Laura Yoviene Sykes, PhD
Assistant Professor of PsychiatryCards
Appointments
Additional Titles
Director, STEP Learning Collaborative
Contact Info
Appointments
Additional Titles
Director, STEP Learning Collaborative
Contact Info
Appointments
Additional Titles
Director, STEP Learning Collaborative
Contact Info
About
Titles
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Director, STEP Learning Collaborative
Biography
Laura Yoviene Sykes, a licensed clinical psychologist, earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, under the mentorship of Dr. Jean Rhodes. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Notre Dame, where she received the John F. Santos award for distinctive achievement in psychology. At Notre Dame she worked as a research assistant under Dr. Mark Cummings at the Family Studies Lab and under Dr. Lee Anna Clark at the Center for Advanced Measurement of Personality and Psychopathology; these experiences have guided her developmental approach to serious psychopathology.
Dr. Yoviene Sykes specializes in the treatment and assessment of young people who are experiencing clinical high-risk for psychosis or a first psychotic episode. She has had the privilege of training at the CEDAR Clinic, part of Massachusetts Mental Health Center, in which she was trained in evidence-based techniques for conducting comprehensive individual and family focused treatment, consultation, and cognitive testing. Consistent with her research on risk and resilience, these experiences have informed her understanding of factors contributing to psychosis risk, as well as the effectiveness and mechanisms through which various interventions shorten the duration of untreated psychosis and promote recovery.
Prior to joining the faculty at Yale, Dr. Yoviene Sykes completed her pre- and post-doctoral fellowships in the Yale Department of Psychiatry, specializing in the treatment of schizophrenia spectrum disorders, including specialized training in treating first episode psychosis at the STEP program.
Currently, Dr. Yoviene Sykes is the Director of the STEP Learning Collaborative, Connecticut’s statewide learning healthcare system (LHS) for individuals ages 16-35 experiencing recent-onset schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The purpose of STEP’s Learning Collaborative is for all persons with schizophrenia to live fulfilling lives. The STEP LC aims to do this by partnering with agencies across Connecticut to deliver a system of care that provides rapid access to high quality treatment. Activities of this collaborative include workforce development, stakeholder outreach, informatics, care model refinement, and building sustainable care models. Dr. Yoviene Sykes also serves as a staff psychologist and oversees the provision of family services for the Specialized Treatment Early in Psychosis (STEP) clinic at the Connecticut Mental Health Center (CMHC).
Appointments
Psychiatry
Assistant ProfessorPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- Postdoctoral Fellowship
- Yale School of Medicine
- PhD
- University of Massachusetts - Boston, Clinical Psychology
- Psychology Predoctoral Fellowship
- Yale School of Medicine
- MA
- University of Massachusetts - Boston, Clinical Psychology
- BA
- University of Notre Dame, Psychology
Research
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Publications Timeline
Vinod H. Srihari, MD
Albert Powers, MD, PhD
Allison Ponce, PhD
Cenk Tek, MD
Fangyong Li, MS, MPH
Hadar Hazan, PhD
Publications
Featured Publications
The effect of duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) on the risk for hospitalization after admission to a first episode service
Ferrara M, Guloksuz S, Hazan H, Li F, Tek C, Sykes L, Riley S, Keshavan M, Srihari V. The effect of duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) on the risk for hospitalization after admission to a first episode service. Schizophrenia Research 2023, 260: 198-204. PMID: 37688984, DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2023.08.005.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsFirst-episode psychosis servicesLength of stayUntreated psychosisPsychiatric hospitalizationFirst-episode servicesDuration of hospitalizationIncidence rate ratiosNon-affective psychosisNew Haven areaPoisson regression modelsPatient characteristicsHospitalization ratesRecent onsetMedical recordsHospitalizationEffect of durationNegative binomial regressionSpecialized treatmentPsychosisRate ratioBinomial regressionAdmissionDUPEnrollmentFirst yearFirst-episode psychosis and autism spectrum disorder: a scoping review and a guide to overcome diagnostic challenges
Ferrara, M, Curtarello, E., Simonelli, S., Yoviene Sykes, L.A., Fusar-Poli, L., Folesani, F., Belvederi, M. Murri, Eugenio Aguglia, E., Politi, P & Grassi, L (2023) First-episode psychosis and autism spectrum disorder: a scoping review and a guide to overcome diagnostic challenges, International Journal of Mental Health, DOI: 10.1080/00207411.2023.2276872Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchReducing the Duration of Untreated Psychosis (DUP) in a US Community: A Quasi-Experimental Trial
Srihari, V.H., Ferrara, M., Li, F., Kline, E., Gülöksüz, S., Pollard, J.M., Cahill, J.D., Mathis, W.S. Yoviene Sykes, L.A., Walsh, B.C., McDermott, G., Seidman, L.J., Gueorguieva, R., Woods, S.W., Tek, C, & Keshavan, M.S. Reducing the Duration of Untreated Psychosis (DUP) in a US Community: A Quasi-Experimental Trial, Schizophrenia Bulletin Open, Volume 3, Issue 1, January 2022, sgab057, https://doi.org/10.1093/schizbullopen/sgab057Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchTaking the next step: Improving care transitions from a first‐episode psychosis service
Gallagher, K, Ferrara, M, Pollard, J, Yoviene Sykes, L.A., Li, F., Imetovski, S., Cahill, J.D., Mathis, W., & Srihari, V.H. Taking the next step: Improving care transitions from a first‐episode psychosis service. Early Intervention in Psychiatry. 2021; 1– 6. https://doi.org/10.1111/eip.13127Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPredictive validity of conversion from the clinical high risk syndrome to frank psychosis
Yoviene Sykes LA, Ferrara M, Addington J, Bearden CE, Cadenhead KS, Cannon TD, Cornblatt BA, Perkins DO, Mathalon DH, Seidman LJ, Tsuang MT, Walker EF, McGlashan TH, Woodberry KA, Powers AR, Ponce AN, Cahill JD, Pollard JM, Srihari VH, Woods SW. Predictive validity of conversion from the clinical high risk syndrome to frank psychosis. Schizophrenia Research 2019, 216: 184-191. PMID: 31864837, PMCID: PMC7239715, DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.12.002.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsFrank psychosisFirst-episode psychosis patientsOne-yearNorth American Prodromal Longitudinal StudySeverity of illnessClinical high-risk syndromeCurrent antipsychotic medicationsHigh-risk syndromePsychosis risk syndromeClinical high riskPredictive validityFEP casesPrescription ratesAntipsychotic medicationPsychosis patientsRisk syndromePsychosis onsetHigh riskLittle investigative attentionDiagnostic stabilityCHR individualsPsychosis paradigmPsychosisLongitudinal studySyndromeAddressing concerns in psychology training: Consultation on trainee development
Ponce, A.N., Aosved, A.C., Yoviene Sykes, L. A, Davis III, C., & Teng, E.J. (2019). Addressing concerns in psychology training: Consultation on trainee development. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 13 (4), 247-253.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2021
Someone who ‘gets’ me: adolescents’ perceptions of positive regard from natural mentors
Ben-Eliyahu, A., Yoviene Sykes, L.A., & Rhodes, J.E. (2021). Someone who ‘gets’ me: adolescents’ perceptions of positive regard from natural mentors. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 29:3, 305-327. DOI: 10.1080/13611267.2021.1927438Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2019
The effects of youth mentoring programs: A meta-analysis of outcome studies
Raposa, E.B., Rhodes, J., Stams, G.J., Card, N., Burton, S., Schwartz, S., Yoviene Sykes, L. A., Kanchewa, S. S., Kuperschmidt, J. & Hussain, S. (2019). The effects of youth mentoring programs: A meta-analysis of outcome studies. Journal of Youth and Adolescence (48) 423-443.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2016
Corrective experiences in school-based mentoring: The mediating role of rejection sensitivity.
Kanchewa, S. S., Yoviene, L. A., Schwartz, S. E. O., Herrera, C., & Rhodes, J. E. (2016). Corrective experiences in school-based mentoring: The mediating role of rejection sensitivity. Youth & Society, 1-22.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
Academic Achievements and Community Involvement
activity American Psychological Association - Division 18: Psychologists in Public Service
Professional OrganizationsMemberDetails2019 - Presentactivity American Psychological Association - Task Force on Serious Mental Illness/Serious Emotional Disturbance (TF-SMI/SED)
Professional OrganizationsTask Force MemberDetails08/15/2021 - Presentactivity Connecticut Psychological Association Educational Foundation Board
Professional OrganizationsSecretaryDetails2020 - Presentactivity Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) Network
Professional OrganizationsMemberDetailsEarly Psychosis Working Group2021 - Presentactivity Connecticut Psychological Association
Professional OrganizationsMemberDetails2018 - Present
Links & Media
News
- July 03, 2024
James Named Director of Social Work for STEP Learning Collaborative
- March 27, 2024Source: WTNH News
Mindmap featured on WTNH
- February 13, 2024Source: WNPR
Mindmap 2.0 on Connecticut Public Radio
- February 13, 2024
Mindmap Launches Statewide Campaign to Support Early Detection of First-episode Psychosis in Teens and Young Adults