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Population Wellness Lab

Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Population Wellness Lab, led by Dr. Christy Denckla, studies how adversity, including trauma, loss, and bereavement, affects mental health, physical health, and well-being. We are driven by the ultimate question: how do people adapt and recover from these adverse events? What is the difference between normal grief and pathological grief? How does loss shape our understanding of the world and ourselves? Ultimately, we aim to prevent trauma exposure as well as the subsequent cascade of physical and mental adverse effects at the population health level.

Phone 617-432-1760
Location

677 Huntington Avenue
Kresge Building, Room 706 Boston, MA 02115

Our Research

The Population Wellness Lab unravels the psychosocial, biological, and environmental factors that shape response to loss and trauma. This work seeks to create a world where effective prevention and interventions at the population level support wellness from the cradle to the grave.

Experiencing the death of a loved one is a profoundly impactful event. Both clinical and public health strategies are needed to better support people grappling with loss. We investigate the unique and multifaceted effects of bereavement across the lifecourse, as well as risk and protective factors associated with post-bereavement psychopathology.

Social and biological factors pattern a person’s exposure to bereavement as well as their subsequent risk of psychopathology. Our research shows this is true across various settings, from the United Kingdom to Kenya. We examine psychosocial, neurocognitive, and genetic pathways that may explain the relationship among bereavement, psychopathology, and adaptation to major life events.

Extensive research has examined the impact of acute traumatic events such as natural disasters, but less is known about how chronic stressors impact mental health and well-being. For example, the stress-related consequences of chronic aspects of climate change are largely unknown. Our ongoing projects seek to bridge this knowledge gap.

Given the adverse impacts of stress on the mind and body, why do so few people develop chronic complications after loss and trauma? We seek to identify the levers that promote recovery and healing, which in the context of grief may exist in multiple layers from the biological and individual to familial, social, political, and environmental.

Current Projects

Publications

  1. Bolhuis K, Espinosa Dice AL, Jansen PW, Tiemeier H, Denckla CA. Neurocognition and academic achievement among bereaved children in the Generation R Cohort. Sci Rep. 2024;14(1):21187. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-72178-5
  2. Keen R, Kim HH, Chen JT, et al. Longitudinal relationships between early-life homelessness and school-aged asthma and wheezing. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2024;78(10):624-631. doi: 10.1136/jech-2024-222028
  3. Espinosa Dice AL, Garrison-Deny H, Teimeier H, Davey-Smith G, Denckla CA. Gene-environment interplay in ADHD and behavioral outcomes among bereaved youth in the Avon Longitudinal Studies of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Open. 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.jaacop.2024.04.006
  4. Ametaj AA, Denckla CA, Stevenson A, et al. Cross-cultural equivalence of the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) across four African countries in a multi-national study of adults. SSM Ment Health. 2024;5(100300):100300. doi: 10.1016/j.ssmmh.2024.100300
  5. Espinosa Dice AL, Lawn RB, Ratanatharathorn A, et al. Childhood maltreatment and health in the UK Biobank: triangulation of outcome-wide and polygenic risk score analyses. BMC Med. 2024;22(1):135. doi: 10.1186/s12916-024-03360-9
  6. Denckla CA†,Burrows K†, Hahn J, Schiff JE, Okuzono SS, Randriamady H, Mita C, Kubzansky LD, Koenen KC, Lowe SR. A systematic review on the effects of long-term, chronic climate change on mental health. Nature Mental Health. 2024; 2: 228-243. doi: 10.1038/s44220-023-00170-5 (†Shared first author)
  7. Garrison-Desany HM, Meyers JL, Linnstaedt SD, et al. Post-traumatic stress and future substance use outcomes: leveraging antecedent factors to stratify risk. Front Psychiatry. 2024;15:1249382. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1249382
  8. Basu A, Sarvet A, Chen JT, Denckla C, Zhu Y, Koenen KC. An examination of sleep as a protective factor for depression and anxiety in the perinatal period: Novel causal analyses in a prospective pregnancy cohort. Am J Epidemiol. Published online September 11, 2024. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwae349
  9. Qureshi F, Denckla C, Boehm JK. Positive epidemiology, revisited: the case for centering human rights and economic justice. Am J Epidemiol. 2024;193(10):1313-1317. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwae056
  10. Trudel-Fitzgerald C, Boucher G, Morin C, et al. Coping and emotion regulation: A conceptual and measurement scoping review. Can Psychol. 2024;65(3):149-162. doi: 10.1037/cap0000377
  11. Denckla CA, Hahn J, Cowden RG, Ho S, Gao K, Dice ALE, Shear MK. Bereavement, memorial attendance, and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: Longitudinal results from the Nurses’ Health Study. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. 2023; 31(12): 1045-1057. doi: 10.1016/j.jagp.2023.06.012
  12. Denckla CA, Espinosa Dice AL, Slopen N, Koenen KC, Tiemeier H. Mental health among bereaved youth in the ALSPAC birth cohort: Consideration of early sociodemographic precursors, cognitive ability, and type of loss. Dev Psychopathol. Published online June 5, 2023:1-12. doi: 10.1017/S0954579423000512
  13. Espinosa Dice AL, Ye X, Kim SG, et al. Resilient phenotypes among bereaved youth: a comparison of trajectory, relative, and cross-domain approaches. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health. 2023;17(1):23. doi: 10.1186/s13034-023-00568-0
  14. Bogee GP, Sagoe-Moses I, Adongo EA, et al. Situational analysis on the impact of perinatal deaths among bereaved families in Ghana. Omega (Westport). Published online January 3, 2023:302228221138992. doi: 10.1177/00302228221138992
  15. Denckla CA, Averkamp N, Slopen N, Espinosa Dice AL, Shear MK, Williams DR, Koenen KC. Social determinants of exposure to childhood parental bereavement and subsequent risk for psychiatric disorders. JAMA Network Open. 2022; 5(10): e2239616. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.39616
  16. Hermosilla S, Choi KW, Askari MS, et al. What can we learn about polytrauma typologies by comparing population-representative to trauma-exposed samples: A Nepali example. J Affect Disord. 2022;314:201-210. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.07.006
  17. Korte KJ, Hook K, Levey EJ, et al. A global-local paradigm for mental health: A model and implications for addressing disparities through training and research. Acad Psychiatry. 2023;47(2):196-200. doi: 10.1007/s40596-022-01695-0
  18. Cusack SE, Bountress KE, Denckla CA, et al. A longitudinal investigation of resilience as a protective factor during the COVID-19 pandemic. Traumatology (Tallahass Fla). 2022;28(3):403-410. doi: 10.1037/trm0000397
  19. Choi KW, Denckla CA, Hoffman N, et al. Influence of maternal childhood trauma on perinatal depression, observed mother-infant interactions, and child growth. Matern Child Health J. 2022;26(8):1649-1656. doi: 10.1007/s10995-022-03417-2
  20. Bitta M, Thungana Y, Kim HH, et al. Cross-country variations in the reporting of psychotic symptoms among sub-Saharan African adults: A psychometric evaluation of the Psychosis Screening Questionnaire. J Affect Disord. 2022;304:85-92. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.02.048
  21. Ongeri L, Moshi V, Denckla CA, et al. Prevalence of substance use and its association with sociodemographic and behavioral factors among women who conduct sex work in Kenya. J Psychoactive Drugs. 2023;55(2):224-232. doi: 10.1080/02791072.2022.2053614
  22. Maihofer AX, Choi KW, Coleman JRI, et al. Enhancing discovery of genetic variants for posttraumatic stress disorder through integration of quantitative phenotypes and trauma exposure information. Biol Psychiatry. 2022;91(7):626-636. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.09.020
  23. Denckla CA, Lee SY, Kim R, et al. Patterning of individual variability in neurocognitive health among South African women exposed to childhood maltreatment. Sci Rep. 2021;11(1):6669. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-85979-9
  24. Lambert JE, Denckla C. Posttraumatic stress and depression among women in Kenya’s informal settlements: risk and protective factors. Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2021;12(1):1865671. doi: 10.1080/20008198.2020.1865671
  25. Denckla CA, Cicchetti D, Kubzansky LD, Seedat S, Teicher MH, Williams DR, Koenen KC. Psychological resilience: An update on definitions, a critical appraisal, and research recommendations. Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2020; 11(1): 1822064. doi: 10.1080/20008198.2020.1822064
  26. Carroll HA, Hook K, Perez OFR, et al. Establishing reliability and validity for mental health screening instruments in resource-constrained settings: Systematic review of the PHQ-9 and key recommendations. Psychiatry Res. 2020;291(113236):113236. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113236
  27. Denckla CA, Gelaye B, Orlinsky L, Koenen KC. REACH for mental health in the COVID19 pandemic: an urgent call for public health action. Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2020;11(1):1762995. doi: 10.1080/20008198.2020.1762995
  28. Samia P, Kanana M, King J, Donald KA, Newton CR, Denckla C. Childhood autism spectrum disorder: insights from a tertiary hospital cohort in Kenya. Afr J Health Sci. 2020;33(2):12-21. Accessed October 24, 2024. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33343175/
  29. Denckla CA, Spies G, Heaton R, et al. Generalizability of demographically corrected Zambian neuropsychological norms to South African women. Clin Neuropsychol. 2019;33(sup1):40-57. doi: 10.1080/13854046.2019.1588995
  30. Koenen KC, Gelaye B, Denckla CA. Interconnections in violence over the life course: From cradle to grave: From cradle to grave. JAMA Intern Med. 2019;179(7):896-897. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.0300
  31. Denckla CA, Ongeri L, Ouma L, et al. Prevalence of parental bereavement among female sex workers (FSW) in Kibra, Kenya. J Loss Trauma. 2019;24(2):129-142. doi: 10.1080/15325024.2018.1560692
  32. Spies G, Denckla CA, Mall S, et al. The relationship between cognitive change and physical health and behavioural outcomes in a Ugandan cohort of adults living with HIV – a longitudinal study. AIDS Care. 2019;31(7):803-808. doi: 10.1080/09540121.2018.1545987
  33. Denckla CA, Consedine NS, Chung WJ, Stein M, Roche M, Blais M. A double-edged sword? Sub-types of psychological flexibility are associated with distinct psychiatric disorders. J Res Pers. 2018;77:119-125. doi: 10.1016/j.jrp.2018.10.004
  34. Denckla CA, Mancini AD, Consedine NS, et al. Distinguishing postpartum and antepartum depressive trajectories in a large population-based cohort: the impact of exposure to adversity and offspring gender. Psychol Med. 2018;48(7):1139-1147. doi: 10.1017/S0033291717002549
  35. Stein MB, Slavin-Mulford J, Sinclair SJ, et al. Extending the use of the SCORS-G composite ratings in assessing level of personality organization. J Pers Assess. 2018;100(2):166-175. doi: 10.1080/00223891.2016.1195394
  36. Denckla CA, Consedine NS, Spies G, Cherner M, Henderson DC, Koenen KC, Seedat S. Associations between neurocognitive functioning and social and occupational resilience among South African women exposed to childhood trauma. Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2017; 8(1): 139-146. doi: 10.1080/20008198.2017.1394146
  37. Mehralizade A, Schor S, Coleman CM, et al. Mobile health apps in OB-GYN-embedded psychiatric care: Commentary. JMIR MHealth UHealth. 2017;5(10):e152. doi: 10.2196/mhealth.7988
  38. Fiori KL, Buthmann J, Denckla CA. Crying and attachment style: The role of romantic relationships. J Soc Behav Health Sci. 2017;11(1). doi: 10.5590/jsbhs.2017.11.1.09
  39. Roche MJ, Sinclair SJ, Denckla C, Chung WJ, Stein M, Blais M. The empirically derived Violence and Aggression Risk Index from the Personality Assessment Inventory: Development, validation, and application in general psychiatric settings. Bull Menninger Clin. 2017;81(3):213-232. doi: 10.1521/bumc_2017_81_01
  40. Denckla CA, Ndetei DM, Mutiso VN, et al. Psychometric properties of the Ndetei-Othieno-Kathuku (NOK) Scale: A mental health assessment tool for an African setting. J Child Adolesc Ment Health. 2017;29(1):39-49. doi: 10.2989/17280583.2017.1310729
  41. Denckla CA, Consedine NS, Bornstein RF. Self-compassion mediates the link between dependency and depressive symptomatology in college students. Self Identity. 2017;16(4):373-383. doi: 10.1080/15298868.2016.1264464
  42. Denckla CA, Bornstein RF. Toward a more nuanced conceptualization of interpersonal distancing: Differential relationships of adaptive and dysfunctional detachment to stress-based anxiety in college students. Pers Individ Dif. 2015;82:148-152. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2015.03.008
  43. Denckla CA, Bornstein RF, Mancini AD, Bonanno GA. Disambiguating dependency and attachment among conjugally bereaved adults. J Loss Trauma. 2015;20(5):468-483. doi: 10.1080/15325024.2014.949148
  44. Denckla CA, Bornstein RF, Mancini AD, Bonanno GA. Extending the construct validity of dependency among conjugally bereaved adults. Assessment. 2015;22(3):385-393. doi: 10.1177/1073191114542597
  45. Denckla CA, Bailey R, Jackson C, Tatarakis J, Chen CK. A novel adaptation of distress tolerance skills training among military veterans: Outcomes in suicide-related events. Cogn Behav Pract. 2015;22(4):450-457. doi: 10.1016/j.cbpra.2014.04.001
  46. Denckla CA, Fiori KL, Vingerhoets AJJM. Development of the Crying Proneness Scale: associations among crying proneness, empathy, attachment, and age. J Pers Assess. 2014;96(6):619-631. doi: 10.1080/00223891.2014.899498
  47. Fiori KL, Consedine NS, Denckla CA, Vingerhoets AJJM. Crying in context: Understanding associations with interpersonal dependency and social support. Interpers Int J Pers Relatsh. 2013;7(1):44-62. doi: 10.5964/ijpr.v7i1.109
  48. Fiori KL, Denckla CA. Social support and mental health in middle-aged men and women: a multidimensional approach: A multidimensional approach. J Aging Health. 2012;24(3):407-438. doi: 10.1177/0898264311425087
  49. Denckla CA, Mancini AD, Bornstein RF, Bonanno GA. Adaptive and maladaptive dependency in bereavement: Distinguishing prolonged and resolved grief trajectories. Pers Individ Dif. 2011;51(8):1012-1017. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2011.08.014

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