Scott DeBerard

Scott DeBerard is a Professor in the Combined Clinical/Counseling Psychology specialization at Utah State University's Psychology Department, part of the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services. His clinical expertise spans primary care psychology, health psychology, and behavioral medicine. He currently supervises graduate practicum students at USU's Student Health and Wellness Center and Brigham City Hospital's Cardiac Rehabilitation Program. Dr. DeBerard is actively involved in research focusing on biopsychosocial factors influencing surgical outcomes, particularly lumbar fusion and spine surgery in workers’ compensation patients, as well as neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease through the Cache County Dementia Progression Study. His work emphasizes psychosocial predictors of health outcomes, caregiver coping strategies, and cost-benefit analyses in healthcare settings.

Research interests include health-related quality of life, pain management, and the interplay between physical activity, genetics, and cognitive aging. He has contributed extensively to understanding sex differences in Alzheimer’s risk and vascular factors. Dr. DeBerard’s publications highlight the importance of pre-surgical psychological assessments and the role of biopsychosocial models in predicting surgical and medical costs. He is currently accepting students for the Fall 2025 cohort, focusing on clinical/counseling psychology training.

His professional activities include integrated behavioral healthcare program development and leadership in academic training. Personal interests include outdoor activities like hiking, triathlons, and family life with his wife and three children.