The Grandfamilies Lab is a clinical psychology research lab at Mississippi State University. Working under the supervision of Dr. Danielle Nadorff, graduate and undergraduate students conduct research with the goal of improving the lives of grandparents raising grandchildren, and the grandchildren for whom they care.
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Dr. Nadorff obtained her Ph.D. in Lifespan Developmental Psychology from West Virginia University in 2011, and is now an Associate Professor in the clinical department of Mississippi State University. Her program of research is primarily focused on custodial grandchildren (children whose primary caregivers are their grandparents) and their grandparents. In particular, she investigates the physical, social, mental, emotional, and behavioral outcomes for these kincare families, as well as examining how they compare to those in foster care. More broadly, she also has interest in depressive symptoms, stress, and coping on both ends of the lifespan: both early childhood and late life.
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Graduate Students:
Rachel Scott, M.S.Rachel graduated with a Master's in Clinical-Counseling Psychology from Radford University in 2019. She is currently in her fourth year of the Clinical Psychology program here at MSU. Rachel's research interests include dementia, caregiving, rurality, and the development of mental health interventions for older adults. Her dissertation, titled, "Living with Mamaw and Papaw: An examination of the costs and benefits of raising one’s grandchildren in a rural area," is scheduled to be proposed in September of 2022.
Marin Olson, M.S.Marin is from Marquette, Michigan, where she earned her bachelors at Northern Michigan University. Later, Marin earned her masters degree from Minnesota State University, Mankato and is now in her second year at MSU’s clinical psychology doctoral program. Her research interests inlcude points of risk and resiliency amongst grandfamilies. After graduation, she aspires to inherit her father’s practice and serve the rural community that raised her. She proposed her dissertation, titled, "In good times and bad: Measuring ambivalence in custodial grandparents," in May of 2022.
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Acacia Lopez, M.S.Acacia graduated with a Bachelor's in Psychology from the University of North Texas in 2019. She is currently in her third year of the Clinical Psychology program at Mississippi State University. Acacia is interested in risk factors for children from non-traditional families, development of treatments and interventions, promotion of positive adjustment and well-being. Specifically, she is interested in understanding responses to trauma and their implications on children's development, and becoming a culturally-conscious clinician and researcher. She defended her thesis, titled, "Bonded or broken? An expansion of Goodman & Gotlib’s model of maternal psychopathology transmission extended to non-parental caregivers," in September of 2021.
Maia McLin, B.S.Maia graduated with a Bachelor’s in Biology from the University of Dayton in 2018. Following graduation, she worked as a patient care coordinator and later patient care manager at a psychiatrist clinic before working as a research assistant at Rush University Medical Center. She is currently in her first year of MSU’s Clinical Psychology program. Maia’s research interests include protective factors for ethnic and racial minority older adults’ cognitive function and mental health.
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Past Alumni
Melanie Stearns, Ph.D.Although her primary advisor was Dr. Cliff McKinney, Melanie joined the Grandfamilies Lab as a secondary member and was an active participant all five years of her time at MSU. Graduating with her Ph.D. in 2020, Melanie's research interests are focused on the family environment and how it affects children of all ages. Her three primary foci are parental influences on child behavior, child behaviors, and sleep problems in the context of parent-child gender differences. She is currently employed in a post-doc at the University of Missouri.
Ian McKay, Ph.D.Ian graduated with his Ph.D. from MSU in 2021, and completed his Internship at the Ohio State University's Behavioral Health Adult Psychopathology Track. Ian's research interests include the design and assessment of interventions for those who have undergone past traumas. His dissertation was titled, "A Pilot Study Examining the Impacts of an Entrepreneurial Education Program on Entrepreneurial Intention and its Antecedents in a Population of Adolescent Males in Recovery." He is now employed as the Attending Clinical Psychologist at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.
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Ethan Lantz, Ph.D.Ethan graduated with a Master's in Clinical and Counseling Psychology from Midwestern State University in 2014, and his Ph.D. from MSU in 2020. Ethan's research interests include trauma, bullying, and innovative methods of data collection such as card sorting. His dissertation was titled, "The Effects of a Gratitude Intervention on Well-being and Physiological Measure of Stress on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren." He is currently employed as a staff psychologist at the Iowa City Veteran's Association Health Care System.
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Undergraduate Students
The Grandfamilies Lab has on average about 4 - 6 undergraduates enrolled each semester. Below are some of our publications involving undergraduate students. Their names are written in red.
Nadorff, D.K., Scott, R.K., & Griffin, R. (2021). Custodial grandchildren and foster children: A school performance comparison. Children and Youth Services Review. 2020 Impact Factor = 2.393.
Provenzano, A., & Stearns, M.A., & Nadorff, D.K. (2020). The influence of caregiving on the relation between marital status and psychological health in a grandparent sample. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 00,1-20. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091415020920000. 2018 Impact Factor = 1.175.
Nadorff, D.K., Scott, R.K., & Fitchie, T. (2021). Depressive Symptoms and Suicidality of Those Raised in Kincare: A Peer Comparison Study. OMEGA – Journal of Death and Dying. https://doi.org/10.1177/0030222820966245. 2019 Impact Factor = 1.347.
Fokakis, Z.N., Nadorff, D.K., & McKay, I.T. (2020). Is raising your grandchild bad for your health? The association between custodial grandparent status and health biomarkers in Taiwanese grandparents. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17051753. 2019 Impact Factor = 2.849.
Projects in Revision and Development:
Nadorff, D.K.,Williamson, E.A., & McKay, I.T. Could Chasing Grandkids Keep Us Young? The Association Between Custodial Grandparent Status and Health. Status: Preparing for resubmission.
Nadorff, D.K. & Coble, K. The effect of becoming a custodial grandparent on marital status and satisfaction: A longitudinal assessment from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. Status: Manuscript preparation.
Nadorff, D.K., Lopez, A., & Peters, D. Reasons expressed for assuming care of custodial grandchildren and foster children: A replication and extension of the Nine Ds. Status: Preparing for submission.
Provenzano, A., & Stearns, M.A., & Nadorff, D.K. (2020). The influence of caregiving on the relation between marital status and psychological health in a grandparent sample. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 00,1-20. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091415020920000. 2018 Impact Factor = 1.175.
Nadorff, D.K., Scott, R.K., & Fitchie, T. (2021). Depressive Symptoms and Suicidality of Those Raised in Kincare: A Peer Comparison Study. OMEGA – Journal of Death and Dying. https://doi.org/10.1177/0030222820966245. 2019 Impact Factor = 1.347.
Fokakis, Z.N., Nadorff, D.K., & McKay, I.T. (2020). Is raising your grandchild bad for your health? The association between custodial grandparent status and health biomarkers in Taiwanese grandparents. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17051753. 2019 Impact Factor = 2.849.
Projects in Revision and Development:
Nadorff, D.K.,Williamson, E.A., & McKay, I.T. Could Chasing Grandkids Keep Us Young? The Association Between Custodial Grandparent Status and Health. Status: Preparing for resubmission.
Nadorff, D.K. & Coble, K. The effect of becoming a custodial grandparent on marital status and satisfaction: A longitudinal assessment from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. Status: Manuscript preparation.
Nadorff, D.K., Lopez, A., & Peters, D. Reasons expressed for assuming care of custodial grandchildren and foster children: A replication and extension of the Nine Ds. Status: Preparing for submission.