IMPACT Lab

The IMPACT (Improving Mental-health and Promoting Adjustment through College Transitions) lab at Loyola University Chicago is led by Dr. Colleen Conley and includes several graduate students and undergraduate research assistants. We are dedicated to making a real impact on college communities with new research and intervention programs.

Developmental Patterns of Adjustment

Trajectories of risk and resilience across development (e.g., transitions to adolescence, emerging adulthood, and parenthood)
College student mental health challenges (e.g., stress and coping, social support, emotion regulation, cognitive styles) and strengths
Gender-linked patterns of psychosocial well- versus ill-being (e.g., depression, anxiety, body image and eating disturbances)
Social media use as it relates to mental health, physical health, health behaviors, and academic outcomes

Intervention (Prevention and Promotion)

Testing the effectiveness of a mental health promotion course in improving psychosocial adjustment among first-year college students
Testing the effectiveness of a peer-led program to reduce mental illness stigma among college students who identify as struggling with mental illness
Reviewing existing research on mental health promotion and prevention programs for higher education students, using narrative and meta-analytic techniques
Evaluating the efficacy of a primary prevention program to prevent risky behaviors among college students
Examining the effectiveness of an online/mobile mindfulness app (Headspace), coupled with an online peer support group, in improving psychological well-being among college students who are depressed