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Andrew Devendorf, PhD

@andrewdevendorf.bsky.social
483 followers 92 following 57 posts

Clinical Psychologist| Postdoctoral Fellow| Studies suicide, depression, stigma, & lived experience| Psychology Today Blog, “Deeper Mental Health”

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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 08/10/2025
How do you help someone through a suicidal crisis? Sometimes, giving our loved ones joy & connection can give them enough time to reset. Think of joy as an emotional fire extinguisher. It's not a long-term fix, but it can help someone live another day. www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/deep...
psychologytoday.com
The Power of Joy in Suicide Prevention
How can you help someone who is in a suicidal crisis? What is the role of joy in suicide prevention?
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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 03/07/2025
I passed the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP)! This means I’m 95% of the way toward practicing as an independent psychologist. Soon, I will launch my new practice & start taking clients…more info to come. For now, here’s new headshot :) Happy 4th of July, everyone!
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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 03/06/2025
This is censorship of science & academic freedom. And it is terrifying… www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
theguardian.com
Exclusive: US veterans agency orders scientists not to publish in journals without clearance
Move that seeks political control of doctors’ and scientists’ published research fits a pattern of censorship by the Trump administration, veterans advocates say
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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 27/05/2025
We all want to end mental health stigma, but what does “stigma” even mean? In my latest piece, I get honest about my concerns for 3-word phrases that lack depth and specificity. “We cannot “end the stigma” if we do not know what “stigma” is.” www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/deep...
psychologytoday.com
What Does “End the Stigma” Even Mean?
Many advocates want to reduce stigma. But is it effective to say "end the stigma?"
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Alt NIH Bluesky 🧪 @altnih4science.bsky.social · 22/05/2025
There is a path for us to beat this attack on science: - Beat the reconciliation bill in Congress, which locks in many of the illegal DOGE actions. - Get NIH grants employees back to work. - Beat the rescission effort in Congress this summer. - In 2026, fight to restore the NIH/NSF budget. 🧪1/
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Rebecca Fielding-Miller @rebeccafieldingmiller.com · 22/03/2025
Today I lost an NIH grant training clinicians to do research about intimate partner violence with perinatal women. More women are murdered in the perinatal period than die of obstetric complications. I didn't just lose a grant. We lost an entire cohort of people building careers to prevent that.
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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 01/05/2025
I really appreciate when a Reviewer engages with a submitted article & devotes their expertise to this unpaid service…and… …a 1700 word review is *a lot* to respond to… My reframe is that it’s better to have a more engaged review than someone who barely read the paper
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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 29/04/2025
Last week, I presented a poster at the Suicide Research Symposium on the VA’s high-risk flag system. The procedure is aimed to help providers identify Veterans who are at a high risk of suicide. Our team did a quality improvement study to learn providers’ views on the process. Check it out!
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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 22/04/2025
Our research on academic mental health was featured again — this time by University of California, Berkeley! This story blends the personal with the science to highlight how Dragonfly Mental Health is at the forefront of reducing stigma in graduate departments. news.berkeley.edu/2025/04/21/a...
news.berkeley.edu
A spate of suicides drew this alumna back to UC Berkeley to confront mental health issues in academia - Berkeley News
Encouraged by Wendy Ingram, a 2014 Berkeley Ph.D. recipient, eminent faculty members shared their experiences with depression and anxiety to help bring these struggles into the open.
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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 18/04/2025
Full study here, message me for a copy! psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?d...
psycnet.apa.org
APA PsycNet
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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 18/04/2025
Really honored to see our research study featured in Nature Magazine. We assessed the Dragonfly Mental Health program, which aims to increase MH awareness & reduce stigma in academics. 95% of attendees felt the program reduced stigma. Check it out! www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
A mental-health crisis plagues PhDs — these evidence-led initiatives offer help
Communities of researchers worldwide are taking on the toxic research cultures that drive poor psychological health among academics.
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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
This is a damaging move for US science — cutting 50% of National Science Foundation (NSF) fellowships. These grants are used to attract, train & support some of the best young scientists. Cutting this funding is a terrible investment. www.science.org/content/arti...
science.org
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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 16/03/2025
When research funding is being cut, it’s crazy that journals still expect academics to review articles for free. When scientists lose their jobs, what is the incentive to keep reviewing papers?
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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 09/03/2025
I proudly attended the Stand Up for Science rally. The most compelling speech came from a pediatric cancer doctor… He noted that, for many cancers, NIH-funded science has improved survival outcomes for child patients from 15% to 80%. Science saves lives. We must save science ✊
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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
😔
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Alt CDC (they/them) @altcdc.altgov.info · 27/02/2025
We'll post more on this in the future, but for now just sharing the devastating news that >90% of USAID contracts have been cut, including those for HIV medications, food kitchens, etc. People WILL die as a result. www.npr.org/sections/goa...
npr.org
The Trump administration kills nearly all USAID programs
The Trump administration is terminating thousands of foreign assistance grants and awards, according to a court filing. The move effectively guts the six-decade-old agency.
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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
Maybe I’ll put in a submission as a post bacc if this VA thing doesn’t work out…😅
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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
The Trump Administration’s cuts to VA staff & research budget is threatening my and others’ research, where I hope to develop a suicide intervention for Veterans. I also do not feel safe at my job, despite being a psychologist. Don’t you believe Veterans—our heroes—deserve the best health care?
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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
I’ll say confidently that today’s email debacle wasted millions of dollars in tax payer money d/t lost labor. Workers were confused, stressed, & refreshing emails constantly. Calculate the time spent on this task x the # of federal employees x their hourly pay… 100s of millions, gone 💰
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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 21/02/2025
Appreciate it, and agree
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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 21/02/2025
Hate to hear you can relate. It definitely leaves a scar ❤️
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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 20/02/2025
How long will the survey be up?
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Nature @nature.com · 20/02/2025
Almost all grant-review meetings under Trump 2.0 remain suspended at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), preventing the world’s largest public funder of biomedical research from spending much of its US$47 billion annual budget. go.nature.com/4gM6oW4
go.nature.com
Revealed: NIH research grants still frozen despite lawsuits challenging Trump order
The Trump administration is exploiting a loophole to keep a funding freeze in place, leaving researchers in limbo.
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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 20/02/2025
It’s been 8 years since I lost my brother, Matt, to suicide. This anniversary, I was compelled to share some reflections on my grief journey. I hope these reflections can spread awareness & remind people they are not alone. www.psychologytoday.com/za/blog/deep...
psychologytoday.com
Surviving the Impossible: Reflections on Suicide Loss
Personal Perspective: I lost my brother to suicide and thought I would never recover. Eight years later, I have identified strategies that have helped me overcome this nightmare.
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Alt NIH Bluesky 🧪 @altnih4science.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
We are hearing that there is a meeting of all NIH IC directors happening now. We are also hearing, from several sources, rumors about director and assistant director level removals coming soon. The impact of this wld be enormous. IC directors have all grantmaking authority for each institute. 🧪
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Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
In its totality what's happening at HHS & NIH is a Musk/Trump effort to shutdown almost all cancer cure research in the US. No more new cures. Cancer's brand is really in the dumps. It polls terribly. This is a political argument that is straightforward to make. talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/nih-a...
talkingpointsmemo.com
NIH and Its Agencies Are Being Smothered
In recent days I have been inundated by reports out of HHS...
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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
My motivation for writing academic papers is at a low point. Publications are currency for research jobs… But with hiring freezes & severe budget cuts to VA/NIH/NSF/university systems…I’m questioning their value atm. To other early career psychologists/scientists, my thoughts are with you.
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Alt National Park Service @altnps.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
At OPM, Musk’s staffers won’t leave—they work around the clock and have even installed sofa beds in the office. Our access to data systems has been restricted, raising serious concerns about cybersecurity and a complete lack of oversight. We are keeping our heads down and documenting everything.
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Nathan Tankus @nathantankus.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
In preview of my Monday morning piece, I'm going to say a little bit about why this is so concerning. This is not some "economy" thing. Its first & foremost the possibility that our legal order is modified so the law of the land is defined by Elon Musk at Treasury www.nytimes.com/2025/02/01/u...
nytimes.com
Elon Musk’s Team Now Has Full Access to Treasury’s Payments System
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Gregg Gonsalves @gregggonsalves.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
Organize. Organize. Organize. In your neighborhood. In your city or town. Your state. But do not sit on the sidelines now. 10/
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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
Scientists at the Center for Disease Control are literally being censored by the government from using the terms: Gender Transgender Pregnant person Pregnant people LGBT What happened to free speech? And wth are you supposed to call a pregnant person? insidemedicine.substack.com/p/breaking-n...
insidemedicine.substack.com
BREAKING NEWS: CDC orders mass retraction and revision of submitted research across all science and medicine journals. Banned terms must be scrubbed.
Any unpublished manuscript mentioning certain topics, including gender and "LGBT," must be pulled or revised.
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Dr. Becca @docbecca.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
The entire website for the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) is very nearly stripped bare. This is so, so devastating. orwh.od.nih.gov/research/fun...
orwh.od.nih.gov
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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
Just bc the world is on fire doesn’t mean you should forget about your New Year’s Resolutions. In my latest blog on @psychologytoday.com, I share guidance on how to set smarter goals: www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/deep...
psychologytoday.com
Practical Tips to Achieve Your Goals
The SMART framework can help you organize your goals. Many organizations use SMART goals, but there are ways to make them even better.
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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
Totally agree. And for tenure, I’d like to see public dissemination of science incentivized. Op eds, public speaking events, media appearances, trainings, etc. should be given weight.
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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
Academics & healthcare providers… We must take some accountability for the threats to health/science. We have failed at communicating what we do & why our work is essential to the public. Stop writing that academic article…start finding ways to talk with - and listen to - ppl outside your bubble
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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
Imagine if every mental health professional at the Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals took a buyout. Veterans with PTSD, depression, substance use diagnoses…groups that are at high risk of suicide…. Would potentially be in danger. Is this really the way toward a more “efficient” government?
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Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 28/01/2025
I think some people hear “grants” and think that without them, scientists and government workers just have less stuff to play with at work. But grants fund salaries for students, academics, researchers, and people who work in all areas of public service. “Pausing” grants means people don’t eat.
washingtonpost.com
White House pauses all federal grants, sparking confusion
The Trump administration has put a hold on all federal financial grants and loans, affecting tens of billions of dollars in payments.
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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 28/01/2025
Americans and the world need the National Institute of Health unfrozen. I received a grant from the National Institute of Health to develop a suicide intervention for Veterans. Almost all my grant funded colleagues receive NIH money to develop new mental health treatments / delivery systems.
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Sam Wang @samwang.bsky.social · 23/01/2025
NIH funding supports the vast majority of all biomedical research in the United States. Virtually every advance in American medicine and biological science comes from NIH. This is a blow against American science. Call Congress, 202-224-3121.
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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
The National Institute of Health is essential for keeping Americans, and the world, safe from all types of illness. There is nothing like it in the private sector. In WA, alone, each $1 spent on NIH research yields a 79% return on investment www.unitedformedicalresearch.org/nih-in-your-...
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Daniel P. Moriarity @dpmoriarity.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
If you are ready to advocate to your representatives (or friends and families) about the economic value of NIH funded research, you can check your state at www.unitedformedicalresearch.org/nih-in-your-...
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Lorenzo Lorenzo-Luaces, PhD @lluaces.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
Everyone criticizes the “publish or perish” culture. But I have yet to hear someone praise a researcher with few pubs or not accept that more pubs = better. If we hate that aspect of the culture that much, let’s change it! Like us. Like next time you see job applicants being discussed
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Noah Emery, PhD @noahemery.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
Literal nightmare. It’s 2017 all over again. Federal hiring freezes could potentially impact the Match. I matched in 2017 and it ask worked out fine. Hope it does this time too. Stay frosty out there folks.
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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 20/01/2025
"Mental health is so important" is a phrase said by just about everyone these days - the public, influencers, politicians, & big corporations... But rarely is this phrase followed by action to hire more providers, pay them their worth, or make MH services more accessible/affordable for the public 🤷‍♂️
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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 13/01/2025
Overall, let's all be more aware of how depression is presented online & how it can impact our understandings/beliefs. While not perfect...it's great to see YouTubers normalize conversations and encourage support for those in need. 💙 9/9 #MentalHealth #Depression #Stigma #MentalHealthAwareness
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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 13/01/2025
Our work underscores how these portrayals impact stigma, mental health literacy, and help-seeking behaviors. Accurate and supportive online content is crucial for societal change. I wrote a lay-friendly analysis here on the implications of these messages: theconversation.com/we-studied-d... 8/9
theconversation.com
We studied depression messages on YouTube videos and found dangerous and stigmatizing stereotypes prevail
Stigma has long been an issue in mental illness. Even as people open up and share their experiences about depression, though, stigma is remaining a stubborn part of messaging.
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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 13/01/2025
Alarmingly, nearly one-third of videos were posted by non-professional vloggers. Only 9% came from mental health organizations, highlighting a gap in MH professional/expert voices online. In the era of misinformation/disinformation, this is concerning... 7/9
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Andrew Devendorf, PhD @andrewdevendorf.bsky.social · 13/01/2025
YouTube videos (N = 327) most often mentioned the following treatments for depression: 1. Medication (47.4%) 2. Psychotherapy (42.8%) 3. Diet/exercise (28.4%) 4. Alternative treatments (22.6%) 5. Mindfulness practices (15%) 6. "Other" (8%, e.g., ECT therapy) 6/9
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