Laura Hennefield
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
- Phone: 314-286-1700
- Email: lhennefield@nospam.wustl.edu
Education & Training
- Postdoctoral Research Fellowship: Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 2020
- Ph.D.: Washington University in St Louis, 2015
- M.S.: CUNY Hunter College, 2008
- B.S.: State University of New York at Purchase, 2005
Major Awards
- Early Career Researcher Innovation Grant, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), Understanding and Assessing Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in School-Age Children, 2024 – 2026
- NIMH K01 Mentored Research Scientist Career Development Award, Suicidality in Young Children: Social and Cognitive Developmental Markers of Risk and Resiliency, 2022
- NICHD F32 Ruth L. Kirschstein Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (NRSA), Development of Optimism in Preschool Age Children, 2017-2020
Research Interests
Child Psychopathology, Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in Childhood
Recent Publications
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Preadolescent Benefits of Parent–Child Interaction Therapy Emotion Development for Preschool Depression: 4-Year Follow-Up
Elansary, M., Barch, D. M., Tillman, R., Dandrea, C. B., Vogel, A. C., Donohue, M. R., Hennefield, L., Gilbert, K. & Luby, J. L., May 2026, In: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 65, 5, p. 669-684 16 p.
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Reevaluating Suicide Risk Screening in Preadolescents: Beyond Safety Toward Strategic Integration—Authors’ Reply
Hennefield, L., Thompson, R. J., Barch, D. M., Luking, K. R. & Luby, J. L., Mar 2026, In: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 65, 3, p. 328-330 3 p.
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Engaging With Mature Media Content Is Linked to Depression and Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in Childhood and Early Adolescents
Tuck, A. B., Thompson, R., Grasso, G., Tillman, R., Barch, D. M., Luby, J. L. & Hennefield, L., 2026, (Accepted/In press) In: Journal of Early Adolescence.
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Asking Preadolescents About Suicide Is Not Associated With Increased Suicidal Thoughts
Hennefield, L., Luking, K. R., Tillman, R., Barch, D. M., Luby, J. L. & Thompson, R. J., Jan 2026, In: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 65, 1, p. 34-41 8 p.
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Early Emotion Development Intervention Improves Mental Health Outcomes in Low-Income, High-Risk Community Children
Hennefield, L., Alberts, K., Donohue, M. R., Tillman, R., McCoy, A., Diggs, G., Paul, Z. A., Kohl, P. L. & Luby, J. L., Oct 2025, In: Child Psychiatry and Human Development. 56, 5, p. 1457-1471 15 p.