معرفی
Vicki Helgeson is a Professor of Psychology at Carnegie Mellon University's Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Her research focuses on health psychology, social psychology, and gender-related traits influencing health and chronic illness adjustment. She leads the Gender, Relationships, and Health Lab, examining how personality, social support, and relationships impact outcomes in chronic conditions like diabetes.
Her work spans over 25 years, including longitudinal studies on diabetes management in children and emerging adults, such as the Teen Health Study and REACH Study. She investigates communal coping strategies in couples managing chronic illnesses and teaches the Psychology of Gender course, exploring how gender socialization influences health behaviors and outcomes.
Key research themes include the psychological and physiological effects of chronic illness, the role of peer relationships in disease management, and racial disparities in diabetes care. Her studies emphasize the bidirectional influences of health behaviors, social support, and mental well-being.
Publications highlight her contributions to understanding diabetes stress, communal coping interventions, and gendered personality traits like unmitigated agency/communion. Her work bridges psychological theory with real-world health interventions, particularly in pediatric and adult diabetes populations.
