Dr. Joan Asarnow is a Professor of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at UCLA and Director of the UCLA Youth Stress and Mood Program, a depression and suicide prevention program with clinical, educational, and research components. Dr. Asarnow has led efforts to develop and disseminate evidence-based treatments for youth suicide and suicide attempt prevention and depression. She received the 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society for Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology/American Psychological Association Division 53, the 2020, the Rodd D Brickell Memorial Awardee on Youth Suicide Prevention, and the 2017 Research Award from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. She currently leadstwo major federally funded programs: 1) a large NIMH-funded randomized controlled trial, with Dr. Greg Clarke of Kaiser Permanente Research Foundation, evaluating a stepped care intervention for adolescents and young adults aimed at advancing the goal of zero suicide within a large health system; and 2) the UCLA-Duke Center for Trauma-Informed Adolescent Suicide, Self-Harm & Substance Abuse Prevention, with co-director Dr. David Goldston, which is part of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network funded by SAMHSA. Two programs developed by Dr. Asarnow were listed in the National Registry for Evidence-Based Programs (SAMHSA): 1) the Family Intervention for Suicide Prevention, a crisis treatment for youths after a suicidal/self-harm episode; and 2) Depression Treatment Quality Improvement, an evidence-based depression treatment program that has been integrated within primary care, mental health, and other settings. Dr. Asarnow has received grants from the National Institute of Mental Health, Centers for Disease Control, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and other organizations. She currently serves on the Scientific Council of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Scientific Advisory Board of the Klingenstein Third Generation Foundation.
Wayne State University, B.A.
University of Waterloo, M.A.
University of Waterloo, Ph.D.
UCLA, Post-Doctoral Training
Suicide, Suicide Attempt & Self-Harm Prevention in Youth
Principle Investigator, Randomized Trial of Stepped Care for Suicide Prevention in Teens & Young Adults, NIMH
Center for Trauma-Informed Adolescent Suicide, Self-Harm & Substance Abuse Treatment & Prevention, SAMHSA NCTSN
Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Emotionally Dysregulated Suicidal Adolescents, NIMH Completed
Family Centered Cognitive-Behavior Therapy for Suicidal & Self-Harming Youths, NIMH & AFSP Completed
Emergency Care for Suicidal Youths, CDC Completed
Integrated Medical-Behavioral Healthcare
Consortium for Integrated Care, AACAP, AAP, SCCAP-Division 53 APA, SDBP, Society of Pediatric Psychology APA-Division 54
Improving Care for Adolescent Depression Through Primary Care: Youth Partners in Care, AHRQ Completed
Task Force on Patient Centered Medical Homes, APA
Preventing Health Risk Behaviors Through Primary Care, NIMH Completed
Child & Adolescent Depression
Family-Focused Treatment Compared to Individual Treatment for Childhood Depression, NIMH Completed
Treatment of Resistant Depression in Adolescents, NIMH Completed
Youth Partners in Care, AHRQ Completed
Director, Youth Stress & Mood Program: A Depression and Suicide Prevention Program
Attending, Child & Adolescent Anxiety & OCD Clinic
Lectures on topics such as adolescent suicide assessment and interventions
