DARVO on South Park

Professor Jennifer Freyd’s concept of “Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender”, or DARVO, in a perpetrator’s response to accusation was featured in a recent episode of the Comedy Central show South Park. Now that’s what we call effective Science Communication! Congrats, Professor Freyd, on your conceptualization reaching the mainstream!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Jd3Ml7YsDk

Congratulations to Professor Nicholas Allen on the launch and funding of his digital mental health company, Ksana Health. The company grew out of Allen’s research on mental health and suicide prevention. Read more here.

Co-founded by Allen and Will Shortt, a software business leader and startup CEO, Ksana Health was recently launched with a mission to improve mental health outcomes. Its aim is to bring the therapy plan out of the office and into the patient’s daily life via a personalized mental health platform.

The company is considered a spinoff because it stems directly from UO research: an evidence-based, peer-reviewed research platform developed at the Center for Digital Mental Health, where Allen serves as director.

Ksana leverages the Effortless Assessment Research System apps for iOS and Android devices, which passively pull data from a patient’s phone related to known mental health vectors — such as sleep, physical activity, social interaction and self-reporting — and securely share that objective data with a therapist. The therapist will be able to quickly view the data, discuss it in therapy and build a plan with “nudges” in the apps that will remind patients of their scheduled therapy plan throughout their week, along with their medications and appointments.

Caitlin Fausey’s work on how babies learn is featured in the Fall 2017 issue of CAScade magazine. The piece talks about her important research and innovative methods. Great job, Caitlin!