John Seeley
Biography
Dr. Seeley will not be accepting new PhD students for the 2026-2027 academic year.
John Seeley, PhD, is the Castle-McIntosh-Knight Professor of Education and the Associate Dean for Research of the College of Education. He is an academic expert in emotional and behavioral disorders, school-based behavioral health intervention, suicide prevention, and substance misuse prevention. Dr. Seeley is especially interested in school-based screening, prevention, and treatment for internalizing and externalizing psychopathology. In addition to his teaching and mentoring of graduate students and early career scholars, he serves as a senior advisor to the executive director of the Ballmer Institute for Children’s Behavioral Health. Dr. Seeley is the recipient of the University of Oregon’s 2025 Outstanding Research Senior-Career Award.
Education
Publications
Selected Publications
Kassing, F., Seeley, J. R., Rizvi, S. L., Compton, S. N., Sinclair, J., Oshin, L. A., Blalock, K., Joabes, D. A., Crumlish, J. Stadelman, S., Gozenman-Sapin, F., Snyderman, T., Ruork, A.K. Fry, C. M., Gallop, R. J., Goodrich, J., & Pistorello, J. (2025). Assessing the implementation of suicide-focused treatments delivered in hybrid telemental health format in a real-world setting. Psychotherapy Research, 35(7), 1198-1212.
Danaher, B. G., Seeley, J. R., Silver, R. K., Tyler, M. S., Kim, J. J., La Porte, L. M., Cleveland, E., Smith, D. R., Milgrom, J., & Gau, J. M. (2023). Trial of a patient-directed eHealth program to ameliorate perinatal depression: the MomMoodBooster2 practical effectiveness study. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 228(4), 453.e1-453e.10.
Seeley, J. R., Farmer, R. F., Kosty, D. B., & Gau, J. M. (2019). Prevalence, incidence, recovery, and recurrence of alcohol use disorders for childhood to age 30. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 194, 45-50.
Seeley, J. R., Sheeber, L. B., Feil, E. G., Leve, C., Davis, B., Sorensen, E., & Allan, S. (2019). Mediation analyses of internet-facilitated cognitive behavioral intervention for maternal depression. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 48(4), 337-352.
Stormshak, E. A., Seeley, J. R., Caruthers, A. S., Cardenas, L., Moore, K. J., Tyler, M. S., Fleming, C. M., Gau, J., & Danaher, B. (2019). Evaluating the efficacy of the Family Check-Up Online: A school-based, eHealth model for the prevention of problem behavior during the middle school years. Development and Psychopathology, 31(5), 1873-1886.
Seeley, J. R., Small, J. W., Feil, E. G., Frey, A. J., Walker, H. M., Golly, A., & Forness, S. R. (2018). Effects of the First Step to Success intervention on preschoolers with disruptive behavior and comorbid anxiety problems. School Mental Health: A Multidisciplinary Research and Practice Journal, 10(3), 243-253.
Smolkowski, K., Seeley, J. R., Gau, J. M., Dishion, T. J., Stormshak, E. A., Moore, K. J., Falkenstein, C. A., Fosco, G. M., & Garbacz, S. A. (2017). Effectiveness evaluation of the Positive Family Support intervention: A three-tiered public health delivery model for middle schools. Journal of School Psychology, 62, 103–125.
Seeley, J. R., Severson, H. H., & Fixsen, A. A. M. (2014). Empirically-based targeted prevention approaches for addressing externalizing and internalizing behavior disorders within school contexts. In H. M. Walker & F. M. Gresham (Eds.), Handbook of evidence-based practices for students having emotional and behavioral disorders (pp. 307-323). New York: Guilford.
Seeley, J. R., Kosty, D. B., Farmer, R. F., & Lewinsohn, P. M. (2011). The modeling of internalizing disorders based on patterns of lifetime comorbidity: Associations with psychosocial functioning and psychiatric disorders among first-degree relatives. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 120(2), 308-321.
Seeley, J. R., Rohde, P., & Jones, L. (2010). School-based prevention and intervention for depression and suicidal behavior. In M. R. Shinn, H. M. Walker, & G. Stoner (Eds.), Interventions for achievement and behavior problems in a three-tier model including response to intervention (pp. 363-396). Silver Spring, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.
Seeley, J. R., Stice, E., & Rohde, P. (2009). Screening for depression prevention: Identifying adolescent girls at high risk for future depression. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 118(1), 161-170.
Seeley, J. R., Small, J. W., Walker, H. M., Feil, E. G., Severson, H. H., Golly, A. M., & Forness, S. R. (2009). Efficacy of the First Step to Success intervention for students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. School Mental Health: A Multidisciplinary Research and Practice Journal, 1, 37-48.
Seeley, J. R., Rohde, P., Lewinsohn, P. M., & Clarke, G. N. (2002). Depression in youth: Epidemiology, identification, and intervention. In M. Shinn, G. Stoner, & H. Walker (Eds.), Interventions for academic and behavior problems II: Preventive and remedial approaches (pp. 885-911). Silver Spring, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.
Lewinsohn, P. M., Rohde, P., & Seeley, J. R. (1996). Adolescent suicidal ideation and attempts: Prevalence, risk factors, and clinical implications. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 3(1), 25–46.
Research
Dr. Seeley has 39 years of experience in conducting epidemiological, etiological, prevention, and intervention research in behavioral health and developmental psychopathology, including internalizing and externalizing disorders, substance use, and suicidality. He has been a principal investigator or co-principal investigator on 22 research grants funded by the National Institutes of Health, US Department of Education, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. He has more than 285 peer-reviewed publications on the natural course of mental disorders; etiological theory development and testing behavioral change mechanisms; formative intervention development procedures and feasibility testing; efficacy, effectiveness, and implementation research; and advanced data analytic techniques. He currently serves as a principal investigator and co-director of a National Institute of Mental Health P50 ALACRITY center grant to improve the mental health of youth, families, and school communities during the middle school years through the implementation of evidence-based preventive interventions. He recently served as the principal investigator of a collaborative multisite study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health to evaluate adaptive treatment strategies for college students experiencing moderate to severe suicidal ideation delivered through university counseling centers.