My research focuses on understanding risk factors for psychosis-spectrum disorders in adolescence, improving methods of screening and assessment for early psychosis across settings, and developing effective intervention strategies to mitigate mental health and safety-related risk for this population.
I earned my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. I completed my clinical internship and postdoctoral fellowship (T32) in the Clinical Psychology Training Program at Alpert Medical School and Brown University Health. I am now an Assistant Professor at Brown, in both the Cognitive and Psychological Sciences Department (CoPsy) and the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior (DPHB).
Teaching: In my role as Assistant Professor of the Practice in CoPsy, I teach clinical psychology courses and advise students interested in pursuing professional psychology careers.
Research: I am currently conducting several pilot trials exploring the development and feasibility of brief family-oriented intervention for psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents with psychosis-spectrum symptoms. I am also PI on a pilot project exploring sleep characteristics among teens with psychosis-spectrum disorders, funded through the Bradley Hospital's COBRE Center for Sleep and Circadian Rhythms in Child and Adolescent Mental Health. See my lab website for more details on my current research.
Clinical work: I am the clinic co-director for Bradley Hospital's Stride Clinic, an early psychosis assessment and consultation service for youth and families in Rhode Island.
Adolescent Mental Health Collaborative (AMHC)
| Thompson, Elizabeth C., Visser, Katherine, Nail, Margaret, Lawrence, Hannah R., Hunt, Jeffrey, Wolff, Jennifer C. "An Exploration of the Co‐Occurrence of Hallucinations and Suicidal Mental Imagery Among Psychiatrically Hospitalised Adolescents at High Risk for Suicide." Early Intervention in Psychiatry, 2024. |
| Thomas, Sarah A., Thompson, Elizabeth C., Maron, Micaela M., Meisel, Samuel N., Spirito, Anthony, Wolff, Jennifer C. "Cannabis Vaping Is Associated With Past 30-Day Suicide Attempts and Suicidal Ideation Among Adolescents in a Psychiatric Inpatient Setting." JAACAP Open, 2024. |
| Thomas, Sarah A., Thompson, Elizabeth C., Peters, Jessica R., Micalizzi, Lauren, Meisel, Samuel N., Maron, Micaela, Ryan, Sarah K., Wolff, Jennifer C. "Investigating Substance Use as a Coping Strategy Among Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatients: A Comparative Analysis Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic." Child Psychiatry & Human Development, 2024. |
| Schlier B, Ellett L, Thompson E, Gaudiano B, Krkovic K, Kingston JL. "Measuring Paranoid Beliefs in Adolescents: A Comparison of the Revised-Green et al.'s Paranoid Thoughts Scale (R-GPTS) and the Bird Checklist of Adolescent Paranoia (B-CAP)." Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, vol. 52, no. 8, 2024, pp. 1319-1327. |
| Rabasco, Ana, Browne, Julia, Kingston, Jessica, Krkovic, Katarina, Thompson, Elizabeth, Ellett, Lyn, Kunicki, Zachary J., Gaudiano, Brandon A. "Pandemic Paranoia Scale for Adolescents (PPS-A): An Initial Psychometric Evaluation and Prevalence Study of Adolescents in the United States and United Kingdom." Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, vol. 52, no. 11, 2024, pp. 1765-1779. |
| Phalen, Peter, Jones, Nev, Davis, Beshaun, Sarpal, Deepak, Dickerson, Faith, Vatza, Crystal, Jumper, Megan, Kuczynski, Adam, Thompson, Elizabeth, Jay, Samantha, Buchanan, Robert, Chengappa, K.N. Roy, Goldberg, Richard, Kreyenbuhl, Julie, Margolis, Russell, Dong, Fanghong, Riggs, Jessie, Moxam, Alex, Burris, Elizabeth, Campbell, Philip, Cooke, Akinyi, Ered, Arielle, Fauble, Mandy, Howell, Carolyn, Kelly, Christian, Namowicz, Denise, Rouse, Krissa, Smith, William, Wolcott, Max, Boumaiz, Yasmine, Harvin, Alexander, Scheinberg, Rachel, Saravana, Arunadevi, Nayar, Swati, Kohler, Christian, Calkins, Monica E., Bennett, Melanie. "Suicidality among clients in a network of coordinated specialty care (CSC) programs for first-episode psychosis: Rates, changes in rates, and their predictors." Schizophrenia Research, vol. 274, 2024, pp. 150-157. |
| Kingston JL, Ellett L, Thompson EC, Gaudiano BA, Krkovic K. "A Child-Parent Dyad Study on Adolescent Paranoia and the Influence of Adverse Life Events, Bullying, Parenting Stress, and Family Support." Schizophrenia Bulletin, vol. 49, no. 6, 2023, pp. 1486-1493. |
| Wood, Helen J., Eisen, Katherine, Hardy, Kate V., Reznik, Samantha J., Shapiro, Daniel I., Thompson, Elizabeth C., Gaither, Marci L., Kopelovich, Sarah. "Confronting the dialectic between quality and access in early psychosis care in the United States: Finding the synthesis by leveraging psychological expertise." Psychological Services, 2023. |
| Wolff, Jennifer C., Maron, Micaela, Chou, Tommy, Hood, Erik, Sodano, Sophia, Cheek, Shayna, Thompson, Elizabeth, Donise, Kathleen, Katz, Emily, Mannix, Margaret. "Experiences of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Patients Boarding in the Emergency Department from Staff Perspectives: Patient Journey Mapping." Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, vol. 50, no. 3, 2023, pp. 417-426. |
| Vieira, Alyssa, Sheerin, Kaitlin M., Williamson-Butler, Shannon, Pederson, Casey A., Thompson, Elizabeth C., Soriano, Sheiry, Wolff, Jennifer C., Spirito, Anthony, Kemp, Kathleen. "Non-suicidal self-injury, suicidal behaviors, and mental health symptoms among sexual minority youth with juvenile justice system involvement." Children and Youth Services Review, vol. 155, 2023, pp. 107196. |
| Buitron, Victor, Maron, Micaela, Kudinova, Anastacia, Thompson, Elizabeth, Barker, David H., Wolff, Jennifer C. "Sleep disturbance and suicidality in psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents: The role of specific emotion regulation domains." Journal of Clinical Psychology, 2023. |
| Schönig, Sven N., Thompson, Elizabeth, Kingston, Jessica, Gaudiano, Brandon A., Ellett, Lyn, Krkovic, Katarina. "The Apple Doesn't Fall Far from the Tree? Paranoia and Safety Behaviours in Adolescent-Parent-Dyads." Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, 2023. |
| Thompson, Elizabeth C., Visser, Katherine Frost, Schiffman, Jason, Spirito, Anthony, Hunt, Jeffrey, Wolff, Jennifer C. "Preliminary evidence supporting the practice of psychosis-risk screening within an inpatient psychiatric setting serving adolescents." Psychiatry Research, vol. 307, 2022, pp. 114322. |
| Thompson EC, Nail M, Yen S. "Suicide Risk and Psychotic Experiences: Considerations for Safety Planning with Adolescents." Rhode Island medical journal (2013), vol. 105, no. 4, 2022, pp. 26-30. |
| Thompson, Elizabeth C., Jay, Samantha Y., Andorko, Nicole D., Millman, Zachary B., Rouhakhtar, Pamela Rakhshan, Sagun, Kristin, Han, Susan C., Herman, Bruce, Schiffman, Jason. "Sleep quality moderates the association between psychotic-like experiences and suicidal ideation among help-seeking university students." Psychiatry Research, vol. 296, 2021, pp. 113668. |
| Nesi, Jacqueline, Burke, Taylor A., Bettis, Alexandra H., Kudinova, Anastacia Y., Thompson, Elizabeth C., MacPherson, Heather A., Fox, Kara A., Lawrence, Hannah R., Thomas, Sarah A., Wolff, Jennifer C., Altemus, Melanie K., Soriano, Sheiry, Liu, Richard T. "Social media use and self-injurious thoughts and behaviors: A systematic review and meta-analysis." Clinical Psychology Review, vol. 87, 2021, pp. 102038. |
| Thompson EC, Thomas SA, Burke TA, Nesi J, MacPherson HA, Bettis AH, Kudinova AY, Affleck K, Hunt J, Wolff JC. "Suicidal thoughts and behaviors in psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents pre- and post- COVID-19: A historical chart review and examination of contextual correlates." Journal of Affective Disorders Reports, vol. 4, 2021, pp. 100100. |
| Thompson EC, DeLuca JS, Petti E, Rakhshan Rouhakhtar P, Schiffman J. "Preliminary support for using the Atypicality Scale from the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition, to screen for psychosis-spectrum disorders within a college counselling centre." Early Intervention in Psychiatry, 2020. |
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Thompson, E.C., Deluca, J., Petti, E., Rakhshan Rouhakhtar, P., & Schiffman, J.
"Preliminary support for using the Atypicality Scale from the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition, to screen for psychosis‐spectrum disorders within a college counselling centre." Early Intervention in Psychiatry, 2020.
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| Bettis, Alexandra H., Thompson, Elizabeth C., Burke, Taylor A., Nesi, Jacqueline, Kudinova, Anastacia Y., Hunt, Jeffrey I., Liu, Richard T., Wolff, Jennifer C. "Prevalence and clinical indices of risk for sexual and gender minority youth in an adolescent inpatient sample." Journal of Psychiatric Research, vol. 130, 2020, pp. 327-332. |
| Thompson, Elizabeth C., Andorko, Nicole D., Rakhshan Rouhakhtar, Pamela, Millman, Zachary B., Sagun, Kristin, Han, Susan, Chibani, Doha, Reeves, Gloria M., Herman, Bruce, Schiffman, Jason. "Psychosis-Spectrum Screening and Assessment within a College Counseling Center: A Pilot Study Exploring Feasibility and Clinical Need." Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, 2020, pp. 1-22. |
| Thompson, Elizabeth C., Spirito, Anthony, Saarinen, Jiayin Sperry, Wolff, Jennifer C. "Psychosis‐spectrum experiences linked to specific psychotherapy readiness domains among psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents." Early Intervention in Psychiatry, 2020. |
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Schiffman, J. Thompson, E., Denenny, D., Edwards, S., & Reeves, G.
"Schizophrenia spectrum disorders. In S. Waldstein, M. Muldoon, J Satterfield, D. Novack, & S. Cole (Eds.), Behavioral and Social Science in Medicine: Principles and Practice of Biopsychosocial Care." Behavioral and Social Science in Medicine: Principles and Practice of Biopsychosocial Care, edited by S. Waldstein, M. Muldoon, J Satterfield, D. Novack, & S. Cole, Springer US, 2020.
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| Thompson E, Spirito A, Frazier E, Thompson A, Hunt J, Wolff J. "Suicidal thoughts and behavior (STB) and psychosis-risk symptoms among psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents." Schizophrenia Research, 2020. |
| DeLuca, Joseph S., Andorko, Nicole D., Chibani, Doha, Jay, Samantha Y., Rakhshan Rouhakhtar, Pamela J., Petti, Emily, Klaunig, Mallory J., Thompson, Elizabeth C., Millman, Zachary B., Connors, Kathleen M., Akouri-Shan, LeeAnn, Fitzgerald, John, Redman, Samantha L., Roemer, Caroline, Bridgwater, Miranda A., DeVylder, Jordan E., King, Cheryl A., Pitts, Steven C., Reinblatt, Shauna P., Wehring, Heidi J., Bussell, Kristin L., Solomon, Natalee, Edwards, Sarah M., Reeves, Gloria M., Buchanan, Robert W., Schiffman, Jason. "Telepsychotherapy with youth at clinical high risk for psychosis: Clinical issues and best practices during the COVID-19 pandemic." Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, vol. 30, no. 2, 2020, pp. 304-331. |
| Thompson EC, Fox KA, Lapomardo A, Hunt JI, Wolff JC. "Youth Self Report Thought Problems and Sleep Difficulties Are Linked to Suicidal Ideation Among Psychiatrically Hospitalized Adolescents." Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, 2020. |
| Thompson E, Rakhshan P, Pitts SC, Demro C, Millman ZB, Bussell K, DeVylder J, Kline E, Reeves GM, Schiffman J. "Family functioning moderates the impact of psychosis-risk symptoms on social and role functioning." Schizophrenia research, vol. 204, 2019, pp. 337-342. |
| Tsuji T, Phalen P, Rakhshan Rouhakhtar P, Millman Z, Bussell K, Thompson E, Demro C, Roemer C, Reeves G, Schiffman J. "Using the K-SADS psychosis screen to identify people with early psychosis or psychosis risk syndromes." Clinical child psychology and psychiatry, vol. 24, no. 4, 2019, pp. 809-820. |
| Millman ZB, Pitts SC, Thompson E, Kline ER, Demro C, Weintraub MJ, DeVylder JE, Mittal VA, Reeves GM, Schiffman J. "Perceived social stress and symptom severity among help-seeking adolescents with versus without clinical high-risk for psychosis." Schizophrenia research, vol. 192, 2018, pp. 364-370. |
| Phalen PL, Rouhakhtar PR, Millman ZB, Thompson E, DeVylder J, Mittal V, Carter E, Reeves G, Schiffman J. "Validity of a two-item screen for early psychosis." Psychiatry Research, vol. 270, 2018, pp. 861-868. |
| Millman ZB, Weintraub MJ, Bentley E, DeVylder JE, Mittal VA, Pitts SC, Thompson E, Demro C, Reeves GM, Schiffman J. "Differential relations of locus of control to perceived social stress among help-seeking adolescents at low vs. high clinical risk of psychosis." Schizophrenia research, vol. 184, 2017, pp. 39-44. |
| Demro C, Rowland L, Wijtenburg SA, Waltz J, Gold J, Kline E, Thompson E, Reeves G, Hong LE, Schiffman J. "Glutamatergic metabolites among adolescents at risk for psychosis." Psychiatry Research, vol. 257, 2017, pp. 179-185. |
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Thompson, E., DeVylder, J., & Schiffman, J.
"Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders: Lifespan Perspectives. In A. Wenzel (Ed.), The SAGE Encyclopedia of Abnormal and Clinical Psychology." The SAGE Encyclopedia of Abnormal and Clinical Psychology, edited by A. Wenzel, 2017.
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| Andorko ND, Mittal V, Thompson E, Denenny D, Epstein G, Demro C, Wilson C, Sun S, Klingaman EA, DeVylder J, Oh H, Postolache TT, Reeves GM, Schiffman J. "The association between sleep dysfunction and psychosis-like experiences among college students." Psychiatry Research, vol. 248, 2017, pp. 6-12. |
| Wilson C, Kline E, Thompson E, Demro C, Pitts S, Bussell K, Reeves GM, Schiffman J. "Comparison of measures of functioning for use with treatment-seeking adolescents experiencing attenuated symptoms of psychosis." Early Intervention in Psychiatry, vol. 10, no. 1, 2016, pp. 81-7. |
| Wilson C, Smith ME, Thompson E, Demro C, Kline E, Bussell K, Pitts SC, DeVylder J, Reeves G, Schiffman J. "Context matters: The impact of neighborhood crime and paranoid symptoms on psychosis risk assessment." Schizophrenia research, vol. 171, no. 1-3, 2016, pp. 56-61. |
| Bentley E, Millman ZB, Thompson E, Demro C, Kline E, Pitts SC, DeVylder JE, Smith ME, Reeves G, Schiffman J. "High-risk diagnosis, social stress, and parent-child relationships: A moderation model." Schizophrenia research, vol. 174, no. 1-3, 2016, pp. 65-70. |
| Kline E, Thompson E, Demro C, Bussell K, Reeves G, Schiffman J. "Self-Report Instruments for Clinical Monitoring of Psychosis Risk States." PS, vol. 67, no. 4, 2016, pp. 456-9. |
| Kline E, Millman ZB, Denenny D, Wilson C, Thompson E, Demro C, Connors K, Bussell K, Reeves G, Schiffman J. "Trauma and psychosis symptoms in a sample of help-seeking youth." Schizophrenia research, vol. 175, no. 1-3, 2016, pp. 174-179. |
| Thompson E, Kline E, Ellman LM, Mittal V, Reeves GM, Schiffman J. "Emotional and behavioral symptomatology reported by help-seeking youth at clinical high-risk for psychosis." Schizophrenia research, vol. 162, no. 1-3, 2015, pp. 79-85. |
| Thompson E, Millman ZB, Okuzawa N, Mittal V, DeVylder J, Skadberg T, Buchanan RW, Reeves GM, Schiffman J. "Evidence-based early interventions for individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis: a review of treatment components." The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, vol. 203, no. 5, 2015, pp. 342-51. |
| Kline E, Thompson E, Demro C, Bussell K, Reeves G, Schiffman J. "Longitudinal validation of psychosis risk screening tools." Schizophrenia research, vol. 165, no. 2-3, 2015, pp. 116-22. |
| DeVylder JE, Thompson E, Reeves G, Schiffman J. "Psychotic experiences as indicators of suicidal ideation in a non-clinical college sample." Psychiatry Research, vol. 226, no. 2-3, 2015, pp. 489-93. |
| Waltz JA, Demro C, Schiffman J, Thompson E, Kline E, Reeves G, Xu Z, Gold J. "Reinforcement Learning Performance and Risk for Psychosis in Youth." The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, vol. 203, no. 12, 2015, pp. 919-926. |
| Denenny D, Thompson E, Pitts SC, Dixon LB, Schiffman J. "Subthreshold psychotic symptom distress, self-stigma, and peer social support among college students with mental health concerns." Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, vol. 38, no. 2, 2015, pp. 164-170. |
| Kline E, Thompson E, Bussell K, Pitts SC, Reeves G, Schiffman J. "Psychosis-like experiences and distress among adolescents using mental health services." Schizophrenia research, vol. 152, no. 2-3, 2014, pp. 498-502. |
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Kline, E., Thompson, E., Wilson, C., Ereshefsky, S., Reeves, G., & Schiffman, J.
"Schizophrenia. In T. Gullotta, R. Plant, & M. Evans (Eds.), The Handbook of Adolescent Behavioral Problems (2nd Ed.).", edited by T. Gullotta, new york, new york, Springer, 2014.
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| Thompson E, Kline E, Reeves G, Pitts SC, Bussell K, Schiffman J. "Using parent and youth reports from the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition to identify individuals at clinical high-risk for psychosis." Schizophrenia research, vol. 154, no. 1-3, 2014, pp. 107-12. |
| Nugent KL, Kline E, Thompson E, Reeves G, Schiffman J. "Assessing psychotic-like symptoms using the BASC-2: adolescent, parent and teacher agreement." Early Intervention in Psychiatry, vol. 7, no. 4, 2013, pp. 431-6. |
| Thompson E, Kline E, Reeves G, Pitts SC, Schiffman J. "Identifying youth at risk for psychosis using the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition." Schizophrenia research, vol. 151, no. 1-3, 2013, pp. 238-44. |
| Nestor PG, Nakamura M, Niznikiewicz M, Thompson E, Levitt JJ, Choate V, Shenton ME, McCarley RW. "In search of the functional neuroanatomy of sociality: MRI subdivisions of orbital frontal cortex and social cognition." Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, vol. 8, no. 4, 2013, pp. 460-7. |
| Kline E, Thompson E, Schimunek C, Reeves G, Bussell K, Pitts SC, Schiffman J. "Parent-adolescent agreement on psychosis risk symptoms." Schizophrenia research, vol. 147, no. 1, 2013, pp. 147-152. |
| Pinheiro AP, McCarley RW, Thompson E, Gonçalves OF, Niznikiewicz M. "From semantics to feelings: how do individuals with schizophrenia rate the emotional valence of words?." Schizophrenia research and treatment, vol. 2012, 2012, pp. 431823. |
| Kline E, Wilson C, Ereshefsky S, Denenny D, Thompson E, Pitts SC, Bussell K, Reeves G, Schiffman J. "Psychosis risk screening in youth: a validation study of three self-report measures of attenuated psychosis symptoms." Schizophrenia research, vol. 141, no. 1, 2012, pp. 72-7. |
Pilot Project (Bradley Sleep COBRE; NIGMS P20GM139743) 9/1/23-8/31/25
E. Thompson (PI)
Psychosis, sleep, and stress in adolescents: An actigraphy and daily diary study: This project aims to examine daily interrelations between psychosis-spectrum symptoms (hallucinations and paranoia), sleep quality, measured via actigraphy and self-report, and stress, measured via self-report and an inflammatory biomarker (interleukin-1 beta), in adolescents with CHR or FEP conditions.
Early Career Award (DPHB) 02/01/23-01/31/24
E. Thompson (PI)
A safety protocol for adolescents with psychosis-spectrum disorders: This is a supplemental award supporting the addition of a stress management group to the safety intervention within my AFSP-funded study (YIG-1-167-19).
YIG-1-167-19 (AFSP) 01/01/21-12/31/23
E. Thompson (PI), S. Yen (Mentor)
A Qualitative Study of Psychosis and Suicidality to Inform Safety Planning for High-Risk Teens: This qualitative study is exploring co-occurring psychosis-spectrum experiences and suicidal thoughts and behaviors among psychiatrically hospitalized teens at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR), with the goal of developing and iteratively piloting a safety plan specifically tailored to CHR youth.
K23 MH119211 (NIH/NIMH) 12/01/19-11/30/23
E. Thompson (PI), A. Spirito & B. Gaudiano (Mentors)
A Treatment Engagement Protocol to Improve Follow-Up Care for Psychiatrically Hospitalized Adolescents at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis: This study is exploring the development and feasibility of a brief family-oriented intervention for psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents with psychosis-spectrum symptoms to promote treatment engagement and service use after discharge.
R34 MH115457 (NIH/NIMH) 08/15/18-06/30/23
A. Spirito (PI), E. Thompson (Co-I)
Reducing the Duration of Untreated Illness Among Youth in the Juvenile Justice System With Psychosis-Spectrum Disorders: This study is examining the feasibility of identifying youth in the juvenile justice system with psychosis-spectrum experiences and implementing an enhanced referral protocol to engage these youth in a specialized Coordinated Specialty Care treatment program.
| Year | Degree | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | PhD | University of Maryland |
| T32 Research Fellow | Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, United States, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior | 2017-2019 | Providence, Rhode Island, United States |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Gaudiano, Brandon | Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences |
| Guthrie, Kate | Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences |
| Jones, Rich | Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Professor of Neurology |
| Spirito, Anthony | Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior |
| Wolff, Jennifer | Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Clinician Educator |
| Yen, Shirley | Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior |
Rhode Island Hospital
Bradley Hospital
| Licensed Psychologist | State of Rhode Island | - |
| CLPS 1702 - Psychological Assessment |
