Ph.D. in clinical psychology, University of Vermont; B.A. in psychology, Cornell University
Lynsay Ayer (she/her) is a senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation. The overarching goals of her research are (a) to prevent violence and trauma (e.g., child maltreatment, suicide, disasters) and (b) prevent and treat behavioral health problems caused by stressful/traumatic events (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder, drug and alcohol abuse). She is particularly interested in identifying ways to improve access to trauma and mental health services for marginalized and underserved populations. For example, she has studied the role of fathers in the child welfare system, and tested interventions for low-income communities with limited access to mental health services. Ayer's work aims to explore and test new models of service delivery, particularly in non-traditional mental health settings (e.g., task shifting models, using digital technologies). She has led or co-led studies utilizing longitudinal survey designs, randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental designs, and mixed methods. Ayer received her B.A. in psychology from Cornell University and her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Vermont. She completed her clinical internship at the Medical University of South Carolina/Department of Veterans Affairs Consortium.
Ayer, L., Colpe, L., Pearson, J., Rooney, M., & Murphy, E., "Advancing research on child suicide: A call to action," Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 59(9), 2020
Ayer, L., Engel, C., Parker, A., Seelam, R., & Ramchand, R., "Behavioral health of Gulf Coast residents six years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill: the role of trauma history," Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 13(3), 2019
Jaycox, L.H., Ayer, L., Vona, P., Hehman, C., Stein, B.D., Mahmud, A., Woolley, M., Meza, E., Thornton, E., & Venkatesh, B., "Development and preliminary evaluation of a self-guided, Internet-based tool for coping with stress and trauma: Life Improvement for Teens (LIFT)," Psychological Services, 16(1), 2018
Ayer, L., Setodji, C., Schultz, D., Jaycox, L., & Kofner, A. , "Change in externalizing problems over time among ethnic minority youth exposed to violence," Children & Youth Services Review, 82, 2017
Ayer, L., Woldetsadik, M., Malsberger, R., Burgette, L.F., & Kohl, P.L., "Who are the men caring for maltreated youth? Male caregivers in the child welfare system," Child Maltreatment, 21(4), 2016
Ayer, L., Ramchand, R., Geyer, L., Burgette, L., & Kofner, A. , "The influence of training, reluctance, efficacy, and stigma on suicide intervention behavior among NCOs in the Army and Marine Corps. ," Journal of Primary Prevention, 37, 2016
Ayer L.A., Harder V.S., Rose G.L., & Helzer J.E. , "Drinking and stress: An examination of sex and stressor differences using IVR-based daily data," Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 115, 2011
Ayer, L.A., Althoff, R.R., Ivanova, M.Y., Rettew, D.C., Sulman, J., Waxler, E., & Hudziak, J.J. , "Child behavior checklist-juvenile bipolar disorder (CBCL-JBD) and CBCL–posttraumatic stress problems (CBCL-PTSP) scales are measures of a single dysregulatory syndrome," Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 50, 2009
