Chrystyna Kouros

Chrystyna Kouros is a Professor and Co-Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Psychology at Southern Methodist University (SMU). She directs the Family Health & Development Lab, focusing on family dynamics and mental health across development. Her research examines how family relationships influence children’s and adolescents’ mental health, particularly in autistic populations, and investigates romantic relationship functioning and substance misuse prevention.

Dr. Kouros holds degrees from the University of Chicago (B.A.), University of Notre Dame (M.A., Ph.D.). Her work is funded by organizations including NIH/NICHD and the Lewis Foundation. Key research areas include marital conflict, maternal depression, helicopter parenting, and prescription drug misuse.

• Research highlights:
  • Links between interparental conflict and children’s mental health
  • Romantic couples’ depressive symptom dynamics
  • Social determinants of prescription drug misuse
  • Adolescent depression prevention programs

Her recent studies address pandemic impacts on youth mental health, neurodivergent populations’ sleep quality, and couple relationship dynamics during health crises. She emphasizes family-based interventions to improve well-being through preventive measures.

Dr. Kouros collaborates on NIH-funded projects and has published extensively in top journals like Journal of Family Psychology and Development and Psychopathology. Her work integrates physiological measures (e.g., sleep biomarkers) with behavioral observations to create holistic interventions.