John Seeley
Biography
Dr. Seeley will not be accepting new PhD students for the 2025-2026 academic year.
John R. Seeley, PhD, is an academic expert in emotional and behavioral disorders, school-based behavioral health intervention, suicide prevention, and substance abuse prevention. John is especially interested in school-based screening, prevention, and treatment for internalizing and externalizing psychopathology. He serves as the principal investigator of a 4-year collaborative multisite study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health to evaluate adaptive treatment strategies for college students with moderate to severe suicidal ideation delivered through university counseling centers. Since 2016, John has served as an appointed member of the Oregon Alliance to Prevent Suicide and he directs the evaluation activities for the implementation of suicide prevention initiatives funded by the Oregon Health Authority and the Oregon Department of Education. Seeley is the recipient of the Fund for Faculty Excellence Award for 2021-22.
In addition to his teaching and mentoring of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, he is the associate dean for research for the College of Education and serves as a senior advisor to the executive director of the Ballmer Institute for Children’s Behavioral Health.
Education
Publications
Publications
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. (2022). Trial of a patient-directed eHealth program to ameliorate perinatal depression: the MomMoodBooster2 practical effectiveness study. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, S0002-9378(22)00760-8. Advance online publication.
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.
Kosty, D. B., Seeley, J. R., Farmer, R. F., Stevens, J. J., & Lewinsohn, P. M. (2017). Trajectories of cannabis use disorder: risk factors, clinical characteristics and outcomes. Addiction, 112 (2), 279-287.
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.
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
R01DA037628 Stormshak & Seeley (MPIs) 03/01/15 – 01/31/23
Prevention of Substance Use in At-risk Students: A Family-centered Web Program/ The aims of this project are to develop and experimentally evaluate a web/mobile version of the Family Check-Up intervention for reduction of youth risk behavior and substance use. Role: MPI
R01MH116050 Seeley (PD/PI) 09/04/19 – 06/30/23
Adapting Treatments for Suicidal College Students: A Multisite Trial. The purpose of this multisite Collaborative R01 effectiveness-implementation Type 1 hybrid SMART design is to examine the implementation and effectiveness of adaptive treatment strategies for intervening with college students experiencing elevated suicidal ideation through college counseling centers. Role: PD/PI
H79SM086285 Bullock (PD/PI) 09/30/22 – 09/29/27
Oregon Project AWARE: Strengthening Mental Health in Education. This project funded by SAMHSA consists of 4 primary components: (1) Increasing mental health literacy via an asynchronous, digital learning educational program and accompanying resources; (2) Developing and deploying credentialed, behavioral health courses and professional learning communities; (3) Co-designing and implementing of a Community Care Project (CCP) to enhance behavioral health infrastructure in 4 school districts that represent the racial/ethnic, linguistic, geographic, and sociodemographic diversity of Oregon’s school communities; and (4) Understanding formative and summative project impact and recommendations for implementation, sustainability, and continuous quality improvement. Role: Co-PI