Link to Erin Sheets's Website

Licensed Psychologist, State of Maine

Link to Colby Emotion and Mood Lab Website

My primary line of research focuses on the interplay of personality and stress on the course of depression, particularly during emerging adulthood (ages 18 – 29) and the transition to motherhood. Since coming to Colby, I also have expanded this to a second line of research examining interpersonally-relevant emotion regulation skills in nonclinical, mentally healthy samples. I utilize a variety of research methods to examine these topics, including qualitative approaches, quantitative self-report measures, interpersonal laboratory tasks, ecological momentary assessment, and behavioral genetics. Overall, my work identifies particular behaviors and skills deficits that may disrupt interpersonal relationships, increase negative affect, and lead to the onset of depression. I aim for this research to inform future, interpersonally-based depression prevention efforts.

Selected Publications

Sheets, E. S., Duncan, L. E., Bjornsson, A. S., Craighead, L. W., & Craighead, W. E. (in press). Personality pathology factors predict recurrent major depressive disorder in emerging adults. Journal of Clinical Psychology.

Yen, S., Weinstock, L., Andover, P., Sheets, E. S., Selby, E. A., & Spirito, A. (in press). Prospective predictors of adolescent suicidality: Six month post hospitalization follow-up. Psychological Medicine.

Sheets, E. S., Craighead, L. W., Brosse, A. L., Hauser, M., Madsen, J. W., & Craighead, W. E. (2013). Prevention of recurrence of major depression among emerging adults by a group cognitive-behavioral/interpersonal intervention. Journal of Affective Disorders, 147, 425-430.

Craighead, W. E., Sheets, E. S., Craighead, L. W., & Madsen, J. W. (2011). Recurrence of MDD among previously depressed young adults: A prospective study of personality pathology and cognitive distortions. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 2(2), 83-97.

Muralidharan, A., Sheets, E. S., Madsen, J., Craighead, L. W., & Craighead, W. E. (2011). Interpersonal competence across domains: Relevance to personality pathology. Journal of Personality Disorders, 25(1), 16-27.

Sheets, E. S., & Miller, I. W. (2010). Predictors of relationship functioning for patients with bipolar disorder and their partners. Journal of Family Psychology, 24, 371-379.

Sheets, E. S., & Craighead, W. E. (2007). Toward an empirically based classification of personality pathology. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 14, 77-93.