Carla Stover, PhD
Research & Publications
Biography
News
Research Summary
My research interests are focused on the impact of violence and trauma (particularly family violence) on child development and the advancement of best practice interventions for children and families affected by such violence exposure. I am interested in the neurobiological and cognitive impact of violence exposure on children and adults and how that might translate into understanding best treatment approaches.
Extensive Research Description
I began my research career as a graduate student with the University of California San Francisco’s Child Trauma Research Project. This was a hospital-based program under the direction of Drs. Alicia Lieberman and Patricia Van Horn. I worked within their program for three years and was intimately involved in their NIMH funded research project studying the efficacy and manualization of Child-Parent Psychotherapy for young children exposed to violence. I interviewed mothers, conducted assessments with young children, coded video play sessions, and aided in data management. In addition to my research experience and work, I was trained and supervised in Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP). After working with this research team, I became interested in the relationships that children had with their previously violent fathers. I developed my own study, which became my doctoral dissertation, examining the behavioral, cognitive, and emotional implications of father visitation in domestic violence families. Results revealed that preschool aged children with little to no contact with their fathers had higher rates of internalizing symptoms regardless of the severity of violence perpetrated by the father toward the mother. In addition, children (especially boys) who had more contact with their fathers had fewer negative representations of their mothers in play. These data suggest that ending the violence and continuing contact with fathers when possible can yield better outcomes for children.
I came to the Yale Child Study Center to complete my internship and postdoctoral training. I remained on the faculty at Yale for 10 years conducting research related to interventions for children exposed to violence including development and efficacy testing of the Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention and the Domestic Violence Home Visit Intervention with Dr. Steven Marans.
I began my work on interventions for fathers with histories of intimate partner violence (IPV) through an award as an early investigator from the Annie E. Casey Foundation to begin development of an intervention for fathers with histories of IPV that would focus on their parenting. I received a K23 Career Award from the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) to develop an intervention for fathers with co-occurring substance abuse and IPV. With K23 support, I demonstrated the preliminary feasibility and efficacy of Fathers for Change to enable fathers to reduce both their substance use and their violent behavior. I then spent 4 years at the University of South Florida’s Department of Mental Health Law and Policy because of its focus on co-occurring disorders in legal systems. During that time I was awarded an R34 from NIDA to test Fathers for Change in residential substance abuse treatment programs. Upon return to the Yale Child Study Center in 2017, I began further evaluation research of Fathers for Change through a statewide dissemination evaluation and a clinical trial funded by NICHD. I also launched the Yale Early Stress and Adversity Consortium bringing together faculty from across Yale departments/schools and beyond to develop collaborative research and writing projects to advance understanding of the longitudinal impacts of early life adversity on later life outcomes.
Aside from my intervention research, I have authored dozens of articles in peer reviewed journals related to IPV and the impact on parenting, children and families. I have conducted trainings and presentations both nationally and internationally on working with fathers with histories of IPV. I provide ongoing consultation to the CT Department of Children and Families on working with IPV families involved with child welfare. Notably, I traveled to Oslo, Norway to present to clinicians from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands and Iceland on engagement and treatment approaches for fathers with IPV and substance misuse problems. I co-authored a home-based intervention approach for families with situational couple violence being piloted across the United Kingdom by the National Society for the Prevention of Child Cruelty entitled Steps to Safety.
Coauthors
Research Interests
Psychiatry and Psychology
Public Health Interests
Mental Health; Substance Use, Addiction; Child/Adolescent Health; Health Equity, Disparities, Social Determinants and Justice
Selected Publications
- Structured Trauma-Related Experiences and Symptoms Screener for Adults (STRESS-A): Validation in a child welfare sample of mothers and fathers with active domestic violence.McGuire A, Beebe R, Stover C, Clough M, DiVietro S, Grasso DJ. Structured Trauma-Related Experiences and Symptoms Screener for Adults (STRESS-A): Validation in a child welfare sample of mothers and fathers with active domestic violence. Psychological Trauma : Theory, Research, Practice And Policy 2021 PMID: 33705198, DOI: 10.1037/tra0001029.
- The prefrontal cortex in a pandemic: Restoring functions with system-, family-, and individual-focused interventions.Arnsten AFT, Condon EM, Dettmer AM, Gee DG, Lee KS, Mayes LC, Stover CS, Tseng WL. The prefrontal cortex in a pandemic: Restoring functions with system-, family-, and individual-focused interventions. The American Psychologist 2021, 76: 729-743. PMID: 33983754, PMCID: PMC8589866, DOI: 10.1037/amp0000823.
- Introduction to the Special Issue on the Intersection of Intimate Partner Violence and Child Maltreatment.Grasso DJ, Stover CS, Whitaker DJ. Introduction to the Special Issue on the Intersection of Intimate Partner Violence and Child Maltreatment. Child Maltreatment 2021, 26: 351-355. PMID: 34338044, DOI: 10.1177/10775595211036411.
- Evaluation of a statewide implementation of fathers for change: A fathering intervention for families impacted by partner violenceStover, C. S., Beebe, R., Clough, M., DiVietro, S., Madigan, L., & Grasso, D. J. (2020). Evaluation of a statewide implementation of fathers for change: A fathering intervention for families impacted by partner violence. Journal of Family Violence, 1-11.
- Correction: Expectant Mothers Maximizing Opportunities: Maternal Characteristics Moderate Multifactorial Prenatal Stress in the Prediction of Birth Weight in a Sample of Children Adopted at Birth.Brotnow L, Reiss D, Stover CS, Ganiban J, Leve LD, Neiderhiser JM, Shaw DS, Stevens HE. Correction: Expectant Mothers Maximizing Opportunities: Maternal Characteristics Moderate Multifactorial Prenatal Stress in the Prediction of Birth Weight in a Sample of Children Adopted at Birth. PloS One 2020, 15: e0230595. PMID: 32163515, PMCID: PMC7067406, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230595.
- Psychopathology in children exposed to trauma: detection and intervention needed to reduce downstream burden.Danese A, McLaughlin KA, Samara M, Stover CS. Psychopathology in children exposed to trauma: detection and intervention needed to reduce downstream burden. BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.) 2020, 371: m3073. PMID: 33214140, PMCID: PMC7673907, DOI: 10.1136/bmj.m3073.
- Commentary: COVID-19 and mental health equity in the United States.Condon EM, Dettmer AM, Gee DG, Hagan C, Lee KS, Mayes LC, Stover CS, Tseng WL. Commentary: COVID-19 and mental health equity in the United States. Frontiers In Sociology 2020, 5: 584390. PMID: 33869513, PMCID: PMC8022536, DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2020.584390.
- A randomized pilot trial of two parenting interventions for fathers in residential substance use disorder treatment.Stover CS, McMahon TJ, Moore K. A randomized pilot trial of two parenting interventions for fathers in residential substance use disorder treatment. Journal Of Substance Abuse Treatment 2019, 104: 116-127. PMID: 31370975, PMCID: PMC6699774, DOI: 10.1016/j.jsat.2019.07.003.
- Call for Papers: Prospectus for Special Issue of Child Maltreatment: "The Intersection of Intimate Partner Violence and Child Maltreatment".Grasso DJ, Stover C, Whitaker D. Call for Papers: Prospectus for Special Issue of Child Maltreatment: "The Intersection of Intimate Partner Violence and Child Maltreatment". Child Maltreatment 2019, 24: 469-470. PMID: 31646881, DOI: 10.1177/1077559519875252.
- Research domain criteria and the study of trauma in children: Implications for assessment and treatment research.Stover CS, Keeshin B. Research domain criteria and the study of trauma in children: Implications for assessment and treatment research. Clinical Psychology Review 2018, 64: 77-86. PMID: 27863803, PMCID: PMC5423862, DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2016.11.002.
- Where's Dad? The Importance of Integrating Fatherhood and Parenting Programming into Substance Use Treatment for Men.Stover CS, Carlson M, Patel S, Manalich R. Where's Dad? The Importance of Integrating Fatherhood and Parenting Programming into Substance Use Treatment for Men. Child Abuse Review (Chichester, England : 1992) 2018, 27: 280-300. PMID: 31608341, PMCID: PMC6788805, DOI: 10.1002/car.2528.
- The Moderating Role of Attachment on the Association between Childhood Maltreatment and Adolescent Dating Violence.Stover CS, Choi MJ, Mayes LC. The Moderating Role of Attachment on the Association between Childhood Maltreatment and Adolescent Dating Violence. Children And Youth Services Review 2018, 94: 679-688. PMID: 31680710, PMCID: PMC6824549, DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.09.011.
- Integrating intimate partner violence and parenting intervention into residential substance use disorder treatment for fathers.Stover CS, Carlson M, Patel S. Integrating intimate partner violence and parenting intervention into residential substance use disorder treatment for fathers. Journal Of Substance Abuse Treatment 2017, 81: 35-43. PMID: 28847453, DOI: 10.1016/j.jsat.2017.07.013.
- The Moderating Role of Attachment on the Relationship Between History of Trauma and Intimate Partner Violence Victimization.Smith LS, Stover CS. The Moderating Role of Attachment on the Relationship Between History of Trauma and Intimate Partner Violence Victimization. Violence Against Women 2016, 22: 745-64. PMID: 26508529, DOI: 10.1177/1077801215610863.
- The Relationship of Reflective Functioning to Parent Child Interactions in a Sample of Fathers With Concurrent Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration and Substance Abuse Problems.Stover CS, Coates EE. The Relationship of Reflective Functioning to Parent Child Interactions in a Sample of Fathers With Concurrent Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration and Substance Abuse Problems. Journal Of Family Violence 2016, 31: 433-442. PMID: 27158188, PMCID: PMC4856182, DOI: 10.1007/s10896-015-9775-x.
- Marital Hostility, Hostile Parenting, and Child Aggression: Associations from Toddlerhood to School Age.Stover CS, Zhou Y, Kiselica A, Leve LD, Neiderhiser JM, Shaw DS, Natsuaki MN, Scaramella LV, Reiss D. Marital Hostility, Hostile Parenting, and Child Aggression: Associations from Toddlerhood to School Age. Journal Of The American Academy Of Child And Adolescent Psychiatry 2016, 55: 235-42. PMID: 26903257, PMCID: PMC4764800, DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2015.12.008.
- Expectant Mothers Maximizing Opportunities: Maternal Characteristics Moderate Multifactorial Prenatal Stress in the Prediction of Birth Weight in a Sample of Children Adopted at Birth.Brotnow L, Reiss D, Stover CS, Ganiban J, Leve LD, Neiderhiser JM, Shaw DS, Stevens HE. Expectant Mothers Maximizing Opportunities: Maternal Characteristics Moderate Multifactorial Prenatal Stress in the Prediction of Birth Weight in a Sample of Children Adopted at Birth. PloS One 2015, 10: e0141881. PMID: 26544958, PMCID: PMC4636431, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141881.
- The Relationship between Genetic Attributions, Appraisals of Birth Mothers' Health, and the Parenting of Adoptive Mothers and Fathers.Stover CS, Zhou Y, Leve LD, Neiderhiser JM, Shaw DS, Reiss D. The Relationship between Genetic Attributions, Appraisals of Birth Mothers' Health, and the Parenting of Adoptive Mothers and Fathers. Journal Of Applied Developmental Psychology 2015, 41: 19-27. PMID: 26316660, PMCID: PMC4547608, DOI: 10.1016/j.appdev.2015.06.003.
- Fathers for Change for Substance Use and Intimate Partner Violence: Initial Community Pilot.Stover CS. Fathers for Change for Substance Use and Intimate Partner Violence: Initial Community Pilot. Family Process 2015, 54: 600-9. PMID: 25683252, PMCID: PMC4534360, DOI: 10.1111/famp.12136.
- Hostility and substance use in relation to intimate partner violence and parenting among fathers.Stover CS, Kiselica A. Hostility and substance use in relation to intimate partner violence and parenting among fathers. Aggressive Behavior 2015, 41: 205-13. PMID: 25043704, PMCID: PMC4710568, DOI: 10.1002/ab.21548.
- Training and Certification for Domestic Violence Service Providers: The Need for a National Standard Curriculum and Training Approach.Stover CS, Lent K. Training and Certification for Domestic Violence Service Providers: The Need for a National Standard Curriculum and Training Approach. Psychology Of Violence 2014, 4: 117-127. PMID: 25405068, PMCID: PMC4231530, DOI: 10.1037/a0036022.
- Effects of the child-perpetrator relationship on mental health outcomes of child abuse: it's (not) all relative.Kiser LJ, Stover CS, Navalta CP, Dorado J, Vogel JM, Abdul-Adil JK, Kim S, Lee RC, Vivrette R, Briggs EC. Effects of the child-perpetrator relationship on mental health outcomes of child abuse: it's (not) all relative. Child Abuse & Neglect 2014, 38: 1083-93. PMID: 24661693, DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2014.02.017.
- An initial examination of the association of reflective functioning to parenting of fathers.Stover CS, Kiselica A. An initial examination of the association of reflective functioning to parenting of fathers. Infant Mental Health Journal 2014, 35: 452-61. PMID: 25798495, PMCID: PMC4710356, DOI: 10.1002/imhj.21459.
- Commentary: Factors predicting family court decisions in high-conflict divorce.Stover CS. Commentary: Factors predicting family court decisions in high-conflict divorce. The Journal Of The American Academy Of Psychiatry And The Law 2013, 41: 219-23. PMID: 23771935.
- Identifying youth at risk for difficulties following a traumatic event: pre-event factors are associated with acute symptomatology.Goslin MC, Stover CS, Berkowitz S, Marans S. Identifying youth at risk for difficulties following a traumatic event: pre-event factors are associated with acute symptomatology. Journal Of Traumatic Stress 2013, 26: 475-82. PMID: 23861167, DOI: 10.1002/jts.21825.
- Fatherhood and Intimate Partner Violence: Bringing the Parenting Role into Intervention Strategies.Stover CS, Morgos D. Fatherhood and Intimate Partner Violence: Bringing the Parenting Role into Intervention Strategies. Professional Psychology, Research And Practice 2013, 44: 247-256. PMID: 23956491, PMCID: PMC3742340, DOI: 10.1037/a0031837.
- Parenting of men with co-occurring intimate partner violence and substance abuse.Stover CS, Easton CJ, McMahon TJ. Parenting of men with co-occurring intimate partner violence and substance abuse. Journal Of Interpersonal Violence 2013, 28: 2290-314. PMID: 23422845, PMCID: PMC3691327, DOI: 10.1177/0886260512475312.
- Fathers for change: a new approach to working with fathers who perpetrate intimate partner violence.Stover CS. Fathers for change: a new approach to working with fathers who perpetrate intimate partner violence. The Journal Of The American Academy Of Psychiatry And The Law 2013, 41: 65-71. PMID: 23503178, PMCID: PMC3641144.
- Caregiver and youth agreement regarding youths' trauma histories: implications for youths' functioning after exposure to trauma.Oransky M, Hahn H, Stover CS. Caregiver and youth agreement regarding youths' trauma histories: implications for youths' functioning after exposure to trauma. Journal Of Youth And Adolescence 2013, 42: 1528-42. PMID: 23580028, DOI: 10.1007/s10964-013-9947-z.
- Affective Awareness in Parenting of Fathers with Co-Occurring Substance Abuse and Intimate Partner Violence.Stover CS, Spink A. Affective Awareness in Parenting of Fathers with Co-Occurring Substance Abuse and Intimate Partner Violence. Advances In Dual Diagnosis 2012, 5: 74-85. PMID: 23710257, PMCID: PMC3660961, DOI: 10.1108/17570971211241903.
- Fathering and mothering in the family system: linking marital hostility and aggression in adopted toddlers.Stover CS, Connell CM, Leve LD, Neiderhiser JM, Shaw DS, Scaramella LV, Conger R, Reiss D. Fathering and mothering in the family system: linking marital hostility and aggression in adopted toddlers. Journal Of Child Psychology And Psychiatry, And Allied Disciplines 2012, 53: 401-9. PMID: 22191546, PMCID: PMC3279589, DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2011.02510.x.
- Depression as a mediator of the association between substance abuse and negative parenting of fathers.Stover CS, Urdahl A, Easton C. Depression as a mediator of the association between substance abuse and negative parenting of fathers. The American Journal Of Drug And Alcohol Abuse 2012, 38: 344-9. PMID: 22243417, PMCID: PMC3640321, DOI: 10.3109/00952990.2011.649221.
- Fathers entering substance abuse treatment: An examination of substance abuse, trauma symptoms and parenting behaviors.Stover CS, Hall C, McMahon TJ, Easton CJ. Fathers entering substance abuse treatment: An examination of substance abuse, trauma symptoms and parenting behaviors. Journal Of Substance Abuse Treatment 2012, 43: 335-43. PMID: 22305235, PMCID: PMC3346880, DOI: 10.1016/j.jsat.2011.12.012.
- The impact of fatherhood on treatment response for men with co-occurring alcohol dependence and intimate partner violence.Smith Stover C, McMahon TJ, Easton C. The impact of fatherhood on treatment response for men with co-occurring alcohol dependence and intimate partner violence. The American Journal Of Drug And Alcohol Abuse 2011, 37: 74-8. PMID: 21090960, PMCID: PMC3093046, DOI: 10.3109/00952990.2010.535585.
- The Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention: secondary prevention for youth at risk of developing PTSD.Berkowitz SJ, Stover CS, Marans SR. The Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention: secondary prevention for youth at risk of developing PTSD. Journal Of Child Psychology And Psychiatry, And Allied Disciplines 2011, 52: 676-85. PMID: 20868370, PMCID: PMC3096712, DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2010.02321.x.
- Parenting behaviors and posttraumatic symptoms in relation to children's symptomatology following a traumatic event.Valentino K, Berkowitz S, Stover CS. Parenting behaviors and posttraumatic symptoms in relation to children's symptomatology following a traumatic event. Journal Of Traumatic Stress 2010, 23: 403-7. PMID: 20564374, PMCID: PMC3083926, DOI: 10.1002/jts.20525.
- Agreement of Parent and Child Reports of Trauma Exposure and Symptoms in the Peritraumatic Period.Stover CS, Hahn H, Im JJ, Berkowitz S. Agreement of Parent and Child Reports of Trauma Exposure and Symptoms in the Peritraumatic Period. Psychological Trauma : Theory, Research, Practice And Policy 2010, 2: 159-168a. PMID: 21572906, PMCID: PMC3093053, DOI: 10.1037/a0019156.
- The efficacy of a police-advocacy intervention for victims of domestic violence: 12 month follow-up data.Stover CS, Berkman M, Desai R, Marans S. The efficacy of a police-advocacy intervention for victims of domestic violence: 12 month follow-up data. Violence Against Women 2010, 16: 410-25. PMID: 20224112, DOI: 10.1177/1077801210364046.
- The domestic violence home-visit intervention: impact on police-reported incidents of repeat violence over 12 months.Stover CS, Poole G, Marans S. The domestic violence home-visit intervention: impact on police-reported incidents of repeat violence over 12 months. Violence And Victims 2009, 24: 591-606. PMID: 19852401, DOI: 10.1891/0886-6708.24.5.591.
- Research review: The relationship between childhood violence exposure and juvenile antisocial behavior: a meta-analytic review.Wilson HW, Stover CS, Berkowitz SJ. Research review: The relationship between childhood violence exposure and juvenile antisocial behavior: a meta-analytic review. Journal Of Child Psychology And Psychiatry, And Allied Disciplines 2009, 50: 769-79. PMID: 19017367, DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2008.01974.x.
- Intimate partner violence: the role of the relationship between perpetrators and children who witness violence.Israel E, Stover C. Intimate partner violence: the role of the relationship between perpetrators and children who witness violence. Journal Of Interpersonal Violence 2009, 24: 1755-64. PMID: 19401601, DOI: 10.1177/0886260509334044.
- Factors associated with engagement in a police-advocacy home-visit intervention to prevent domestic violence.Stover CS, Rainey AM, Berkman M, Marans S. Factors associated with engagement in a police-advocacy home-visit intervention to prevent domestic violence. Violence Against Women 2008, 14: 1430-50. PMID: 18952982, DOI: 10.1177/1077801208327019.
- Assessing violence exposure and trauma symptoms in young children: a critical review of measures.Stover CS, Berkowitz S. Assessing violence exposure and trauma symptoms in young children: a critical review of measures. Journal Of Traumatic Stress 2005, 18: 707-17. PMID: 16382437, DOI: 10.1002/jts.20079.
- Domestic violence research: what have we learned and where do we go from here?Stover CS. Domestic violence research: what have we learned and where do we go from here? Journal Of Interpersonal Violence 2005, 20: 448-54. PMID: 15722500, DOI: 10.1177/0886260504267755.
- The effects of father visitation on preschool-aged witnesses of domestic violence.Stover CS, Van Horn P, Turner R, Cooper B, Lieberman AF. The effects of father visitation on preschool-aged witnesses of domestic violence. Journal Of Interpersonal Violence 2003, 18: 1149-66. PMID: 19771714, DOI: 10.1177/0886260503255553.
- Early life adversity and males: Biology, behavior, and implications for fathers' parenting.Condon EM, Dettmer A, Baker E, McFaul C, Stover CS. Early life adversity and males: Biology, behavior, and implications for fathers' parenting. Neuroscience And Biobehavioral Reviews 2022, 135: 104531. PMID: 35063493, DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104531.
- A culturally grounded prenatal coparenting intervention: Results of a randomized controlled trial with unmarried Black parents.McHale JP, Stover CS, Dubé C, Sirotkin YS, Lewis S, McKay K. A culturally grounded prenatal coparenting intervention: Results of a randomized controlled trial with unmarried Black parents. Journal Of Family Psychology : JFP : Journal Of The Division Of Family Psychology Of The American Psychological Association (Division 43) 2022 PMID: 35084880, DOI: 10.1037/fam0000965.
Clinical Trials
Conditions | Study Title |
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Child Development & Autism; Children's Health; Mental Health & Behavioral Research | Comparing F4C to Batterer Intervention |