Disclaimer: Please note that while I am both a therapist and a research coordinator, these roles remain entirely separate and within their respective scopes of practice. I do not offer therapy to research participants nor do I engage clients in any form of research. The information regarding my research work showcased on this website serves the sole purpose of providing prospective clients with a comprehensive understanding of my professional activities and expertise. It is not intended to solicit or involve clients in research studies. Should you have any questions or require clarification regarding this distinction between therapy and research activities, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.
My projects
Adjusting to Loss: How Beliefs About the Helpfulness of Others for Emotion Regulation Shape Grief Responses
First Author: Lily Merritt, B.A.
Co-Authors: Eva-Maria Stelzer, Ph.D., Mary-Frances O'Connor, Ph.D.
First Author: Lily Merritt, B.A.
Co-Authors: Eva-Maria Stelzer, Ph.D., Mary-Frances O'Connor, Ph.D.
Bereaved people experience a myriad of intense emotions while grieving; given this fact, it is essential that researchers understand the connection between social support and emotion regulation in this population. The present study (N = 156, 85.9% female) explored whether beliefs about the helpfulness of others for emotion regulation impacted psychological health outcomes in recent widows and widowers. Participants completed a two-week long daily diary, during which they reported their mental well-being, grief, and any emotion regulation strategies they received from both their network members and their deceased partner. Analyses found negative associations between beliefs about the helpfulness of others for interpersonal emotion regulation and depression and grief symptoms. The findings of this research have implications for the use of emotion suppression as a mediator in associations between emotion regulation beliefs and psychological outcomes.
Grief and loss during the COVID-19 pandemic: Exploring perceived physical health as a predictor for rumination
First Author: Lily Merritt, B.A.
Co-Authors: Sydney Friedman, B.S., Morgann West, Mary-Frances O'Connor, Ph.D.
Grief and loss during the COVID-19 pandemic: Exploring perceived physical health as a predictor for rumination
First Author: Lily Merritt, B.A.
Co-Authors: Sydney Friedman, B.S., Morgann West, Mary-Frances O'Connor, Ph.D.
Ruminative thought predicts complicated grief and hinders the adjustment to loss by acting as a cognitive avoidance strategy. Not only is the process linked to psychological issues, rumination is also associated with negative health consequences, such as poor sleep quality, impaired immune functioning, and cardiovascular disease. Self-reported physical health has been shown to be indicative of documented physical health. Arizonans who experienced the death of a partner, child, sibling, parent, grandparent, other family member, non-biological family, or close friend in the past year were recruited for a semi-structured phone interview, during which they reported their grief severity, depressive symptoms, grief-specific rumination, and perceived physical health. In the present study (N = 51), we tested whether perceived physical health acts as a predictor for grief-specific rumination in bereaved individuals who experienced the death of a loved one during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analyses showed that self-reported physical health predicted grief rumination outcomes (F = 4.0, p = 0.005). Notably, self-reported physical health also predicted grief severity (F = 4.0, p < 0.005) and depression (F = 5.2, p < 0.001). These results are consistent with previous findings that engagement in ruminative thought is associated with poorer health. Using self-report measures to assess physical health may offer accessible insights related to psychological health outcomes, especially in a time of social distancing.