Stephanie Craig

Background

Stephanie Craig is interested in the development and treatment of severe behavioural and emotional problems in children and youth. She is particularly interested in the development of callous-unemotional (CU) traits (i.e., lack of empathy, callousness) in children and youth.

Dr. Craig is working to understand the role of attachment and emotion regulation in the development of primary and secondary CU traits. She is currently working on two major projects with community agencies. One project is examining an emotion regulation-focused intervention (Stop Now and Plan), with a special interest in the effects of SNAP for children with CU traits.

The second is understanding youth attending a secure inpatient treatment, with a special interest in experiences of adverse childhood experiences. The ultimate goal of these line of research is to inform effective interventions for children and youth with serious mental and behavioural health problems.

More information can be found on the Supporting Youth Development Lab website.

Education

Dr. Craig completed her MA and PhD in Clinical Psychology with a child focus at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, BC. She completed her CPA internship at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. She then completed a CIHR funded post-doctoral fellowship at York University with Dr. Debra Pepler.

Research

Dr. Craig’s current research is focused on understanding the development and treatment of children and youth with serious behaviour and emotional problems. One line of her research examines emotion regulation as a potential mechanism underlying adolescents’ severe behaviour problems, including the development of callous-unemotional traits.

A second line of her research focuses on the effect of adverse childhood experiences, the parent-child relationship, and emotion regulation as potential underlying mechanisms in adolescents with serious mental health difficulties.

Dr. Craig aims to include both subjective (self report) and objective (physiological measurement, interviews) of emotion regulation into both of her lines of research. By understanding the underlying mechanisms of severe behaviour and emotional disorders, we are able to better target our interventions and create more effective treatment for children and youth.

Publications

* denotes a student under my supervision

Goulter, N., *Balanji, S., *Davis, B.A., *James, T, *McIntyre, C.L., *Smith, E., *Thornton, E.M., Craig, S.G., & Moretti, M.M. (2022) Psychometric Evaluation of the Affect Regulation Checklist: Clinical and Community Samples Assessed with Parent-Reports and Youth Self-Reports. Journal of Research on Adolescence. * Shared last authorship

Craig, S.G., Ames, M.E., *Bondi, B.C, & Pepler, D.J, (2022) Canadian Adolescents’ Mental Health and Substance Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Associations with COVID-19 Stressors. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/kprd9

Craig, S.G., Goulter, N., Andrade, B.A., & McMahon, R.J. (2021) Developmental precursors of primary and secondary callous unemotional traits in youth. Child Psychiatry and Human Development. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-021-01271-x

Craig, S.G., *Robillard, C.L., Turner, B.J., & Ames, M.E.. (2021). Examining the effects of family stress and maltreatment during COVID-19 on adolescent internalizing and externalizing symptoms: The role of affect dysregulation. Journal of Family Violence. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-021-00320-2

Craig, S.G., *Bondi, B.C., *Diplock, B.D. &, Pepler, D.J., (2021) Building Effective Research-Clinical Collaborations in Child, Youth, and Family Mental Health: A Developmental-Relational Model of Co-Creation. Journal of Therapeutic Schools and Programs, 13(1). doi:10.19157/JTSP.issue.13.01.06 https://natsap.org/Public/Research/Journal_Of_Therapeutic_Schools_and_Programs/Volumes/VOL13/Articles/Developmental-Relational-Model.aspx

Pasalich, D., Craig, S.G., Goulter, N., O’Donnell, K.A., Sierra Hernandez, C. & Moretti, M.M. (2021) Patterns and Predictors of Different Youth Responses to Attachment-Based Parent Intervention. Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 0(0), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2021.1923022

Craig, S.G., Sierra Hernandez, C., Pepler, D.J & Moretti, M.M., (2021) The role of affect dysregulation in the relationship between attachment and oppositional defiant disorder symptoms. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 52(5), 818–828. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-020-01059-5

Craig, S.G., Goulter, N., & Moretti, M.M. (2020) Understanding the different pathways to Callous Unemotional Traits: A Systematic Review of Primary and Secondary Variants in Youth. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 24(1), 65–91. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-020-00329-x

Craig, S.G., *Bondi, B.C., O’Donnell, K.A, Pepler, D.J., & Weiss, M.D., (2020) ADHD and Exposure to Maltreatment in Children and Youth: A Systematic Review of the Past 10 Years. Current Psychiatric Reports, 22(12), 79. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-020-01193-w

Craig, S.G., & Moretti, M.M. (2019) Profiles of Primary and Secondary Callous-Unemotional Features in Youth: The Role of Emotion Regulation. Development and Psychopathology, 31(4), 1489–1500. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579418001062

Weiss, M.D., McBride, N.M., Craig, S.G., & Jensen, P. (2018). Conceptual review of measuring functional impairment: Findings from the Weiss Functional Impairment Rating Scale. Evidence-Based Mental Health, 21(4), 155-164. https://doi.org/10.1136/ebmental-2018-300025

Craig, S.G., Davies, G., Schibuk, L., Weiss, M. D., & Hechtman, L. (2015) Long-Term Effects of Stimulant Treatment for ADHD: What Can We Tell Our Patients? Current Developmental Disorders Reports, 2(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40474-015-0039-5

Chapters and Policy Reports

Craig S.G., Ames M.E., *Urusov A., & *Baudin, C. for Big Brothers Big Sisters Canada. (April, 2021). Building Bigger Connections: Wave 1 Results. Toronto, Ontario. https://www.teensathomeduringcovid.com/research

Teaching

Psyc 6630 Developmental Psychology

Psyc 6000 Developmental Psychopathology

Psyc 2020 Abnormal Psychology

Psyc 4460 Advanced Topics in Clinical & Applied Developmental Psychology

Advising

BA psychology (except co-op) Fall 2025 drop-in hours are Tuesdays 11-12 PM in room 3004 of the Mackinnon Extension building.