Mississippi State University, Department of Psychology
What We Study
Our flagship line of research examines how nightmares and insomnia elevate suicide risk, the mechanisms that explain this connection, and how treating sleep disorders can reduce suicidality. We have studied this relation in college students, outpatient and inpatient psychiatric patients, veterans, and older adults.
We study the prevalence, correlates, and consequences of chronic nightmares. A central focus is Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT), an evidence-based, brief treatment for nightmares, including its application in underserved and high-risk populations. Dr. Nadorff's 2025 book, The Nightmare and Sleep Disorder Toolkit, extends this work for public use.
Sleep changes meaningfully across the lifespan. We study how sleep problems in older adults relate to depression, anxiety, cognitive functioning, and suicide risk. We have conducted research in primary care, long-term care, and community samples, often in collaboration with geriatric medicine colleagues.
Beyond laboratory research, our lab has led and evaluated large-scale suicide prevention initiatives. These include campus gatekeeper training programs, community mental health awareness campaigns, and multi-year SAMHSA-funded prevention grants. We are particularly interested in how to build sustainable, community-embedded prevention infrastructure.
As a member of the International COVID Sleep Study (ICOSS) consortium, we have collaborated on multinational research examining how major life disruptions, including the pandemic, affect sleep across countries and cultures. Our work contributes to a growing understanding of global sleep health.
We are deeply committed to addressing the mental health needs of rural communities, which are too often underserved and under-resourced. Using an implementation science approach, our work focuses on extending the reach of evidence-based treatments to rural settings where access to care is limited. We are interested in understanding the barriers and facilitators to treatment adoption and sustainability in these communities, with the ultimate goal of reducing mental health disparities across Mississippi and the broader rural South.
External Funding
Note: Selected grants shown. Additional NIH R15 awards, internal grants, and co-investigator roles not listed above.
Partnerships
Our lab maintains active collaborations with researchers at institutions across the U.S. and internationally, including Baylor College of Medicine, West Virginia University, the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and multiple international partners through the ICOSS consortium. We also serve on data and safety monitoring boards (DSMBs) for NIH-funded clinical trials.