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James J. Mazza Professor, Educational Psychology 322M Miller Hall, Phone - 616-6373 mazza@u.washington.edu

Education Publications Courses Curriculum Vitae

My current research interest focuses on the area of adolescent mental health and the identification of youth who are at-risk for depression or suicidal behavior. In particular, I am interested in the area of adolescent psychopathology including: suicidal behavior, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and exposure to community violence. My research consists of adolescents completing mental health surveys and clinical interviews that help to identify at-risk youth. Results from my research are used to better understand adolescent mental health problems and to examine the complex relationship between mental health problems and precipitating factors, such as violence exposure.

I am currently working on two major projects. The first is a study that examines the impact of community violence exposure to adolescent mental health. This project is being conducted in the Seattle area schools and focuses on the direct and indirect relationships of exposure to community violence and adolescent suicidal behavior, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology, hopelessness, and social support. Along with identifying students who are at-risk for suicidal behavior and depression, one primary focus of this research is on gender differences and the way violence exposure effects females compared to males.

The second research project I am working on consists of developing an instrument to measure the severity of community violence exposure. This measure is being field tested at junior and senior high schools. The project is examining the psychometric characteristics of the measure and determining the different factor structure. This measure will help identify students who have had high exposure to community violence and can be used by mental health professionals and school personnel to provide psychological services that account for the violence exposure.

Links of Interest:

Suicide statistics: http://www.iusb.edu/~jmcintos

Education

Ph.D., University of Wisconsin - Madison 1993

Publications

(highlighted links go to pdf's of full article or chapter):

Mazza, J. J. (2006). Youth suicidal behavior: A crisis in need of attention. In F.A. Villarruel, & Luster, T. (Eds.). Adolescent Mental Health (pp. 156-177). Greenwood Publishing Group.

Thompson, E.A., Mazza, J.J., Herting, J.R., Randell, B.P., & Eggert, L.L. (2005). Mediating Roles of Anxiety, Depression, and Hopelessness on Adolescent Suicidal Behaviors, Suicide and Life-Threatening Behaviors, 35 (1), 14-34.

Mazza, J. J. & Eggert, L. L. (2001). Activity involvement among suicidal and nonsuicidal high-risk and typical adolescents. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behaviors, 31 (3), 265-281.

Mazza, J. J. & Reynolds, W. M. (2001). An investigation of psychopathology in nonreferred suicidal and nonsuicidal adolescents. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behaviors, 31 (3), 282-302.

Mazza, J. J. (2000). The relationship between postraumatic stress symptomatology and suicidal behavior in school-based adolescents. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 30 (2), 91-103.

Mazza, J. J. & Overstreet, S. (2000). Children and adolescents exposed to community violence: a mental health perspective for school psychologists. School Psychology Review, 29 (1), 86-101.

Mazza, J. J. & Reynolds, W. M. (1999). Exposure to violence in young inner-city adolescents: relationships with suicidal ideation, depression, and ptsd symptomatology. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 27 (3), 203-213.

Mazza, J. J. & Reynolds, W. M. (1998). A longitudinal investigation of depression, hopelessness, social support, major and minor life events and their relation to suicidal ideation in adolescents . Suicide and Life-Threatening Behaviors, 28 (4), 358-374.

Reynolds, W. M., & Mazza, J. J. (1998). Reliability and validity of the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale with young adolescents. Journal of School Psychology, 36, 353-376.

Reynolds, W. M. & Mazza, J. J. (in press). Assessment of suicidal ideation in young inner- city youth: Reliability and validity of the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire-JR. School Psychology Review.

Mazza, J. J. (1997). School-based suicide prevention programs: Are they effective? School Psychology Review, 26, 382-396.

Mazza, J. J. (1995, Spring). Assessing suicidal behavior, a necessity for school psychologists. NYSPA - School Notes, 1, 2.

Mazza, J. J. (1995, January). The school psychologist's role in assessing suicidal behavior. NYSPA - Notebook, 7, 25.

Reynolds, W. M. & Mazza, J. J. (1994). Suicide and suicidal behaviors in children and adolescents. In W. M. Reynolds & Hugh F. Johnson (Eds.), Handbook of depression in children and adolescents (pp. 525-580). New York and London: Plenum Press.

Professional Associations:

American Association for Suicidology

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

American Psychological Association

National Association of School Psychologists

Courses

EDPSY 544: Counseling: Winter Quarter 2005

EDPSY 549: Consultation in the Schools: Winter Quarter 2005

EDPSY 572: Socio-Emotional Assessment: Autumn Quarter 2002

EDPSY 581: Child and Adolescent Psychopathology: Summer Quarter 2002

EDPSY 581: Research in School Psychology: Spring Quarter 2003