Texas Tech University

Catherine Epkins, Ph.D.

Associate Professor Emeritus
Clinical

Email: catherine.epkins@ttu.edu

Education:
Ph.D. Clinical Psychology, 1991, University of Memphis

Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology (retired 5/31/2020)

Dr. Catherine Epkins

Professional Services

CURRENT EDITORIAL DUTIES:

Associate Editor, Child Psychiatry and Human Development: May 2018 to present

Editorial Boards of the following Journals:

Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology 
(Official Journal for the Society of
            Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Division 53, APA): January 2016 to
            present; and January 1999 to January 2005
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
(Journal of the International Society for Research in
            Child and Adolescent Psychopathology):  January 2013 to present
Journal of Family Psychology
(APA Journal):  January 2010 to present
Psychological Assessment
(APA Journal): January 2014 to present; and January 2007 to
            December 2009)
Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment
: January 2017 to present

Teaching and Student Projects

TEACHING AWARDS AND HONORS

TTU College of Arts & Sciences Excellence in Teaching Award (Spring 2019)

TTU President's Excellence in Teaching Award (Spring 2016)

Member of the Texas Tech University Teaching Academy (elected into in Spring 1998)


Student's Dissertations Directed/Chaired (2010-2020):

  • Negative Trauma-Related Cognitions as a Mechanism of Change in PTSD Symptom Reduction in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. (Mackenzie Hughes, defended April 2020)
  • An Examination of Adoptive and Fictive Kinship Female Caregivers' Acceptance/Rejection, Adolescent Early Maladaptive Schemas, and Adolescent Symptoms of Depression. (Elissa Dougherty, defended December 2019)
  • Parental Rejection and Acceptance and Youth Internalizing Symptoms: The Roles of Emotion Regulation and Close Friend Support. (Jessica Hoffmann, defended May 2019)
  • Maternal Anxiety and Depression Symptoms, Parenting, and Accommodation of Children's Anxiety Symptoms (Shannon Harper, defended June 2018)
  • Within-Group Differences in Hispanic Children's Symptoms of Depression, Anxiety, and Social Anxiety and their Relations with Various Parenting Behaviors (Natalie Scanlon, defended July 2016)
  • PTSD Symptoms, Experiential Avoidance, and Risk Recognition Deficits in the Sexual Revictimization of Female CSA Survivors (Janina Mayeux, defended October 2014)
  • An Examination of the Relations between Mood-Induced Interpretations of Ambiguity, Cognitive Errors, and Girls' Symptoms of Anxiety Versus Depression (Cassondra Hoskinson, defended March 2013)
  • Mothers' Parenting of Children's Emotions: Exploring the Role of Emotion Regulation, Experiential Avoidance, and Affective Symptoms (David Heckler, defended June 2012)
  • Do Girls' Threat Appraisals, Self-Blame Appraisals, and/or Anxiety Sensitivity Mediate the Relation between Marital Conflict and Girls' Depression Versus Anxiety?  (Meghan Goodrich, defended June 2012)
  • The Relation between Mothers' and Daughters' Social Comparisons and Internalizing Symptomatology: Cognitive and Familial Moderators and Mediators (Tabatha Blount, defended May 2011)
  • Perceived Older Sibling Support and Familism as Moderators of the Relations between Diabetes Stress and Social Competency and Psychological Functioning in Youth with Type 1 Diabetes. (Kelly Davis, defended May 2010)
  • Perceived Similarity and Internalizing Problems in Relation to Friendship Quality and Friend-Related Cognitions (Leslie Romero, defended June 2010)

Research

Selected Research:
Papers:

  • Morton, A. R. & Epkins, C. C. (2019). The unique relation between maternal psychological control and children's depression, anxiety, and social anxiety symptoms. Manuscript submitted for publication) (Based, in part, on Master's thesis of A. Morton)
  • Epkins, C. C. (2019). Aspects of emotion regulation and experiential avoidance: Transdiagnostic or symptom-specific associations with children's depressive, anxiety, and social anxiety symptoms?. Manuscript submitted for publication.
  • Epkins, C. C. (2016). Experiential avoidance and anxiety sensitivity: Independent and specific associations with children's depression, anxiety, and social anxiety symptoms. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 38, 124-135. doi:10.1007/s10862-015-9502-1
  • Epkins, C. C., & Harper, S. L. (2016). Mothers' and fathers' parental warmth, hostility/rejection/neglect, and behavioral control: Specific and unique relations with parents' depression versus anxiety symptoms. Parenting: Science and Practice, 16, 125-145. doi:10.1080/15295192.2016.1134991
  • Epkins, C. C., & Seegan, P. L. (2015). Mother-reported and children's perceived social and academic competence in clinic-referred youth: Unique relations to depression and/or social anxiety and the role of self-perceptions. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 46, 656-670. doi:10.1007/s10578-014-0508-9
  • Ralph, L. E. R., & Epkins, C. C. (2015). Aspects of girls' friendships: Practice implications for internalizing problems. Child & Youth Care Forum, 44, 395-417. doi:10.1007/s10566-014-9284-8 (Based, in part, on dissertation of L. Romero Ralph)
  • Scanlon, N. M, & Epkins, C. C. (2015) Aspects of mothers' parenting: Independent and specific relations to children's depression, anxiety, and social anxiety symptoms. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 24, 249-263. doi:10/1007/s10826/013-9831-1 (Based, in part, on Masters level research project of N. Scanlon)
  • Epkins, C. C., Gardner, C., & Scanlon, N. (2013). Rumination and anxiety sensitivity in preadolescent girls: Independent, combined, and specific associations with depressive and anxiety symptoms. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 35, 540-551. doi:10.1007/s10862-013-9360-7
  • Gardner, C. E., & Epkins, C. C. (2012). Girls' rumination and anxiety sensitivity: Are they related after controlling for girl, maternal, and parenting factors? Child and Youth Care Forum, 41, 561-578. doi:10.1007/s10566-012-9188-4 (Based on data collected with the data for C. Gardner's Masters level research project)
  • Epkins, C. C. & Heckler, D. R. (2011). Integrating etiological models of social anxiety and depression in youth: Evidence for a cumulative interpersonal risk model. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 14, 329-376. doi:10.1007/s10567-011-0101-8
  • Hutcherson, S. T, & Epkins, C. C. (2009). Differentiating parent- and peer-related interpersonal correlates of depressive symptoms and social anxiety in preadolescent girls. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 26, 875-897. doi:10.1177/0265407509345654 (Based, in part, on Master's level research project of S. Hutcherson)
  • Davis, K. A., & Epkins, C. C. (2009). Do private religious practices moderate the relation between family conflict and preadolescents' depression and anxiety symptoms? Journal of Early Adolescence, 29, 693-717. doi:10.1177/0272431608325503 (Based, in part, on Master's level research project of K. Davis)
  • Blount, T. H, & Epkins, C. C. (2009). Exploring modeling-based hypotheses in preadolescent girls' and boys' cognitive vulnerability to depression. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 33, 110-125. doi:10.1007/s10608-008-9195-9 (Based, in part, on Master's level research project of T. Blount)
  • Romero, L. E., & Epkins, C. C. (2008). Girls' cognitions of hypothetical friends: Are they related to depression, loneliness, social anxiety and perceived similarity? Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 25, 311-332. doi:10.1177/0265407507087961 (Based, in part, on Master's level research project of L. Romero).
  • Stednitz, J. N., & Epkins, C. C. (2006). Girls' and mothers' social anxiety, socialskills, and loneliness: Associations after accounting for depressive symptoms. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 35, 148-154. doi:10.1207/s15374424jccp3501_13 (Based on dissertation data of J. Stednitz)
  • Treutler, C. M., & Epkins, C. C. (2003). Are discrepancies among child, mother, and father reports on children's behavior related to parents' psychological symptoms and aspects of parent-child relationships? Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 31, 13-27. doi:10.1023/A:1021765114434 (Based on Dissertation of C. Treutler)
  • Frey, E. D., & Epkins, C. C. (2002). Examining cognitive models of externalizing and internalizing problems in subgroups of juvenile delinquents. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 31, 556-566. doi:10.1207/153744202320802223 (Based on Dissertation of E. Frey)

Posters:

  • Hoffmann, J. M., Epkins, C. C., Heckler, D., & Scanlon, N. (2018, November).  Does emotion regulation moderate the relation between anxiety sensitivity and youth depressive, anxiety, and social anxiety symptoms?  Poster presented at the 52nd meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Washington, D.C.

  • Mathai, B.B., Morton, A.R., Ward, J., & Epkins, C.C. (2018, November). Are maternal social anxiety symptoms uniquely related to maternal psychological control? Poster presented at the 52nd meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Washington, D.C.

  • Morton, A. R., Mathai, B. B., Ward, J., & Epkins, C. C. (2018, November). Are maternal psychological control, warmth, and hostility/rejection/neglect uniquely related to youth internalizing symptoms? Poster presented at the 52nd meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Washington DC.

  • Morton, A. R., Mathai, B. B., Ward, J., & Epkins, C. C. (2018, November). The specific relation between maternal psychological control and children's symptoms of depression, anxiety, and social anxiety. Poster presented at the 52nd meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Washington DC.

  • Pascarella, L., Harper, S., Hamil, M., Smith, J., & Epkins, C. C. (2018, November). Are mother-child discrepancies on children's anxiety symptoms related to maternal anxiety, depression, or both? Poster presented at the 52nd meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Washington, D.C.

  • Harper, S. L., Hamil, M., Pascarella, L., Smith, J., Morton, A., Mathai, B., & Epkins, C. C. (February, 2018). The relation of maternal anxiety and depression symptoms to child-report of maternal accommodation.  Poster presented at the Miami International Child and Adolescent Mental Health (MICAMH) Conference, Miami, FL.

  • Harper, S. L., Hamil, M., Pascarella, L., Smith, J., Mathai, B., Morton, A., & Epkins, C. C. (February, 2018). Parent-level factors related to daily accommodation of child anxiety symptoms. Poster presented at the Miami International Child and Adolescent Mental Health (MICAMH) Conference, Miami, FL.

  • Pascarella, L. A., Smith, J. A., Harper, S. L., Hamil, M., Morton, A., Mathai, B., & Epkins, C. C. (February, 2018). Mother-child discrepancies on maternal rejection in relation to mother and child anxiety and depressive symptoms. Poster presented at the Miami International Child and Adolescent Mental Health (MICAMH) Conference, Miami, FL.

  • Pascarella, L., Epkins, C. C., Harper, S. L., Hamil, M., & Smith, J. (2017, November). Mother-child discrepancies on children's anxiety symptoms: Relations with maternal depression, anxiety, and time spent with child. Poster session presented at the 51st annual convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, San Diego, CA.

  • Morton, A. R., Mathai, B. B., Ward, J., Harper, S., Pascarella, L. & Epkins, C. C. (2017, November). The specific relation between maternal psychological control and parenting constructs.  Poster session presented at the 51st annual convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, San Diego, CA.

  • Mathai, B.B., Morton, A.R., Harper, S., Pascarella, L., & Epkins, C.C. (2017, November). Are psychological control measures more related to each other than to measures of behavioral control? Poster session presented at the 51st meeting of the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, San Diego, California.

  • Hoffmann, J. M., Wargo, L. N., Epkins, C. C., Scanlon, N. M., Heckler, D. R., & Carroll, M. (2016, October). Does maternal rejection moderate the relation between emotion regulation and children's depression, anxiety, and social anxiety symptoms? Poster session presented at the 50th annual convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, New York City, NY.

  • Hughes, M. L., Epkins, C. C., Marnell, M., Hester, N., & Rozea, H. (2016, October). Marital conflict and girls' depression versus anxiety:  Examining the role of parenting and time spent with child.  Poster session presented at the 50th annual convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, New York City, NY.

  • Sustaíta, M. A., Haslam, A. K., Gottlieb, J. C., Cohen, L. M., & Epkins, C. C. (2016, October). A study of the Acquired Preparedness Model examining the effects of impulsivity and motives on smoking initiation in college students. Poster session presented at the 50th annual convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, New York City, NY.
  • Epkins, C. C. (2015, November). Negative attributional style and negative cognitive triad in clinic-referred youth: Unique and specific associations with depression, anxiety, and social anxiety. Poster accepted to be presented at the 49th annual convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Chicago, IL.
  • Epkins, C. C., Scanlon, N. M., Heckler, D. R., Carroll, M., Kelly, S., & Clark, J. (2015, November). Does mothers' parenting and experiential avoidance make unique contributions to children's experiential avoidance? Poster accepted to be presented at the 49th annual convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Chicago, IL.
  • Epkins, C. C., Pereira, K., & Hoskinson-Zierk, C. (2014, November). Cognitive errors and anxiety sensitivity in girls: Unique and specific associations with depression, anxiety, and social anxiety. Poster accepted to be presented at the 48th annual convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Dougherty, E. H., Epkins, C. C. Scanlon, N. M., Heckler, D. R., Carroll, M., Kelly, S., & Clark, J. (2014, November). Mothers' accepting/rejecting parenting and children's experiential avoidance: Unique and specific relations to children's depression, anxiety, and social anxiety. Poster accepted to be presented at the 48th annual convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Chong, J., Epkins, C. C., Scanlon, N. M., Gardner, C. E., Clark, J., & Schlabaugh, J. (2014, November). The mediating role of girls' rumination in the relation between mothers' accepting/rejecting parenting and girls' depression versus anxiety. Poster accepted to be presented at the 48th annual convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Hoffmann, J. M., Epkins, C. C. Scanlon, N. M., Heckler, D. R., Carroll, M., Kelly, S., & Clark, J. (2014, November).Unique relations of maternal rejection and emotion regulation to children's depression, anxiety, and social anxiety. Poster accepted to be presented at the 48th annual convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Seegan, P. L., & Epkins, C. C. (2014, November). Social and academic competence and children's depression and social Anxiety: Perceived social support as a mediator and/or moderator. Poster accepted to be presented at the 48th annual convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Seegan, P. L., Epkins, C. C., & Blount, T. H. (2014, October). The moderating and mediating role of girls' negative cognitive triad in the relation between social acceptance and depression versus social anxiety. Poster presented at the National Conference in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Lawrence, KS.
  • Hoffmann, J., Epkins, C. C., Blount, T. H., Graziano, S., Clark, J., & Abraham, T. (2013, November). Mother and peer acceptance/rejection: Unique and specific relations to girls' depression versus social anxiety. Poster presented at the 47th annual convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Nashville, TN.
  • Blount, T. H., Epkins, C. C., Graziano, S., Clark, J. & Abraham, T. (2012, August). Girls' Cognitive Vulnerability: Contributions of Mothers' Depression, Cognitions, and Parenting. Poster presented at the 120th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Orlando, FL.
  • Epkins, C. C., Blount, T. H., Graziano, S., Clark, J. & Abraham, T. (2012, August). Parenting and Cognitive Vulnerability: Specificity to Depression Versus Social Anxiety. Poster presented at the 120th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Orlando, FL.
  • Heckler, D. R., Epkins, C. C., Scanlon, N. M., Carroll, M., Kelly, S., & Clark, J. (2012, August). Mothers' Contingent Reactions and Children's Anxiety/Depression: Does Emotion Regulation Moderate? Poster presented at the 120th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Orlando, FL.
  • Hoskinson, C. H., Epkins, C. C., Harper, S., Schneider, J., & Ojeda, K. (2012, August). Mood-Induced Interpretations of Ambiguity and Girls' Anxiety Versus Depression. Poster presented at the 120th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Orlando, FL.
  • Marnell, M., Epkins, C. C., Hester, N., & Rozea, H. (2012, August). Threat and Self-Blame Marital Conflict Appraisals in Anxiety Versus Depression. Poster presented at the 120th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Orlando, FL.
  • Epkins, C. C., Gardner, C. E., Scanlon, N. M., Clark, J., & Schlabaugh, J. A. (2010, November). Examining the Relation between Mothers' and Girls' Anxiety Sensitivity: The Role of Depression, Time Spent Together and Maternal Rejection and Hostility. Poster presented at the 44th annual convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, San Francisco, CA.
  • Epkins, C. C., Egger, C. D., Blount, T. H., Graziano, S., Clark, J., & Abraham, T. (2010, November). A Closer Look at Mother-Daughter Discrepancies in Their Reports of Girls' Internalizing and Externalizing Behavior. Poster presented at the 44th annual convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, San Francisco, CA.