Robert López Jr., PhD

Prochazka, M., Rogers, M. L., & López Jr., R. (2026, November 12-15). Momentary relationships between negative affect and meaning in life among young adults with and without self-injurious thoughts and behaviors. In Prochazka, M., & López Jr., R. (Chairs), Advanced modeling of real-time risk for self-injurious thoughts and behaviors across adolescence and adulthood. Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) 60th Annual Convention, Baltimore, MD.

López Jr., R., Adams, L., Wolff, J., Spirito, A., & Esposito-Smythers, C. (2026, June 25-26). Predictors and moderators of non-suicidal self-injury in a randomized trial of family-focused cognitive-behavioral treatment for depressed adolescents in suicidal crisis. The International Society for the Study of Self-Injury (ISSS) 21st Annual Conference, Stockholm, Sweden.

López Jr., R., Berk, M., McCauley, E., & Asarnow, J. R. (2026, April 15-17). Parent-youth borderline personality symptom associations in a randomized trial of dialectical behavior therapy. In Family processes and intergenerational risk. Suicide Research Symposium (SRS) 2025. Virtual conference.

Chodzen, G. N., & Bowers, G. (2025, November 20-23). ‡Socio-ecological perspectives on assessing and intervening on barriers to psychological treatment among diverse adolescents and young adults. ABCT 59th Annual Convention, New Orleans, LA.

López Jr., R., & Shepherd, B. F. (2025, November 20-23). Heterosexist discrimination and prospective self-harm among sexual minority men: A moderated mediation model*. In López Jr., R. (Moderator), Minority stress mechanisms and psychological outcomes. ABCT 59th Annual Convention, New Orleans, LA.

López Jr., R., Meza, J. I., Asarnow, L. D., Berk, M. S., McCauley, E., & Asarnow, J. R. (2025, November 8-11). Implicit identification with death and adolescent self-injurious thoughts and behaviors: Sleep quality as a moderator. In Suicide risk, resilience, and support strategies. International Academy of Suicide Research (IASR)/American Foundation of Suicide Prevention (AFSP) 2025 International Summit on Suicide Research, Boston, MA, United States.

López Jr., R., & Asarnow, J. R. (2025, May 17). Firearms and youth suicide: Identifying and addressing risk. UCLA Interdisciplinary Conference on Gun Violence Reduction. Los Angeles, CA.

López Jr., R., Ellis, A. J., Berk, M. S., McCauley, E., & Asarnow, J. R. (2025, April 23-25). A laboratory-based assessment of emotion regulation and prospective risk for adolescent self-injurious thoughts and behaviors. SRS 2025. Virtual conference.

López Jr., R. (Chair) (2024, November 14-17). Identifying, and addressing, suicide risk across adolescence and adulthood *. ABCT 58th Annual Convention, Philadelphia, PA.

López Jr., R., & Esposito-Smythers, C. (2024, November 14-17). Relations between sexual orientation, depressive symptom severity, and suicidal ideation: Preliminary results from an ecological momentary assessment study. In Shepherd, B. F. & Tang, M. (Chairs), Minority stress and mental health among LGBTQ+ persons across the lifespan: A longitudinal, developmentally informed approach. ABCT 58th Annual Convention, Philadelphia, PA.

Shepherd, B. F., López Jr., R., Mensinger, J. L., & Brochu, P. M. (2024, November 14-17). Fearing judgement from outside and within: Increases in heterosexist stigma and intraminority stigma predict increases in social anxiety symptom severity over time among gay and bi+ men. In Shepherd, B. F. & Tang, M. (Chairs), Minority stress and mental health among LGBTQ+ persons across the lifespan: A longitudinal, developmentally informed approach. ABCT 58th Annual Convention, Philadelphia, PA.

Shepherd, B. F., López Jr., R., Mensinger, J. L., & Brochu, P. M. (2024, November 14-17). A strengths-based, intersectional analysis of general belongingness and status as moderators of the association between community-specific belongingness and perceived stress among gay and bi+ men. In Shepherd, B. F. (Chair). Diverse pathways to stigma resistance among LGBTQ+ persons: A strengths-based approach to addressing mental health inequities. ABCT 58th Annual Convention, Philadelphia, PA.

López Jr., R., & Esposito-Smythers, C. (2024, April 17-19). Predictors and moderators of real-time social rejection severity among a diverse, young adult sample. SRS 2024. Virtual conference.

López Jr., R., & Liu, R. T. (2023, November 16-19). Relations between negative urgency, interpersonal problems, and non-suicidal self-injury: An 18-month investigation with high-risk youth. In López Jr., R. (Chair), Longitudinal predictors of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors among clinical populations across the lifespan *. ABCT 57th Annual Convention, Seattle, WA.

López Jr., R., Maultsby, K., Seibel, L., Esposito-Smythers, C., & Leichtweis, R. N. (2023, November 16-19). Trajectories of adolescent suicidal ideation and depressive symptom severity during a partial hospital program: Clinical and demographic characteristics as predictors of change. In López Jr., R. (Chair), Longitudinal predictors of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors among clinical populations across the lifespan *. ABCT 57th Annual Convention, Seattle, WA.

Seibel, L., Maultsby, K., López Jr., R., Wolff, J., Spirito, A., & Esposito-Smythers, C. (2023, November 16-19). Adolescent social and generalized anxiety disorder symptoms as predictors of suicidal ideation: Longitudinal mediation modeling. In López Jr., R. (Chair), Longitudinal predictors of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors among clinical populations across the lifespan*. ABCT 57th Annual Convention, Seattle, WA.

Esposito-Smythers, C., Wolff, J., López Jr., R., Adams, L., Fischer, S., & Spirito, A. (2023, October 15-18). Moderators of adolescent suicidal ideation severity in a randomized controlled trial comparing a cognitive-behavioral intervention to enhanced treatment-as-usual. In Changing the Mind of a Person at Risk. IASR/AFSP 2023 International Summit on Suicide Research, Barcelona, Spain.

Defayette, A. B., Esposito-Smythers, C., Cero, I., Maultsby, K. D., Whitmyre, E., & López Jr., R. (2023, April 26-28). Interpersonal stress and the proinflammatory response in emerging adults with a history of suicide risk: A pilot study. SRS 2023. Virtual conference.

López Jr., R., & Esposito-Smythers, C. (2023, April 26-28). Social problem-solving deficits as moderators of the real-time relation between social rejection and negative affect. SRS 2023. Virtual conference.

López Jr., R., Maultsby, K., Seibel, L., Wolff, J., Spirito, A., & Esposito-Smythers, C. (2022, November 17-20). Observer rated family problem-solving moderates the relation between adolescent depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation. In López Jr., R., & Esposito-Smythers, C. (Chairs), Prospective risk for self-injurious thoughts and behaviors among vulnerable populations across the lifespan. ABCT 56th Annual Convention, New York, NY.

Poon, J., López Jr., R., Shea, L., & Liu, R. T. (2022, November 17-20). Relations between trauma, emotion regulation difficulties, and self-injurious thoughts and behaviors: An 18-month prospective study of high-risk adolescents. In López Jr., R., & Esposito-Smythers, C. (Chairs), Prospective risk for self-injurious thoughts and behaviors among vulnerable populations across the lifespan. ABCT 56th Annual Convention, New York, NY.

López Jr., R., Seibel, L., Maultsby, K., Wolff, J., Spirito, A., & Esposito-Smythers. (2022, June 3). The protective role of positive recognition in the relation between NSSI versatility and suicidal ideation. In Hamilton, J. (Chair), Strengths-based approaches in youth suicide research. Youth Suicide Research Consortium (YSRC) Third National Virtual Conference.

López Jr., R., Brick, L. A., Defayette, A. B., Whitmyre, E.D., Wolff, J., Frazier, E., Spirito, A., & Esposito-Smythers, C. (2020, November 19–22). Depressive symptom severity mediates the association between avoidant problem-solving style and suicidal ideation. In R. López Jr., & C. Esposito-Smythers (Chairs), The impact of social factors on the onset and maintenance of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors*. ABCT 54th Annual Virtual Convention.

López Jr., R., Gonçalves, S. F., Esposito-Smythers, C., & Chaplin, T. M. (2020, November 19– 22). Associations between self-identified sexual orientation and trajectories of emotion dysregulation and depressive symptoms from early to middle adolescence. In R. López Jr., & C. Esposito-Smythers (Chairs), An examination of the psychological mediation framework and its relation to self-injurious thoughts and behaviors among LGBTQ individuals from early adolescence to adulthood. ABCT 54th Annual Virtual Convention.

†Keller, W., McField, A., Rogers, M., & López Jr., R. (2026, April 9). Longitudinal associations between aggression subtypes and suicidal ideation in adolescents with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. 2026 Graduate Student Research Conference. San Marcos, TX.

†Neumann, K., Ceballos, N., & López Jr., R. (2026, April 24). Positive emotion intensity moderates the association between emotional abuse and suicidal ideation trajectories in treatment-seeking adolescents. Texas State University Psychology Research Showcase 2026. San Marcos, TX.

Shepherd, B. F., López Jr., R., & Pachankis, J. (2025, November 20-23). Too this, too that: A longitudinal exploration of dating app use, intraminority stigma, and HIV/STI-transmission-risk behavior among gay and bi+ men across the lifespan. ABCT 59th Annual Convention. New Orleans, LA.

†Alvarez, A., Qi, R., Nguyen. P. T., López Jr., R., Meza, J. I. (2025, April 23-25). Emotional resilience moderates the association between financial stress and suicide outcomes in college students. SRS 2025. Virtual conference.

Qi, R., †Alvarez, A., Nguyen. P. T., López Jr., R., Meza, J. I. (2025, April 23-25). Regional variations in self-injurious thoughts and behaviors among sexual and gender minorities. SRS 2025. Virtual conference.

†Alvarez, A., López Jr., R., & Esposito-Smythers, C. (2024, November 14-17). Problem-solving deficits moderate the association between current and future suicidal ideation. ABCT 58thAnnual Convention, Philadelphia, PA.

López Jr., R., & CARES Team (2024, November 14-17). Longitudinal relations between perceived stress, emotion reactivity, and adolescent self-injurious thoughts and behaviors. ABCT 58th Annual Convention, Philadelphia, PA.

López Jr., R., Turnamian, M. R., & Liu, R. T. (2023, November 16-19). Prospective relations between life stress, emotional clarity, and suicidal ideation in an adolescent clinical sample. 2023 ABCT Suicide and Self-Injury Special Interest Group Exposition.

López Jr., R., Esposito-Smythers, C., Lee, P., Leichtweis, R. N., & Miller, I. W. (2023, November 16-19). Psychometric properties of the Modified Scale for Suicidal Ideation-Self-Report with high-risk adolescents. ABCT 57th Annual Convention, Seattle, WA.

López Jr., R., & Esposito-Smythers, C. (2023, October 15-18). Real-time relations between social rejection, meaning in life, and suicidal ideation severity among at-risk sexual minority and heterosexual young adults: A moderated mediation model. IASR/AFSP 2023 International Summit on Suicide Research, Barcelona, Spain.

López Jr., R., & Liu, R. T. (2023, October 15-18). Proxies of acquired capability as predictors of recurrent suicide attempts among high-risk adolescents: An 18-month investigation. IASR/AFSP 2023 International Summit on Suicide Research, Barcelona, Spain.

López Jr., R., & Esposito-Smythers, C. (2022, November 17-20). Relations between discrimination, rejection sensitivity, and decrements in problem-solving ability following social rejection: An experimental investigation. 2022 ABCT Suicide and Self-Injury Special Interest Group Poster Exposition, New York, NY.

López Jr., R., & Esposito-Smythers, C. (2022, November 17-20). The influence of social problem-solving orientation on the relation between lifetime discrimination and past month passive suicidal ideation in a diverse, young adult sample. ABCT 56th Annual Convention, New York, NY.

López Jr., R., & Esposito-Smythers, C. (2022, November 17-20). Preliminary evidence for a psychosocial model of the relation between discrimination and passive suicidal ideation in a diverse, nonclinical sample. ABCT 56th Annual Convention, New York, NY.

López Jr., R., Maultsby, K., Seibel, L. F., Wolff, J., Spirito, A., & Esposito-Smythers, C. (2022, August). The prospective relation between childhood emotional maltreatment and adolescent suicidal ideation severity: A moderated mediation model. 6th Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (JCCAP) Virtual Future Directions Forum.

López Jr., R., Maultsby, K., Defayette, A. B., Whitmyre, E. D., Wolff, J., Spirito, A., & Esposito-Smythers, C. (2021, November 18–21). A prospective investigation of the relation between dysfunctional family communication and suicidal ideation severity in a clinical adolescent sample: A serial mediation model. 2021 ABCT Suicide and Self-Injury Special Interest Group Virtual Exposition.

López Jr., R., Maultsby, K., Defayette, A. B., Whitmyre, E. D., Wolff, J., Spirito, A., & Esposito-Smythers, C. (2021, October 24–27). A longitudinal, multi-informant study of the relation between family affective responsiveness, sexual identity, and suicidal ideation in an adolescent clinical sample. IASR/AFSP International Virtual Summit on Suicide Research.

López Jr., R., Maultsby, K., Defayette, A. B., Whitmyre, E. D., & Esposito-Smythers, C. (2021, June 17–19). Past month engagement in non-suicidal self-injury predicts changes in suicidal ideation severity over 18 months following psychiatric hospitalization in a treatment-seeking adolescent sample. 5th JCCAP Virtual Future Directions Forum.

López Jr., R., Defayette, A. B., Maultsby, K., Whitmyre, E. D., & Esposito-Smythers, C. (2021, May 26–27). A multimethod investigation of the relation between minority stress and suicide risk among sexual minority youth. Association for Psychological Science (APS) 2021 Virtual Convention.

López Jr., R., Gonçalves, S., & Chaplin, T. M. (2020, November 19–22). Differences in physiological and psychological indices of emotion regulation between sexual minority and heterosexual youth. ABCT 54th Annual Convention, Philadelphia, PA.

López Jr., R., †Follet, L., Whitmyre, E. D., Defayette, A. B., Wolff, J., Spirito, A., & Esposito-Smythers, C. (2020, June 12–13). Depression-related emotional problems mediate the association between hopelessness and suicidal ideation severity. JCCAP 4th Future Directions Forum, Washington, D.C.

López Jr., R., Williams, C. A., †Franks, H., Leichtweis, R., & Esposito-Smythers, C. (2019, June 28–29). The impact of measurement-based care on key clinical outcomes within a partial hospital setting. JCCAP 3rd Future Directions Forum, Washington, D.C.

López Jr., R., Williams, C. A., Defayette, A. B., Whitmyre, E. D., †Franks, H., & Esposito-Smythers, C. (2019, May 24–25). Concurrent relationships between childhood maltreatment, suicidality, and social problem-solving abilities in a clinical adolescent sample. APS 31st Annual Convention, Washington, D.C.

López Jr., R., Defayette, A. B., Whitmyre, E. D., Williams, C. A., & Esposito-Smythers, C. (2018, November 15–18). PTSD symptom clusters, suicidal ideation, and social support in a clinical adolescent sample. ABCT 52nd Annual Convention, Washington, D.C.

†Clark, J., Esposito-Smythers, C., López Jr., R., Whitmyre, E. D., Defayette, A. B., & Williams, C. A. (2018, April 27). The role of peer-relationship trauma in the association between exposure to domestic violence and suicidality. George Mason University’s Undergraduate Honors Research Symposium, Fairfax, VA.

López Jr., R., Adams, L. M., Wolff, J., Spirito, A., & Esposito-Smythers, C. (Under review). Predictors and moderators of adolescent non-suicidal self-injury in a randomized trial of family-focused cognitive-behavioral treatment.

Prochazka, M., Rogers, M. L., & López Jr., R. (Under review). Momentary relationships between negative affect and meaning in life among young adults with and without self-injurious thoughts and behaviors.

Chodzen, G., Asarnow, J. R., López Jr., R., Cohen, J., McCauley, E., Berk, M., Adrian, M., & Gallop, R. (In preparation). Dialectical behavior therapy reduces posttraumatic stress disorder among suicidal adolescents: Results from the CARES randomized controlled trial.

Esposito-Smythers, C., Wolff, J., López Jr., R., Adams, L., & Spirito, A. (In preparation). Youth-specific predictors and moderators of adolescent suicidality in a randomized trial comparing a family-focused cognitive-behavioral intervention to enhanced treatment-as-usual.

Esposito-Smythers, C., Wolff, J., López Jr., R., Adams, L., & Spirito, A. (In preparation). Family-specific predictors and moderators of adolescent suicidality in a randomized trial comparing a family-focused cognitive-behavioral intervention to enhanced treatment-as-usual.

Keller, W., Rogers, M. L., Wolff, J., Esposito-Smythers, C., Spirito, A., & López Jr., R. (In preparation). Sleep difficulties differentially predict suicidal ideation characteristics among dually diagnosed adolescents.

López Jr., R., Asarnow, J. R., Chodzen, G., Alvarez, A. A., Henson, V., Berk, M. S., McCauley, E., & Gallop, R. (In preparation). Parental psychopathology change mechanisms in a randomized controlled trial of dialectical behavior therapy for suicidal adolescents.

López Jr., R., Alvarez, A. A., Bai, S., Berk, M. S., McCauley, E., & Asarnow, J. R. (In preparation). Assessing sleep among adolescents at high risk for suicide: What measure to use?

López Jr., R., Shepherd, B. F., & Brochu, P. (In preparation). Heterosexist discrimination and prospective self-harm among sexual minority men: A moderated mediation model.

López Jr., R., Tompson, M. C., Langer, D. A. & Asarnow, J. R., (In preparation). Childhood-onset depression: Treatment response as a protective mechanism for self-injurious thoughts and behaviors.

Neumann, K., Ceballos, N., Wolff, J., Esposito-Smythers, C., Spirito, A., & López Jr., R. (In preparation). Positive affect intensity moderates the association between lifetime emotional abuse severity and suicidal ideation trajectories among treatment-seeking adolescents.

Peeler, G., Wolff, J., Esposito-Smythers, C., Spirito, A., & López Jr., R. (In preparation). Positive parenting factors as moderators of the prospective association between negative urgency and adolescent marijuana use.

Roberts, H., Wolff, J., Esposito-Smythers, C., Spirito, A., & López Jr., R. (In preparation). Parental depressive symptoms and adolescent suicidal ideation: Positive affect intensity as a protective factor.