- Courses and Research Mentoring
2024-2025:
- Psychology 018. Well-Being (Fall 2024)
- Psychology 138C. Seminar in Clinical Psychology and Well-Being (Fall 2024)
- Psychology 109. Research Practicum in Social and Emotional Well-Being (Spring 2025)
- Student thesis supervision (PSYC 096/097, PSYC 180)
2025-2026:
- To be determined (I expect to be on sabbatical leave for at least part of the year)
- Student thesis supervision (PSYC 096/097, PSYC 180). I anticipate that I will have some capacity to supervise students on thesis projects, likely students who have previously worked in my lab (for example, through PSYC 109 in Spring 2025).
2026-2027:
- To be determined. Most likely to include: PSYC 018 Well-Being, PSYC 109 Research Practicum in Well-Being, PSYC 138C Seminar in Clinical Psychology and Well-Being, and an additional course (to be determined).
- Thesis supervision (PSYC 096/097, PSYC 180)
- Well-Being Lab: Information for current and prospective students
Research in the lab:
In the Well-Being Lab, we conduct research that aims to increase understanding of 1) the personal, interpersonal, and contextual factors that contribute to well-being and 2) the types of programs and interventions that increase well-being. Much of this research focuses on adolescents, young adults, and parents and caregivers.
Some of the current studies that students can assist with examine:
- College students' mental health and well-being. These studies examine personal, interpersonal, and contextual factors that may protect against common psychological difficulties such as depression and anxiety and promote well-being in young adults.
- Maternal wellness during pregnancy and postpartum. This research examines personal and interpersonal factors related to women’s well-being during the transition to motherhood.
- Brief well-being interventions. These studies focus on developing and examining the effects of brief interventions that aim to promote well-being.
Students who work in the lab frequently collaborate with me to develop and implement new projects.
Ways to get involved:
Swarthmore (and Tri-Co) students can get involved in research in several ways. During the academic year, students can get involved through:
- PSYC 109 Research Practicum in Well-Being
- Senior thesis work (PSYC 96/97 or PSYC 180)
- Volunteering
- And, occasionally, through paid Research Assistant positions. Paid positions are typically limited to students who have previously worked in the lab (e.g., through PSYC 109 or as volunteers).
Summer Research Opportunities
Some years, I also supervise students in the lab during the summer. Typically, summer research opportunities in the lab are only available to rising seniors who 1) have completed the recommended prerequisites (see below), 2) have previously worked in the lab (e.g., through PSYC 109), and 3) who also plan to complete their senior thesis work in the lab. Note that summer work in the lab is completely optional and not a requirement for a thesis.
Students who are interested in working in the lab during the summer should contact me by November of their junior year for more information about potential projects and the summer research application process.
Recommended Prerequisites:
The following courses provide important background for work in the lab and are normally prerequisites:
Next steps:
If you are interested in getting involved in the lab, please reach out to me at jgillha1 or sign up for a meeting with me through my appointment calendar.
- For former students, postbacs, postdoctoral fellows, and visiting scholars
I am developing a section of this page (and my lab page) that highlights former students, postbacs, postdoctoral fellows, and visiting scholars who have worked with me on research or applied work (including PSYC 090) at Swarthmore College or at the University of Pennsylvania (e.g., through the Penn Resiliency Project lab or the Master of Applied Positive Psychology program). Please send me an email message if you would like to be included in this listing. The listings will include your name, current affiliation and, if you would like, additional information such as a brief blurb about your current work, a photo, and a link to your professional website.
Whether or not you're interested in being listed, I would love to hear from you. Thank you!
Jane Gillham
Professor
Psychology
Contact
Links
Affiliations: Psychology, Well-Being Lab, Study On Learning, Working, & Living
Additional Affiliations: Swarthmore Coalition on Well-Being
Interests: Clinical psychology, especially child and adolescent clinical psychology; prevention and treatment of depression in adolescence; well-being and mental health on college campuses; social and emotional well-being; resilience; positive psychology and positive education; school- and community-based interventions.
My work aims to promote well-being in people, especially adolescents and young adults. Much of this work is at the intersection of clinical psychology, positive psychology, developmental psychology, education, and public health. It aims to understand the personal, interpersonal, and contextual factors that affect well-being and risk for common mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. Much of my research and applied work focuses on the development, implementation, and evaluation of school- and community-based intervention programs designed to promote psychological resilience and well-being, and prevent common mental health problems in young people.
I collaborate with educators, counselors, and clinicians at schools and other organizations that serve youth and with researchers at many other academic institutions. Together, we have developed several well-being programs and curricula, including the Penn Resiliency Program and Strengths-Based Resilience. We have conducted large-scale evaluations of these and other school and community well-being programs. Much of this work has been funded by the Institute of Education Sciences and the National Institute of Mental Health, and many of our research papers are available for free online through PubMed.gov.
I also serve as a scientific advisor for WorldBeing, a nonprofit organization that collaborates with community partners to develop, implement, and evaluate well-being programs for youth in under-resourced communities in low and middle income countries. Over the years, I have served on the editorial boards of several academic journals, including as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Positive Psychology from 2010-2020 and a member of the editorial board for Psychological Bulletin.
At Swarthmore, I teach courses on clinical psychology and well-being, including Psyc 018 Well-Being (which is open to all students and has no prerequisites). I developed PSYC 018 with the goal of increasing students' knowledge of the personal, interpersonal, and contextual factors that contribute to well-being and of the interventions, practices, policies, and everyday behaviors that can improve well-being. I hope that students who take this course will also leave it with increased knowledge and skills that facilitate their own well-being and their contributions to the well-being of others. I am a member of the Swarthmore Coalition on Well-being, a group of staff, students, and faculty who work together to promote well-being on campus.
I also mentor students who are interested in research and applied work in psychology and related fields. I frequently teach the clinical field placement course (Psyc 90), one of the longest running community-based learning courses at the College. I direct the Resilience and Well-Being Lab (aka Well-Being Lab) and supervise students who are conducting empirical research in the lab. Many of the students who work with me pursue graduate school and careers as researchers and practitioners in psychology and related fields.
Recent publications:
- Gillham, J.E., & Brunwasser, S.M. (2024). Psychological interventions to prevent depression: A cause for hope. Lancet Psychiatry, 11 (12), 947-948. DOI: 10.1016/S2215-0366(24)00364-X
- Young, J.F., Jones, J.D., Schwartz, K.T.G., So, A., Dysart, G.C., Kanine, R.M., Gillham, J.E., Gallop, R., & Davis, M. (in press, 2024). Telehealth-delivered depression prevention: Short-term outcomes from a school-based randomized controlled trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. DOI: 10.1037/ccp0000913
- Rashid, T, Gillham, J., & Anjum, A. (2024). Strengths-Based Resilience: A Practitioner's Manual for the SBR Program. Hogrefe publishing.
- Rashid, T., Gillham, J., Louden, R., & Anjum, A. (2024). Strengths-Based Resilience Workbook. Hogrefe publishing.
- Vélez, C.E., Hoang, K.N., Krause, E., & Gillham, J.E. (2024). The Rumination on Problems Questionnaire: Broadening our understanding of rumination and its links to depression, anxiety, and stress in young adults. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 46, 191–204. DOI: 10.1007/s10862-023-10103-2
- Métais, C, Burel, N, Gillham, JE, Tarquinio, C, & Martin-Krumm, C. (2022). Integrative review of the recent literature on human resilience: From concepts, theories, and discussions towards a complex understanding. European Journal of Psychology, 18, 98-119. DOI: 10.5964/ejop.2251. PMID: 35330859; PMCID: PMC8895705.
- Publications available through PubMed
Recent Presentations:
- Gillham, J., Murphy, C., Hackler, S., Eby, M., & Erley, A. (November 6, 2024). Course practices and policies that support student well-being: Preliminary findings from the SCW survey. Faculty lunch presentation, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA.
- Gillham, J.E. (November 1, 2024). School-based depression prevention and well-being promotion. Psychology Department Seminar Series. Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ.
- Gillham, J.E. (May 29, 2024). Discussant for Young, J.F. et al. symposium: Insights from two adolescent depression prevention trials: Moderators, caregiver-youth symptom coupling, and telehealth implementation. Society for Prevention Research, Washington DC.
- Gillham, J.E. (March 12, 2024). Strengths-Based Resilience. Depression on College Campuses Conference, University of Michigan. Ann Arbor, MI.
- Gillham, J.E. (March 1, 2024). Promoting students' resilience and strengths. Master of Applied Positive Psychology Program, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
