Kerth O'Brien
- SPN Mentor
Kerth O'Brien studies discrimination as a social stressor, especially in the context of healthcare. Current research projects address perceived discrimination in healthcare and the relationship of ethnic density to provider viewpoints on care. Kerth's research is characterized by a collaborative approach with community partners, and she often puts survey research and/or focus group methods to good use. Her work employs a slightly wider conceptual lens than does the work of many social psychologists, still psychological while drawing from sociology as well. Kerth is past chair of the Diversity Committee of the Department of Psychology at Portland State University. The department has a strong doctoral program in Applied Psychology and Kerth hopes to admit 1-2 new graduate students in Fall, 2020. Potentially interested applicants are warmly invited to take a look at some of her publications and then email her.
Primary Interests:
- Applied Social Psychology
- Culture and Ethnicity
- Gender Psychology
- Health Psychology
- Life Satisfaction, Well-Being
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Video Gallery
"The Impact of SPSSI" Interview
Journal Articles:
- Cottrell, E. K., O'Brien, K., Curry, M., Meckler, G. D., Engle, P. P., Jui, J., Summers, C., Lambert, W., & Guise, J. M. (2014). Understanding safety in prehospital emergency medical services for children. Prehospital Emergency Care, 18(3), 350-358.
- Cuevas, A.G., O'Brien, K., & Saha, S. (manuscript accepted for publication). Can patient-centered communication reduce the effects of medical mistrust on patients’ decision-making? Health Psychology.
- Cuevas, A.G., O’Brien, K., & Saha, S. (2016). African American experiences in healthcare: "I always feel like I'm getting skipped over." Health Psychology, 35(9), 987-995. doi:10.1037/hea0000368
- Cuevas, A.G., O’Brien, K., & Saha, S. What is the key to culturally competent care: Reducing bias or cultural tailoring? Psychology & Health, 32(4), 493-507. doi:10.1080/08870446.2017.1284221
- Hansen, M., O'Brien, K., Meckler, G., Cauce, A.M., & Guise, J-M. (2016). Understanding the value of mixed methods research: The Children’s Safety Initiative-Emergency Medical Services (CSI-EMS). Emergency Medicine Journal, 33, 489-494. doi:10.1136/emermed-2015-205277
- O'Brien, K. (1993). Using focus groups to develop health surveys: An example from research on social relationships and AIDS-preventive behavior. Health Education Quarterly, 20(3), 361-370.
- O'Brien, K., Wortman, C. B., Kessler, R. C., & Joseph, J. G. (1993). Social relationships of men at risk for AIDS. Social Science and Medicine, 36(9), 1161-1167.
- Van Beneden, C. A., Modesitt, S., O'Brien, K., Yusem, S., Rose, A., & Fleming, D. (2002). Sex at an urban bathhouse 15 years into the AIDS epidemic. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 30(5), 522-526.
- Weir, B. W., Bard, R. S., O'Brien, K., Casciato, C. J., & Stark, M. J. (2008). Violence against women with HIV risk and recent criminal justice system involvement: Prevalence, correlates and recommendations for intervention. Violence against Women, 14(8), 944-960.
- Weir, B. W., O'Brien, K., Bard, R. S., Casciato, C. J., Maher, J. E., Dent, C. W., Dougherty, J. A., & Stark, M. J. (2009). Reducing HIV and partner violence risk among women with criminal justice system involvement: A randomized controlled trial of two Motivational Interviewing-based interventions. AIDS & Behavior, 13(3), 509-522.
Courses Taught:
- (Graduate) Adult Socialization [roles, norms and identities]
- (Graduate) Advanced Applied Social Psychology
- (Graduate) Social Psychology and Mental Health
- (Graduate) Ethics in Psychological Research & Practice
- (Graduate) Survey Research Methods
- Focus Group Research Methods
- Health Psychology
- Psychology of Women
- Social Psychology
Kerth O'Brien
Department of Psychology
Portland State University
P.O. Box 751
Portland, Oregon 97207-0751
United States of America
- Phone: (503) 725-3973