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Lab projects & products

Current projects

  • Project focused on developing adaptions for mindfulness-based programs to address cultural relevance and accessibility for young adults from under-represented racial/ethnic groups.
  • A project to examine the feasibility and preliminary effects of a trauma-sensitive yoga program for cardiac patients (cross-lab collaboration).
  • A study documenting college students’ needs, interests, and preferences for a trauma-sensitive yoga program on campus.
  • A study examining interoceptive awareness in relation to cumulative life stress and psychological disorders with somatic symptoms in college students. (Master’s thesis)
  • Examining loneliness and social anxiety in college students during the pandemic. (Senior honors thesis)
  • Examining relationships of individualism/collectivism with stress, depression, and anxiety symptoms in college students. (Senior honors thesis)

Recent projects

  • An annual online survey study of stress, coping, and mental health pre-pandemic to 2023 in college students.
  • A longitudinal study examining the psychometric properties of the Coping Flexibility Scale – Revised in a sample of U.S. university students. (Dissertation)
  • A study examining the feasibility of a virtual mindfulness-based intervention with students with mental and/or physical conditions. (Dissertation)
  • Feasibility of a universal prevention mindfulness-based intervention with university students.
  • Pilot of a brief self-compassion intervention for women who are overweight and have internalized weight stigma. (Master’s thesis, Dissertation)
  • An online survey study of risk and protective factors for pandemic-specific PTSD in college students. (Senior honors thesis)
  • Examining whether religious coping and support benefit those who are religious with regard to psychological symptoms. (Senior honors thesis)
  • A study examining psychological distress in women who experienced miscarriage during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Cross-lab collaboration)

Sample of recent manuscripts

  • Dolbier, C., Vanacore, S., Conder, L., & Guiler, W. (2023). A mixed-methods investigation of COVID-19 pandemic-specific stress in college students. Journal of American College Health, Sep 18, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2023.2253929
  • Byrd, R., Dolbier, C., Whited, M., & Carels, R. (accepted, August 2023). The role of weight stigma in healthcare avoidance and mistrust among pregnant women. Stigma & Health. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/sah0000481
  • Feiler, T., Vanacore, S., & Dolbier, C. (accepted, March 2023). Relationships among adverse childhood experiences, benevolent childhood experiences, emotion dysregulation, and mental health. Adversity and Resilience Science, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42844-023-00094-0
  • Sharp, M., Ward, L., Solar, C., Carels, R., Dolbier, C., Shea, C. (March 2023). Internalized weight bias, weight‐related experiences, and peripartum weight. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.13480
  • Conder, L., Vanacore, S., Simon, A., & Dolbier, C. (accepted, January 2023). COVID-19 appraisals and stressors among college students with and without disabilities. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability.
  • Feiler, T., Vanacore, S., & Dolbier, C. (2022). Posttraumatic stress disorder specific to the COVID-19 pandemic: Risk and protective factors among university students. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 28, 537-553. https://doi.org/10.1080/15325024.2022.2132670
  • Dolbier, C., Conder, L., Guiler, W., & Haley, E. (2022). A mindfulness-based intervention for university students: A feasibility study. Building Health Academic Communities, 6(1), 47-62. https://doi.org/10.18061/bhac.v6i1.8980
  • Haley, E. N., Dolbier, C. L., Carels, R. A., & Whited, M. C. (2022). A brief pilot self-compassion intervention for women with overweight/obesity and internalized weight bias: Feasibility, acceptability, and future directions. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 23, 59–63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2021.12.001
  • Sharp, M., Huber, N., Ward, L. G., & Dolbier, C. (2021). NICU-specific stress following traumatic childbirth and its relationship with posttraumatic stress. Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing, 35(1), 57–67. https://doi.org/10.1097/JPN.0000000000000543
  • Dolbier, C., Haley, E., Conder, L., & Guiler, W. (2021). Adverse childhood experiences and adult psychopathological symptoms: The moderating role of mindfulness. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 21, 73-79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2021.06.001

Sample of recent presentations

  • Vanacore, S., & Dolbier, C. (August, 2023). Exploratory factor analysis of the Coping Flexibility Scale – Revised in an U.S. university student sample. Poster presentation at the American Psychological Association conference in Washington, DC.
  • Conder, L., & Dolbier, C. (August, 2023). Virtual Mindfulness-Based Intervention for College Students with Health Conditions or Disabilities. Poster presentation at the American Psychological Association conference in Washington, DC.
  • Signorelli, J., & Dolbier, C. (April 2023). Prevalence and correlates of pandemic-specific stress-related growth. Oral presentation at the Carolinas Psychology Conference, Buie Creek, NC.
  • Benitez, I., Simon, A., & Dolbier, C. (April 2023). Cumulative life stress, interoception, and psychological disorders with somatic symptoms. Oral presentation at the Carolinas Psychology Conference, Buie Creek, NC.
  • Kinnaman, K., Vanacore, S., & Dolbier, C. (April 2023). Psychometric properties of the Coping Flexibility Scale-Revised. Oral presentation at the Carolinas Psychology Conference, Buie Creek, NC.
  • Edmondson, D., & Dolbier, C. (April 2023). Religious affiliation, coping, and support in relation to psychological symptoms. Oral presentation at the Carolinas Psychology Conference, Buie Creek, NC.
  • Conder, L., Vanacore, S., Simon, A., & Dolbier, C. (April, 2022). Differences in COVID-19 Appraisals & Stressors between College Students with Mental & Physical Disabilities. Poster presentation at the Society of Behavioral Medicine conference, Baltimore, MD.
  • Conder, L., Harrell, R., Haley, E., & Dolbier, C. (April, 2022). Risk Factors for Prenatal and Postpartum Depression. Poster presentation at the Society of Behavioral Medicine conference, Baltimore, MD.
  • Feiler, T., Vanacore, S., & Dolbier, C. (April, 2022). PTSD Specific to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Risk and Protective Factors Among University Students. Poster presentation at the Society of Behavioral Medicine conference, Baltimore, MD.
  • Walker, C., Conder, L., & Dolbier, C. (April 2022). A virtual mindfulness-based intervention for college students with health conditions or disabilities. Poster presentation at the Carolinas Psychology Conference, Buie Creek, NC.
  • Vanacore, S., & Dolbier, C. (November 2021). Positive Religious Coping in Relation to Pandemic-Specific PTSD Symptoms and Stress-Related Growth. Poster presentation at the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies virtual conference.
  • Vanacore, S., Conder, L., Guiler, W., & Dolbier, C. (August, 2021). Qualitative Investigation of College Student Stress and Coping During the Pandemic. Poster presentation at the American Psychological Association virtual conference.
  • Haley, E., & Dolbier, C. (April, 2021). Self-Compassion Intervention for Women with Overweight/Obesity and Internalized Weight Bias: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. Poster presentation at the Society of Behavioral Medicine virtual conference.
  • Conder, L., Vanacore, S., Guiler, W., & Dolbier, C. (April, 2021). Differences in Stress, Coping, and Mental Health in College Students Pre-Pandemic to During the Pandemic. Poster presentation at the Society of Behavioral Medicine virtual conference.
  • Tuchmeyer, J., & Dolbier, C. (January, 2021). Profiles of Risk: New Insights on First-Year Student Retention. Oral presentation at the virtual ECU Student Success Conference.

Sample of recent grants/research awards

  • Buford, A., Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Award, East Carolina University, “College student interest and preferences for a trauma-sensitive yoga program on campus,” spring 2024.
  • Simon, A., Graduate Student Research Funding, East Carolina University, “Barriers and motivators for participating in mindfulness-based interventions for emerging adults from underrepresented groups,” spring 2024.
  • Dietrich, K., Graduate Student Research Funding, East Carolina University, “TCTSY programs on campus: College student interest and preferences,” spring 2024.
  • Dolbier, C., Co-investigator, Research, Economic Development and Engagement, East Carolina University, “Chronic stress biomarkers and adverse childhood experiences, and psychological distress in predicting infertility and infertility treatment outcomes,” PI: Alison Swift, Co-Is: Madeline Fernandez, Melvin Swanson, East Carolina University, fall 2023 – present.
  • Dolbier, C., Co-investigator, Sigma Theta Tau Beta Nu Chapter Research Grant, “Psychological distress and management of women who experienced miscarriage during the COVID-19 pandemic,” PI: Madeline Fernandez, Co-Is: Alison Swift, Melvin Swanson, East Carolina University, July 2022 – July 2023.
  • Benitez, I., Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Award, East Carolina University, “Relationships among interoception, cumulative life stress, and psychopathological symptoms,” fall 2022.
  • Walker, C., Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Award, East Carolina University, “A Virtual Mindfulness-Based Intervention for College Students with Health Conditions or Disabilities,” spring 2022.
  • Buie, E., Undergraduate Research Mini Award, East Carolina University, “Self-Compassion Intervention for Women with Overweight/Obesity and Internalized Weight Bias: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial,” fall 2020.
  • Feiler, T., Undergraduate Research Mini Award, East Carolina University, “Risk and Protective Factors for Pandemic-Specific PTSD,” fall 2020.
  • Guiler, W., Undergraduate Research Award, Psi Chi, “Mindful Movement Intervention for Individuals with ADHD,” spring 2020.