerging-adult college students.

These interventions include: 

• treatment, prevention, and stepped/staged care models; 

• using digital and face-to-face (individual and group) delivery formats;

• both stand-alone and embedded - i.e., into courses, academic advising or other routine services;

• led by trained peers, paraprofessionals (e.g., university staff), and mental health workers. 

In this work we also seek to understand moderators of intervention impact, and ways to optimize interventions to meet the needs of individuals and groups based on their personal, social, and cultural experiences. We have several research studies evaluating the effectiveness of interventions for college students (see descriptions on this website).
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Mentoring: In my experience, the most successful researchers strike a good balance between "zooming in" (being diligent and meticulously attentive to detail), and "zooming out" (envisioning big-picture ideas, being self-directed and inventive). Accordingly, my approach to mentoring graduate students in research combines top-down and bottom-up approaches: While I provide structure, support, and guidance for students, I also urge them to take co-ownership of the work we do in our lab, and to develop their own independent project ideas and research skills. I also encourage my students to take their research endeavors beyond the lab, by publishing in peer-reviewed journals and presenting at national conferences.

Dr. Conley will be accepting a graduate student for Fall 2024 and she wishes all applicants good luck in this application cycle!