Lehrstuhlinhaberin

Prof. Dr. Heather Foran

Raum: I.2.28
Telefon: +43 463 2700 1641
Email: heather.foran [@] aau.at
Sprechstunde: Voranmeldung bei Frau Krische: iris.krische@aau.at

 

Heather Foran on Researchgate
Heather Foran on Google Scholar

 

Biographie

Heather Foran is an American Clinical Psychologist who completed her doctorate at Stony Brook University in 2009 and requirements for licensure as a psychologist in 2010. She is currently licensed to practice in both the United States (PP/KJP) and Germany (als PP) . Dr. Foran completed her Habilitation in Psychology at the University of Braunschweig in 2013. She is currently principal investigator of a research grant funded through the German Research Foundation (DFG) that examines the links between family functioning and psychopathology in three longitudinal samples of German and American families. Her primary research interests revolve around understanding the implications of couple and parent-child relationships for the treatment and prevention of common mental health disorders and chronic illnesses. Much of her recent work has focused on assessment, surveillance, and models of risk and protection of partner and child abuse and she has been heavily involved with an international working group to improve the assessment of relational problems in the ICD-11 and DSM-V.

Education and Training

Habilitation in Psychology, 2013
Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany
(Mentor: Prof. Dr. Kurt Hahlweg)

Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, 2009
Stony Brook University, New York, USA
(Mentor: Distinguished Prof. Dr. Daniel K. O Leary)

Licensed Psychologist, U.S., New York, since 2010
Approbierte Psychologische Psychotherapeutin (VT) Germany, since 2015

Forschungsschwerpunkte

Our main research interest is in understanding causal links between family psychopathology and health, including mental and physical health. We take a public health approach to our work and are very interested in evaluation and dissemination of interventions targeting family risk factors (e.g., dysfunctional parenting, intimate partner violence, and intimate relationship discord) as a way to improve mental and physical health outcomes in families and reduce health care costs. In addition, we are interested in bridging the gap between family and health psychology by testing biopsychosocial models of inflammatory diseases and depression with an emphasis on understanding the role of interpersonal dysfunction in disease progression. We are also interested in models of integrated health care and improving detection of and referral for family problems across health care settings (e.g., primary care, pediatric settings).

Publikationen

2017

  • Foran, H. M., Beach, S. R. H., Slep, A. M. S., Heyman, R. E., & Wamboldt, M. Z., Kaslow, N., & Reiss, D., Eds. (2013). Family violence and family problems: Reliable assessment and the ICD-11. New York: Springer Publishing.
  • Cano, A., Gillis, M., Geisser, M., Heinz, W. & Foran, H. M. (2004). Marital functioning and psychological distress in chronic pain patients.  Pain, 107, 99-106.
  • Foran, H. M. (2013). Key public health considerations in revising the DSM-V and ICD-11. Book review of Public Health Aspects of Diagnosis and Classification of Mental and Behavioral Disorders: Refining the Research Agenda for the DSM-V and ICD-11, edited by S. Saxena, P. Esparza, D. A. Regier, B. Saraceno, & N. Sartorius. Psychcritiques, 58, doi: 10.1037/a0031161.
  • Foran, H. M. & Phelps, R. (2013). Psychological, physical, and economic impacts of intimate partner violence. In H. M. Foran, S. R. H. Beach, A. M. S. Slep, R. E. Heyman, M. Z. Wamboldt, N. Kaslow, & D. Reiss (Eds.), Family violence and family problems: Reliable assessment and the ICD-11. New York: Springer Publishing.
  • Kliem, S., Foran, H. M., & Hahlweg, K. (2014). Familienstatus, mütterliche Belastung, dysfunktionales Erziehungsverhalten und kindliche Auffälligkeiten: Ergebnisse einer multiplen Mediatorenanalyse. [Family status, maternal stress, dysfunctional parenting behavior and infant abnormalities]. Kindheit und Entwicklung, 23, 113 -123.

 

2016

  • Foran, H. M., Heyman, R. E., Slep, A. M. S., & U.S. Air Force Family Advocacy Program. (2014). Emotional intimate partner violence and its unique ecological correlates. Psychology of Violence, 4, 128-142. 
  • Heyman, R. E., Slep, A. M. S., & Foran, H. M. (2015). Enhanced definitions of intimate partner violence for DSM-5 and ICD-11 may promote improved screening and treatment. Family Process (Special Issue), 54, 17-32.
  • Slep, A. M. S., Heyman, R. E., & Foran, H. M. (2015). Child maltreatment: Definitions of relational processes in DSM-V and ICD-11. Family Process (Special Issue), 54, 17-32.
  • Cohen, S., O’Leary, K. D., & Foran, H. M. (2010) A randomized clinical trial of a brief, problem-focused couple therapy for depression. Behavior Therapy, 41, 433 – 446. doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2009.111.004.
  •  Slep, A. M. S., Foran, H. M., Heyman, R. E, & Snarr, J. D. (2010).  Unique risk and protective factors for partner aggression in a large scale Air Force survey. Journal of Community Health, 35, 375 – 383. doi: 10.1007.s10900-010-9264-3.
  • Beach S. R. H., Kaslow N. J., Foran, H. M. Heyman R. E., Garcia-Moreno C. (2013). Future directions for science and public health. In H. M. Foran, S. R. H. Beach, A. M. S. Slep, R. E. Heyman, M. Z. Wamboldt (Eds.). Family violence and family problems: Reliable assessment and the ICD-11. New York: Springer Publishing.
  • Slep, A. M. S., Heyman, R. E., Snarr, J. D. & Foran, H. M., (2013). Practical tools for assessing child maltreatment in clinical practice and public health settings. In H. M. Foran, S. R. H. Beach, A. M. S. Slep, R. E. Heyman, M. Z. Wamboldt, N. Kaslow, & D. Reiss (Eds.). Family violence and family problems: Reliable assessment and the ICD-11. New York: Springer Publishing.

 

2015

  • Foran, H. M., O’Leary, K.D., & Williams, M. C. (2012). Emotional abilities in couples: A construct validation study. American Journal of Family Therapy, 40, 189-207.
  • Foran, H. M., Adler, A. B., McGurk, D., & Bliese, P. (2012). Soldiers’ perceptions of resilience training and post-deployment adjustment: The importance of both resilience training content and training process. Psychological Services, 9, 390-403. doi: 10.1037/a0028178.
  • Wood, M. D., Foran, H. M., Britt, T. W., & Wright, K. M. (2012). The impact of benefit finding and leadership on combat-related PTSD symptoms. Military Psychology, 24, 6, 529-541. doi: 10.1080/08995605.2012.736321
Unit of Health Psychology University of Klagenfurt