Degree Received
Ph.D., Stanford University, 1994

Research Interests
My research interests within the broader Clinical Child Psychology and Health Psychology domains are situated more proximally within Pediatric Psychology. These interests incorporate coping, a multi-dimensional, transactional process concerning how children and families manage stress, as a unifying theme. My research program includes three primary foci: (1) children's adaptation to chronic illness. This study of adaptation incorporates both trauma spectrum and quality of life theoretical models in understanding the long term adjustment of children with chronic illness (pediatric cancer survivors, pediatric traumatic brain injury) and their families. For pediatric cancer survivors, I have focused on trauma spectrum adaptation, somatization, and the repressive adaptive personality style as a moderator of children’s symptom reports. For pediatric traumatic brain injury, I have addressed self-reported quality of life in the context of the larger pediatric quality of life domain. (2) The second research area within pediatric psychology addresses disordered eating and body image concerns in preadolescent girls, including developmental considerations, the relationship of these constructs to broader psychological domains such as self-esteem, and an investigation of ethnic differences. (3) A third area of pediatric psychology research interest includes an attachment theory-based investigation of infant/toddler mental health associated with maternal parenting practices in pediatric samples. Specifically, I have investigated infant-mother interactions and emotion regulation in infants born very low birth weight, an at-risk population. Other related areas of interest within the pediatric psychology realm include: adolescent coping as it pertains to health outcomes; associations between coping, defense, personality, humor, and psychological distress and well-being; and physiological reactivity associated with adolescent personality and defenses.

Publications

Articles in Refereed Journals:

Miller, S., Erickson, S.J., Branom, C., & Steiner, H. (in press). The stress response in partially and fully weight restored eating disordered adolescents. Journal of Child Psychiatry and Human Development.

Erickson, S.J., Gerstle, M., & Montague, E. (in press). Repressive Adaptive Style and Psychosocial Functioning in Adolescent Cancer Survivors. Child Psychiatry and Human Development.

Hatzenbuehler, M., Nolen-Hoeksema, S., & Erickson, S.J. (in press). Minority stress predictors of depression, substance use, and HIV risk behavior: Results from a prospective study of bereaved gay men. Health Psychology.

Erickson, S.J. & Tonigan, J.S. (in press). The role of trauma and intraveneous drug use in predicting child abuse potential among pregnant substance abusing women. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 26.

Winhusen, T., Kropp, F., Babcock, D., Hague, D., Erickson, S.J. et al. (in press). Motivational enhancement therapy to improve treatment utilization and outcome in pregnant substance users. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment.

Erickson, S.J. & Lowe, J.R. (in press; 2008). The role of maternal responsiveness in predicting infant affect during the still face paradigm with infants born very low birth weight. Infant Mental Health Journal, 29(2).

Steiner, H., Erickson, S.J., Maclean, P., Medic, S., Plattner, B., & Koopman, C. (in press; 2007). Relationship between Defenses, Personality, and Affect During a Stress Task in Normal Adolescents. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 38(2), 107-119.

Erickson, S.J. & Gerstle, M. (2007). Investigation of ethnic differences in body image among preadolescent girls. Body Image, 4, 69-78.

Erickson, S.J. Hahn-Smith, A., & Smith, J.E. (in press). One step closer: understanding the complex relationship between weight and self esteem in ethnically diverse pre-adolescent girls. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology.

Erickson, S.J. & Gerstle, M. (2007). Developmental considerations in measuring children’s disordered eating attitudes and behaviors. Eating Behaviors, 8, 224-235.

Erickson, S.J. & Feldstein, S.W. (2007). Adolescent humor and its relationship to coping, defense strategies, psychological distress and well being. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 37(3), 255-271.

Erickson, S.J., Gerstle, M., & Feldstein, S.W. (2005). Brief interventions in pediatric health care settings: A review. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 159, 1173-1180.

Erickson, S.J. & Steiner, H. (2003). Predicting adolescents’ global functioning from personality typologies. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 34(1), 63-80.

Steiner, H., Erickson, S.J., Hernandez, N., & Pavelski, R. (2002). Coping styles as correlates of health in high school students. Journal of Adolescent Health, 30, 326-335.

Romero, AJ, Robinson, TN, Kramer, HC, Erickson, SJ, Haydel, KF, Mendoza, F & Killen, JD. (2001). Are perceived neighborhood hazards a barrier to physical activity in children? Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 155(10), 1143-1148.

Erickson, S.J. & Steiner, H. (2001). Trauma and personality correlates in long term pediatric cancer survivors. Child Psychiatry and Human Development 31(3), 195-213.

Palmer, L., Erickson, S., Shaffer, T., Koopman, C., Amylon, M., & Steiner, H. (2000). Themes arising in group therapy for adolescents with cancer and their parents. International Journal of Rehabilitation and Health, 51 (1), 43-54.

Erickson, S.J. & Steiner, H. (2000). Trauma spectrum adaptation: somatic symptoms in long term pediatric cancer survivors. Psychosomatics, 41(4), 339-346.

Erickson, S.J., Robinson, T.N., Haydel, K.F. & Killen, J.T. (2000). Are overweight children unhappy? Body mass index, depressive symptoms, and overweight concerns in elementary school children. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 154(9), 931-935.

Erickson, S.J., & Steiner, H. (1999). Somatization as an indicator of trauma adaptation in long term pediatric cancer survivors. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 4(3), 415-426.

Erickson, S.J., Feldman, S.S., & Steiner, H. (1997). Defense reactions and coping strategies in normal adolescents. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 28(1),45-56.

Erickson, S.J., Feldman, S.S., & Steiner, H. (1996). Defense mechanisms and adjustment in normal adolescents. The American Journal of Psychiatry.153, 826-828.

Goldblum, P.B. & Erickson, S.J. (1999). Working with AIDS bereavement: A comprehensive approach for mental health providers. UCSF AIDS Health Project Monograph Series Number 3. SF: UCSF AIDS Health Project.

Zelenko, M. & Erickson, S.J. (in press; 2007). Attachment and related psychopathology. In H. Steiner (Ed.) The Stanford University School of Medicine Handbook of Developmental Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents. NY, NY: Jossey-Bass.

Carrion, V., Erickson, S.J., & Bancroft, M.E. (in press; 2007). Traumatic stress and psychopathology. In H. Steiner (Ed.) The Stanford University School of Medicine Handbook of Developmental Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents. NY, NY: Jossey-Bass.

Erickson, S.J. & Achilles, G. (2004). Cognitive behavioral therapy with children and adolescents. In H. Steiner (Ed.) The Stanford University School of Medicine Handbook of Mental Health Interventions in Children and Adolescents: An Integrated Developmental Approach. NY, NY: Jossey-Bass.

Erickson, S.J. & Palmer, L. (2004). Group therapy with children and adolescents. In H. Steiner (Ed.) The Stanford University School of Medicine Handbook of Mental Health Interventions in Children and Adolescents: An Integrated Developmental Approach. NY, NY: Jossey-Bass.

Goldblum, P.B. & Erickson, S.J. (1998). Clinical management of AIDS bereavement. In J. Dilley and R. Marks (Eds.), The UCSF AIDS Health Project Guide to Counseling: Perspectives, Psychotherapy, Prevention, and Therapeutic Practice. SF: UCSF AIDS Health Project.