Kaitlyn Schuler

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Assistant Professor at University of North Carolina Wilmington

BACKGROUND Virtual reality (VR) has strong potential to enhance the effectiveness of telemental health care (TMH) by providing accessible, personalized treatment from home. While there is ample research supporting VR for in-person treatment, there is only preliminary data on the efficacy of telemedicine-based VR. Further, the majority of VR applica...

Background Virtual reality (VR) has strong potential to enhance the effectiveness of telemental health care (TMH) by providing accessible, personalized treatment from home. While there is ample research supporting VR for in-person treatment, there is only preliminary data on the efficacy of telemedicine-based VR. Furthermore, the majority of VR app...

Virtual reality (VR) is an emerging technology that can enhance experiences and outcomes in mental healthcare. However, mental health therapists have been slow to adopt VR into practice. Implementation of telehealth-based VR therapy (tele-VR) could catalyze adoption and innovation in mental healthcare. To explore therapists’ perspectives on tele-VR...

This mixed methods study had two aims: (1) to examine the effectiveness of a jail diversion program in reducing recidivism and promoting educational and employment outcomes; and (2) to qualitatively explore mechanisms through which the program was effective. Participants were 17 individuals arrested for drug offenses who participated in an intensiv...

BACKGROUND Homework is implemented with variable effectiveness in real-world therapy settings, indicating a need for innovative solutions to homework challenges. We developed Adhere.ly, a user-friendly, HIPAA compliant, web-based platform to help therapists implement homework with youth clients and their caregivers. The initial version had limited...

Background Homework is implemented with variable effectiveness in real-world therapy settings, indicating a need for innovative solutions to homework challenges. We developed Adhere.ly, a user-friendly, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act–compliant web-based platform to help therapists implement homework with youth clients and their...

The purpose of this proof-of-concept study was to examine the outcomes and acceptability of a spiritual intervention for moral injury led by veteran peers in a Veteran Service Organization (VSO), called “Heroes to Heroes.” From baseline to 1-year follow-up, 101 veterans who participated in the intervention completed the evaluation surveys at four t...

We reviewed the phenomenology of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), as well as the combined effects of PTSD + TBI comorbidity on functional outcomes. We also provide a series of research and treatment recommendations based on gaps in the literature with an emphasis on culture, interpersonal trauma, and treatment...

Background: Suicide prevention, an important public health issue, relies on suicidal communications to identify and intervene with those at risk. Scant research tests explicit theories of suicidal communication impeding applications to prevention science. The current study pilots a new measure assessing the functions of suicidal communications usi...

The current study examined patterns of endorsement of Interpersonal Theory of Suicide constructs in a group of patients with cancer (N = 133) via Latent Profile Analysis. Four profiles were identified: (1) Interpersonally Distressed (n = 7; 5.2%), (2) Burdened (n = 11; 8.3%), (3) Fearless About Death (n = 40; 30.1%), (4) Non-Distressed (n = 75; 56....

Suicide is a public health crisis that differentially affects racial and ethnic groups. Suicide is a public health crisis that differentially affects racial and ethnic groups. American Indians had the highest per capita suicide rates (11.1 for females and 33.4 for males) followed by White Americans (8.0 for females and 29.8 for males; Centers for D...

Background Few studies explore differences between suicide intent communicators and noncommunicators, and to date, none have examined the association between suicide precipitants and intent communication. Methods United States Air Force suicide decedents (N = 236) were categorized as suicide intent communicators or non-communicators within 30 days...

Objective Increased demands during the transition into college can negatively impact students’ physical and mental wellness, and increase risk of suicide. A supportive campus culture that promotes social connectedness and meaningful engagement may amplify wellness and prevent suicide. This study explored whether involvement in extracurricular activ...

Background: Relatively few studies test the interpersonal psychological theory's monotonicity hypothesis. The monotonicity hypothesis proposes that suicide capability (i.e., fearlessness about death and pain tolerance) is stable or increases linearly with exposure to painful and provocative events. Research is conflicted, suggesting that suicide ca...

Attitudinal acceptance of intimate partner violence is a risk factor for experiencing intimate partner violence. In comparison with static factors associated with intimate partner violence, there is a dearth of research on dynamic factors. Targeting dynamic correlates of attitudes toward intimate partner violence is advantageous for the reduction o...

A majority of people experience potentially traumatic events but only a subsection develop negative psychological outcomes such as suicidal ideation. As these events may impact existing life-orienting systems, meaning-making processes are utilized to either assimilate new experiences into existing frameworks or revise existing schemas to accommodat...

Purpose US age-adjusted suicide rates increased by 33 per cent from 1999 to 2017 (Hedegard et al. , 2018). Communications about suicide and death are a commonly cited warning sign (SPRC, 2014) and are foundational to the vast majority of risk assessment, prevention and intervention practices. Suicidal communications are critically understudied desp...

Objective It is important to understand factors that moderate the likelihood of developing suicidal thoughts following traumatic exposure and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Method In this cross‐sectional study, a moderated atemporal mediation analysis was conducted in a sample of 709 college students (71% female, M age = 19.90 years, 67% Caucasian...

The current paper is a response to Hjelmeland & Knizek’s critique of the interpersonal theory of suicide. These authors raise a number of important points that have the potential to advance the understanding and prevention of suicide. However, the authors’ message becomes lost in a series of errors in logic and misinterpretations of the theory. We...