
Deanna Linville
Biography
Deanna Linville is a Research Associate Professor at the Center for Equity Promotion, a research center within the College of Education. She is a licensed marriage and family therapist as well as a clinical member and approved supervisor with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). Linville's research interests include reducing health disparities and barriers to mental healthcare access, family health promotion and eating disorder prevention and treatment interventions.
Linville received specialized training in medical family therapy (collaborative family healthcare) through her doctoral fellowship at University of Chicago-Chicago Center for Family Health. During this fellowship, Linville worked at three medical sites: MacNeal Family Practice Center, Gilda's Club, and the Chicago Center for Family Health and provided therapy for individuals, couples, families, and groups dealing with acute and chronic illness, disabilities, and loss. This training background still influences her current intervention research, clinical supervision and pedagogy.
Linville has worked as a mental health and relational psychotherapist for the last two decades, often providing her clinical and consultation services for families navigating the challenges of eating disorders and chronic health conditions. These applied experiences inspire and inform her clinical intervention research.
Currently, Linville is working on several funded research projects. First, she is evaluating the effectiveness of the Family Body Project for preventing eating disorders among female-identified teens and their caregiver(s). Second, she and Dr. Saralyn Ruff are partnering with A Home Within, a national nonprofit organization that provides pro bono mental health services for former and current foster youth on several research studies. They are using community-based action research methodology to understand the foster youth community mental health needs. In addition, Linville and Ruff are taking a multi-pronged approach to evaluating the effectiveness of A Home Within for mitigating barriers to mental healthcare access and improving psychosocial health outcomes for former and current foster youth.
Education
Ph.D., 2003, Virginia Tech University, Blacksburg, VA
Major: Human Development, Specialization in Marriage & Family Therapy
Pre-doctoral Fellowship, 2002-2003, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Behavioral Health Doctoral Fellowship, Chicago Center for Family Health
M.S., 2003,Virginia Tech University, NOVA Center, Falls Church, VA
Major: Human Development & Family Studies, Specialization in Marriage & Family Therapy
B.S., 1997, Virginia Tech University, Blacksburg, VA
Majors: Psychology and Family & Child Development
Honors and Awards
Distinguished Excellence in Teaching Award, College of Education, University of Oregon, 2018
Contributions to Diversity Award, College of Education, University of Oregon, 2012
Innovations in Graduate Education Award (CFT Program as recipient), University of Oregon, 2011
Sony Scholars Award, University of Oregon, 2010
Commitment to LGBT Community Award, University of Oregon, 2005
Center on Diversity and Community Reading Group Award, Overlapping LGBTQ Identities: Building knowledge, awareness, and skills, Co-recipient, University of Oregon, 2004
Publications
Ruff, S. & Linville, D. (2021). Experiences of Young Adults with a History of Foster Care During COVID-19. Children & Youth Services Review.
Linville, D., Mintz, B., Martinez, C., Gau, J., Shune, S., & Stice, E. (2020). Preliminary effects of tailoring an obesity prevention intervention program for Latino immigrant families. Family & Community Health, 43(2), 118-130. doi:10.1097/FCH.000000000000252
Linville, D., McClure, H., Martinez, C. & *Mena-Morales, C. (2019). Latinx immigrant farmworker community health promotion: A needs assessment. Journal of Health Promotion Practice 21(3):372‐382. doi:10.1177/1524839919869923
Shune, S. & Linville, D. (2019). Understanding the dining experience of individuals with dysphagia in care facilities: A grounded theory analysis. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 92, 144-153. doi:10.1093/geroni/igx004.849
Linville, D., Savercool, V., Barrera, S., Mintz, B., & Shune, S. (2018). Qualitative Perspectives on a Family Group Intervention Program for Improving Physical Wellness. Journal of Family Psychotherapy.
Linville, D., Blow, A. (2020). Systemic treatment of eating disorders across the lifecycle. In K. S. Wampler, (Ed.), The handbook of systemic family therapy: Systemic family therapy and global health issues (Vol. 4). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Linville, D., Cobb, E., Shen, F., & Stadelman, S. (2016). The reciprocal influences of eating disorders in couple relationships. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy. 42, 326-340. doi:10.1111/jmft.12133
Linville, D., Cobb, E., Lenee-Bluhm, T, Lopez, G., Gau, J., & Stice, E. (2015). The effects of an eating disorder prevention program disseminated in a primary pediatric setting. Behavioral Research and Therapy, 75, 32-39. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2015.10.004
Articles, Interviews and Quotes in Popular Media
The Conversation (2021, April). What Foster Youth Went Through When the COVID-19 Pandemic Closed College Campuses.
The Imprint: Youth & Family News (2021, January). Study Finds ‘Devastating’ Pandemic-Era Effects on Former Foster Youth.
Mental Health Radio Network- Eating Disorders: Navigating Recovery. (2021, January). Interviewed by Catherine Brown and Iacobucci about the role of families in navigating eating disorder recovery.
Mental Health Radio Network Podcast (2020, August). Interviewed by Kristin Walker about mental health and foster youth.