Sarah E. Victor, Ph.D.

Research Interests

My research is primarily focused on non-suicidal self-injury (self-harm, or NSSI) and suicide. I am especially interested in understanding how issues of stigma, prejudice, and discrimination influence risk for these experiences among marginalized groups, and how these risks may change over time. I use multiple methodologies, including intensive longitudinal assessment, to understand how risk and protective factors for self-injury and suicide may change in daily life. I also use community-engaged approaches to understand the experiences of members of marginalized communities. In brief, my work spans three related areas:

1) Suicide and self-injury during high-risk transitions: Research has demonstrated that the risk of self-injury and suicide varies over time, and may be particularly elevated after leaving inpatient psychiatric care. With funding from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH R21MH124794), I led a longitudinal study following adults after discharge from inpatient psychiatric are in Lubbock, Texas. These participants provided data on their emotional experiences, behaviors, physical activity, and sleep, with the goal of clarifying how these factors influence suicide and self-injury risk in the weeks and months after leaving inpatient care. I am also the primary sponsor on a doctoral student's NIMH-funded research, which is designed to improve our assessment of suicidal ideation for research and clinical purposes among youth (NIMH F31MH136767, Fellow: Kirsten Christensen). 

2) Gender minority stress and resilience: Transgender and non-binary people are known to be at higher risk of self-injury and suicide, compared to cisgender people (people whose gender matches what was assigned to them at birth). However, the mechanisms explaining this pattern require further study, especially to document how stress and resilience factors may influence risk for self-injury and suicide over time in daily life. In a recently completed study funded by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP YIG-0-138-21), we tested existing theories using ecological momentary assessment to examine changes in risk and resilience in the lives of transgender adults receiving mental health services. 

3) Ableism and mental health among people with disabilities: People with disabilities experience mental and physical health disparities, which may be impacted by ableism, or disability prejudice. Using a minority stress framework adapted from my work with transgender and non-binary adults, I am co-leading (with Dr. Adam Schmidt) a large project to examine the negative effects of ableism on children with visual impairment, funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI R01EY036676). This project will enroll 500 children who are blind or visually impaired, along with a parent or guardian, to assess their experiences with ableism and their mental and physical health. I am also committed to advocacy towards inclusion of people with disabilities in psychology research and clinical practice, and have published and presented on the value of including people with lived experiences of psychiatric and other disabilities within our field.

Selected Research

** indicates mentored trainee author.

**Christensen, Victor, Littlefield, & Mitchell (2024). A comparison of retrospectively reported and ecological momentary assessment-reported perceived social support in predicting ecological momentary assessment-reported non-suicidal self-injury. Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior.

Devendorf, Victor, Rottenberg, Miller, Lewis, Muehlenkamp, & Stage (2023). Stigmatizing our own: Self-relevant research is common but frowned upon in clinical psychological science. Clinical Psychological Science.

**Hoelscher, Victor, Trieu, & Edmiston (2023). Gender minority resilience and suicidal ideation: A longitudinal and daily examination of transgender and non-binary adults. The Behavior Therapist.

Victor, Salk, Porta, Hamilton, Bero, Poling, Brent, & Goldstein (2023). Measurement-based care for suicidal youth: Outcomes and recommendations from the Services for Teens At Risk (STAR) Center. PLOS One.

Victor, Trieu, & Seymour (2023). Associations with LGBTQ+ mental health disparities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychology & Sexuality.

Victor, **Christensen, Johnson, Van Allen, & Brick (2022). Dynamic Regulatory Processes in the Transition From Suicidal Ideation to Action in Adults Leaving Inpatient Psychiatric Care: Protocol for an Intensive Longitudinal Study. JMIR research protocols.

Victor, Devendorf, Lewis, Rottenberg, Muehlenkamp, Stage, & Miller (2022). Only human: Mental-health difficulties among clinical, counseling, and school psychology faculty and trainees. Perspectives on Psychological Science.

Victor, Lewis, & Muehlenkamp (2022). Psychologists with lived experience of non-suicidal self-injury: Priorities, obstacles, and recommendations for inclusion. Psychological Services.

Victor, Schleider, Ammerman, Bradford, Devendorf, Gruber, Gunaydin, Hallion, Kaufman, Lewis, & Stage (2022). Leveraging the Strengths of Psychologists with Lived Experience of Psychopathology. Perspectives on Psychological Science.

Victor, Brown, & Scott (2021). Prospective and concurrent affective dynamics in self-injurious thoughts and behaviors: An examination in young adult women. Behavior Therapy.

Victor, Hipwell, Stepp, & Scott (2019). Parent and peer relationships as longitudinal predictors of adolescent non-suicidal self-injury onset. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health.

Victor, Scott, Stepp, & Goldstein (2019).  I want you to want me: Interpersonal stress and affective experiences as within-person predictors of nonsuicidal self-injury and suicide urges in daily life. Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior.

May & Victor (2018). From ideation to action: Recent advances in understanding suicide capability. Current Opinion in Psychology.

Victor, Davis, & Klonsky (2017). Descriptive characteristics and initial psychometric properties of the Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Disorder Scale. Archives of Suicide Research.

Victor & Klonsky (2016). Validation of a brief version of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-18) in five samples. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment.
 
Victor & Klonsky (2014). Correlates of suicide attempts among self-injurers: A meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review.