Stress and Mood Laboratory

Principal Investigator: Dr. Carolyn Pepper

Our research group studies self-injurious behaviors, including non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidality. We investigate the nature and functions of NSSI using a range of paradigms including experience sampling, experimental paradigms, questionnaire studies, and virtual reality simulations. As Wyoming has one of the highest suicide rates in the country, we are also interested in furthering our understanding of the high rates of suicide in the Mountain West region.

Not accepting graduate students for Fall 2026

Faculty Page

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Graduate Students

Rachael Dumas

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Emotion regulation processes associated with self-injurious thoughts and behaviors

Interpersonal theory of suicide (IPTS)

Minority stress and risk for sexual and gender minority (SGM) nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI)

 

April Fraser

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Risk and protective factors influencing suicidality

Trauma-informed interventions for suicidal ideation

Daniela Branson

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Suicide risk in the LGBTQIA2S+ and the role of religion

Protective factors against suicide in the Black community

Impulsive versus planned suicide attempts

Current and Recent Lab Research Activities

Suicide in the Mountain West

Functions of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI)

Self-injurious behaviors in LGBTQ+ individuals

 

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Recent Publications

Pepper, C. M., *Dumas, R. E., *Glenn, L. E., *Perry, K. M., *Zeller, G. M., & **Collins, L. N. (2024). A cultural script for suicide among White men in the Mountain West Region of the United States. American Psychologist. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0001311

* Dumas, R. E. & Pepper, C. M. (2023). Bisexual-specific minority stress in nonsuicidal self-injury: The mediating role of perceived burdensomeness, Journal of Affective Disorder Reports, 13, 100608. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadr.2023.100608

*Glenn, L. & Pepper, C. M. (2023). Reliability and validity of the self-rating scale as a measure of self-criticism. Assessment, 30(5) 1557–1568. https://doi.org/10.1177/10731911221106768 

 *Perry, K. M., *Stacy, S., E., & Pepper, C. M. (2022). Masculine gender-related personality traits and acquired capability for suicide, Death Studies, 46(2), 329–336. https://doi.org/10.1080/07481187.2019.1699206

*Stacy, S. E., Pepper, C. M., Clapp, J. D., & *Reyna, A. H. (2022). The effects of blood in self-injurious cutting: positive and negative affect regulation. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 78(5), 926-93. DOI: 10.1002/jclp.23267 

*Lear, M. K., *Perry, K. M., *Stacy, S. E., Canen, E. L., Hime, S. J., & Pepper, C. M. (2020). Differential suicide risk factors in rural middle and high school students. Psychiatry research, 284, 112773.

*Lear, M. K., Wilkowski, B. M. & Pepper, C. M. (2019). The Defective Self Model of self-injury: A daily diary investigation in self-injuring college students. Behavior Therapy, 50, 1002-1012.

*Lear, M. K., *Kozina, R. M., *Stacy, S. E., Clapp, J. D., & Pepper, C. M. (2019). Interpersonal needs and suicide risk: The moderating roles of sex and brooding, Journal of Clinical Psychology, 75, 1572-1584.

*Stacy, S. E., ** Bandel, S. M., * Lear, M. K., & Pepper, C. M. (2018). Before, during, and after self-injury: The practice patterns of NSSI, Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 206, 522-527. doi: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000000846.

Pepper, C. M. (2017). Suicide in the Mountain West region of the United States, Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention

*Stacy, S. E., *Lear, M. K. & Pepper, C. M. (2017). The importance of origin: Differences in interpretation of self-inflicted versus environmentally-inflicted scars. Personality and Individual Differences, 116, 92-95.

*Lear, M. K., Pepper, C. M. (2016). Family-based outpatient treatments: A viable alternative to hospitalization for adolescent suicidality, Journal of Family Therapy, 30, 813–827.

*Lear, M. K. & Pepper, C. M. (2016). Self-concept clarity and emotion dysregulation in non-suicidal self-injury. Journal of Personality Disorders, 30, 813-827.

*Bachtelle, S. E. & Pepper, C. M. (2015). The physical results of self-injury: The meaning behind the scars. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 203, 927–933.

*Saraff, P. D., **Trujillo, N., & Pepper, C. M. (2015). Functions, consequences, and frequency of non-suicidal self-injury, Psychiatric Quarterly, 219, 298-304.

*Saraff, P. D. & Pepper, C. M. (2014). Functions, lifetime frequency, and variety of methods of non-suicidal self-injury among college students, Psychiatry Research, 219, 298-304.

Recent Conference Presentations

*Branson, D. A., *Dumas, R. E., *Glenn, L. E., & Pepper, C. M. (May 2023). Religious Identity- Sexuality Orientation Conflict, Self-hate, and Suicidal Ideation in LGB Individuals Poster presented at the Spring meeting of the Wyoming Psychological Association. 

* Glenn, L. E. *Dumas, R. E. *Perry, K. M., *Zeller, G. M., & Pepper, C. M. (November 2022). NSSI  Scar Meaning: Associations with Method, Severity, Function, & Psychopathology, Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. 

*Dumas, R. E., *Glenn, L. E., *Branson, D. A., and Pepper, C. M. (November 2022). Bisexual-Specific  Minority Stress and Outness: Impact on Perceived Burdensomeness and NSSI, Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. 

*Dumas, R. E., *Glenn, L. E., *Perry, K. M., *Zeller, G., and Pepper, C. M. (June 2022). Bisexual- Specific Minority Stress, Perceived Burdensomeness, and NSSI. Poster presented at the virtual annual meeting of the International Society for Self-injury Studies. 

*Zeller, G. M., Pepper, C. M., *Glenn, L. E., *Perry, K. M., & *Dumas, R. E. (November, 2021) Suicide  Bereavement as a Potentially Morally Injurious Experience, Poster presented at the virtual annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. 

*Glenn, L. E., Dumas, R. E., Zeller, G. M., Perry, K. M., & Pepper, C. M. (October, 2021).  Group Differences in Self-Injury Method & Function Based on Presence of Scars, Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Wyoming Psychological Association.  

*Zeller, G. M., Pepper, C. M., *Perry, K. M., *Reyna, A. H., & *Glenn, L. E. (November, 2020). The Mediating Role of Normalization of Suicide on the Relationship Between Suicide Bereavement and Suicidality, Poster presented at the virtual annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. 

*Perry, K. M., *Glenn, L. E., & Pepper, C. M. (November, 2020). The Influence of Gender on Acquired Capability for Suicide: Tests of a Parallel Mediation Model, Poster presented at the virtual annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies.  

*Glenn, L. E., Pepper, C. M., *Perry, K. M., *Reyna, A., & *Zeller, G. (April, 2020). The Association of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury with External Sources of Criticism, Poster presented at the virtual annual meeting of the American Association for Suicidology, Portland, OR. 

*Zeller, G., Pepper, C. Perry, K. Glenn, L. & Reyna, A. (April, 2020). Perceived Entitlement to Grieve: A New Measure Designed for Individuals Bereaved by Suicide, Poster presented at the virtual annual meeting of the American Association for Suicidology, Portland, OR. 

*Lear, M. K., Wilkowski, B. M., & Pepper, C. M. (2019). Characteristics of NSSI Urge and Behavior: A Daily Diary Study of Frequency, Intensity, and Duration, In T. Spitzer, & M. Baer (co-chairs), Repeated Measures Designs in Risk for Self-injurious Thoughts and Behaviors, Symposia conducted at the 52nd annual meeting of the American Assocation of Suicidology, Denver, CO. 

*Stacy, S. E., Clapp, J. D., *Reyna, A. H., & Pepper, C. M. (2019, April). The Effects of Blood in Self-Injurious Cutting: Positive and Negative Affect Regulation, Paper presented at the 52nd annual meeting of the American Assocation of Suicidology, Denver, CO. 

*Reyna, A. H., Pepper, C. M., *Perry, K. M., *Zeller, G. M., *Glenn, L. E. (2019, April). Nonsuicidal Self-Injury and Suicide Attempts: The Effect of Aggression, Poster presented at the 52nd annual meeting of the American Assocation of Suicidology, Denver, CO. 

*Kozina, R. M., * Lear, M. K., *Stacy, S. E., Pepper, C. M., & Clapp, J. D. (2018, November).  The Three-Step Theory of Suicide: An Examination of Conditional Indirect Effects, Poster presented at the 52nd annual meeting of the Assocation for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Washington, D.C. 

*Lear, M. K. & Pepper, C. M. (2018, November). NSSI among LGBTQ+ College Students: A Daily Diary Study of Minority Stress Theory, Poster presented at the 52nd annual meeting of the Assocation for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Washington, D.C.

*Lear, M. K. & Pepper, C. M. (2018, April). Daily Emotion in Non-suicidal Self-injury, Paper presented at the 51st annual meeting of the American Association of Suicidology, Washington, DC.

*Stacy, S. E. & Pepper, C. M. (2018, April). “I am fascinated by the color of blood”:  Narrative Descriptions of the Importance of Blood in NSSI. Poster presented at the 51st annual meeting of the American Association of Suicidology, Washington, DC. 

*Maxfield, B. L., *Reyna, A. H., *Perry, K. M. & Pepper, C. M. (2017, November). An Analysis of Cognitions Preceding Nonsuicidal Self-Injury: What Do Self-Injurers Think About Before Self-Injuring? Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Assocation for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, San Diego, CA. 

*Lear, M. K., *Bachtelle, S. E., *Merrow, B. M., *Reyna, A. H., *Perry, K. M., *Zeller, G. M., & Pepper, C. M. (2017, April). Anxiety and suicide risk: The role of intolerance of uncertainty. Poster presented at the 50th annual meeting of the American Association of Suicidology, Phoenix, AZ. 

*Bachtelle, S. E., **Bandel, S., L., *Lear, M. K., *Merrow, B. L, *Reyna, A.H, *Perry, K. M., *Zeller, G. M., & Pepper, C. M. (2016, October). Before, during, and after self-injury: The ritualistic nature of NSSI. Presented at the annual Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Convention, New York, NY. Winner of Best Poster Award. 

* denotes graduate student co-author
** denotes undergraduate student co-author