Megan Thoen, Ph.D

Research Interests

• Mental health and wellness of law enforcement members (police officers, correctional officers)
• Disenfranchised groups (minority races and cultures, severely mentally ill) and their treatment within the criminal justice system, including case proceedings and case outcomes
• Management and care for the incarcerated mentally ill, particularly pre-trial incarceration

 

Selected Research

Batastini, A. B., Pike, M., Thoen, M. A., Jones, A. C. T., Davis, R. M., & Escalera, E. (2020). Perceptions and use of videoconferencing in forensic mental health assessments: A survey of evaluators and legal personnel. Psychology, Crime & Law, 26(6), 593-613. https://doi.org/10.1080/1068316X.2019.1708355

 

Thoen, M. A., Dodson, L. E., Manzo, G., Piña-Watson, B., & Trejos-Castillo, E. (2020). Agency-offered and officer-utilized suicide prevention and wellness programs: A national study. Psychological Services. 17(2), 129–140. https://doi.org/10.1037/ser0000355

 

Morgan, R. D., Mitchell, S. M., Thoen, M. A., Campion, K., Bolaños, A., Sustaíta, M. A., & Henderson, S. (2016). Specialty Courts: Who’s In and Are They Working? Psychological Services, 13(3), 246-253. https://doi.org/10.1037/ser0000085

 

Shigemoto, Y., Thoen, M. A., Robitschek, C., & Ashton, M. W. (2015). Assessing measurement invariance of the Personal Growth Initiative Scale-II among Hispanic/Latina/os, African Americans, and European Americans. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 62, 537-544. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000075

 

Thoen, M. A., & Robitschek, C. (2013). Intentional Growth Training: Developing an intervention to increase Personal Growth Initiative. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 5, 149–170. https://doi.org/10.1111/aphw.12001

Robitschek, C., Ashton, M. W., Spering, C. C., Geiger, N., Byers, D., Shotts, G. C., & Thoen, M. A. (2012). Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Personal Growth Initiative Scale – II. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 59, 274-287. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0027310

Clinical Interests

General adult, individual psychotherapy particularly for adjustment concerns, anxiety and mood disorders, and substance abuse. I utilize a primarily cognitive-behavioral approach. I also enjoy psychological assessment, including forensic applications.