Great post by one of our own FSPA Psychology Students!

By: Robert Avsec, FSPA Operations Chief

This from over on LinkedIn from one of our own, Erin (Murphy) Yarborough.

During my last year at Western Washington University, I worked as a research assistant in two studies:

A qualitative study that examined how socializing agents (friends, family, community) help young people connect their experiences with systemic inequality to their mental health story.

And a quantitative study that investigated the impact meditation has on the perception of visual illusions. Through this research, I had the opportunity to present posters at three conferences:

• The American Psychological Association (APA)
• The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI)
• The Western Psychological Association (WPA). It was also through the qualitative study that I participated in a symposium at Western’s annual psychology event.

In addition to presenting research, I attended other presentations to learn what research was being done in my areas of interest:

• First responder mental health
• Burnout
• Moral injury
• PTSD
• Population-specific interventions

As I research potential mentors and work on graduate school applications, I welcome opportunities to connect with professionals in this field.

About

An introduction to the fire service as a volunteer firefighter provided Erin with an awareness of the specific tolls first responders pay in terms of their mental health, as well as the need for more evidence-based research to support mental health initiatives.

In addition to this experience, she’s had the opportunity to work abroad in support of community-based social programs that address the mental health needs of diverse populations. Western University also enabled them to work in research labs focused on both master’s and PhD-level research in perception and mental health. This combination of experiences has motivated Erin to pursue a graduate program where she can continue contributing to research that examines and addresses the needs of first responders and similar populations.