Cynthia Battle is a licensed clinical psychologist whose research focuses on women's perinatal mental health, specifically depression during pregnancy and the postpartum period. She received a career development award and a treatment development grant from NIMH which have supported her work developing a family-based treatment for postpartum depression. In addition, she has directed an NIMH study to examine barriers to care and treatment preferences among depressed perinatal women.

Biography

Dr. Battle received her bachelor's degree from Vassar College, and her masters and doctoral degrees from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She came to Brown in 1999 to train as a predoctoral intern in clinical psychology, and continued to complete a NIMH-funded postdoctoral fellowship focused on treatment development research. She joined the faculty in 2002 and since that time has served as principal investigator or co-investigator on several NIH research grants focused on perinatal depression. Her work is based at Butler and Women & Infants' Hospitals.

Research Description

Cynthia Battle's research is focused upon women's mental health during pregnancy and the postpartum period, with particular emphasis on developing and evaluating psychosocial interventions for treating perinatal mood disorders. Dr. Battle currently serves as PI of two NIMH-funded investigations. One study is examining treatment-seeking behaviors and barriers to care among depressed pregnant women, the other is focused on developing a home-based family treatment for postpartum depression. Dr. Battle is also co-investigator on two other NIMH R01 investigations related to maternal depression and infant outcomes.

Awards

Psychology department honors awarded for academic excellence and completion of honors thesis, Vassar College, 1989

General honors awarded for academic achievement, Vassar College, 1989

Recognized for excellence in teaching by the University of Massachusetts Division of Continuing Education, 1997 & 1998

Recipient of the Jeanne Humphrey Block Dissertation Award from Harvard University/Radcliffe College, 1999

Young Investigator Award, North American Society for Psychosocial Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2002

Affiliations

American Psychological Association
Association for the Advancement of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies
International Association for Women's Mental Health
Marcé Society (International society for the understanding, prevention, and treatment of mental illness related to childbearing)
North American Society for Psychosocial Obstetrics & Gynecology

Funded Research

CURRENT RESEARCH SUPPORT

National Institute of Mental Health, R34MH79108 (Battle) 8/13/2007–6/30/2010; "Treatment-Seeking for Depression Among Pregnant Women"
Role: Principal Investigator

National Institute of Mental Health R34MH083065 (Battle) 7/1/2008-4/30/2011 "Development of a Home-Based Family Treatment for Postpartum Depression"
Role: Principal Investigator

National Institute of Mental Health R01 MH079153 (Stroud) 9/01/2007-6/30/2012 "Maternal Depression, Placental HPA Regulation, & Fetal-Neonatal Stress Response"
Role: Co-Investigator; Site Principal Investigator

National Institute of Mental Health R01MH078033 (Salisbury) 2/01/2008-1/31/2013 "Fetal and Neonatal Response to Prenatal Antidepressant Exposure"
Role: Co-Investigator; Site Principal Investigator

COMPLETED RESEARCH SUPPORT

National Institute of Mental Health K23MH066402 (Battle) 9/23/2002-9/30/2008 "Family Treatment for Postpartum Depression"
Role: Principal Investigator

View My Full Publication List in pdf format

Selected Publications

• Stroud, L. R., Paster, R. L., Papndonatos, G. D., Niaura, R., Salisbury, A. L., Battle, C. L., Lagasse, L. L., & Lester, B. (2009). Maternal smoking during pregnancy and newborn neurobehavior: Effects at 10-27 days. The Journal of Pediatrics, 154 (1), 4-5.(2009)
• Battle, C.L., Zlotnick, C., Pearlstein, T., Miller, I.W., Howard, M., Salisbury, A.L. & Stroud, L. (2008). Depression and breastfeeding: Which postpartum patients take antidepressant medications? Depression and Anxiety, 25, 888-891(2008)
• Uebelacker, L.A., Battle, C.L., Friedman, M.A., Cardemil, E.V., Beevers, C.G., Miller, I.W. (2008). The importance of interpersonal treatment goals to depressed inpatients. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 196, 217-222.(2008)
• Battle, C.L., Zlotnick, C., Miller, I.W., Pearlstein, T., Howard, M. (2006). Clinical characteristics of perinatal psychiatric patients: A chart review study. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 194, 369-377.(2006)
• Pearlstein, T., Zlotnick, C., Battle, C.L., Stuart, S., O'Hara, M.W., Price, A.B., Grause, A., Howard, M. (2006). Selection of treatment modality for postpartum depression. Archives of Women's Mental Health, 9, 303-308.(2006)
• Howard, M., Battle, C.L., Pearlstein, T., & Rosene-Montella, K. (2006). A psychiatric mother-baby day hospital for pregnant and postpartum women. Archives of Women's Mental Health, 9, 213-218.(2006)
• Battle, C.L. & Miller, I.W. (2005). Families and forgiveness. In Worthington, E. L. (Ed). Handbook of Forgiveness. New York: Brunner/Routledge.(2005)
• Battle, C.L. & Zlotnick, C. (2005). Prevention of postpartum depression. Psychiatric Annals, 35, 590-598.(2005)
• Battle, C.L., Shea, M.T., Johnson, D.M., Yen, S., Zlotnick, C., Zanarini, M.C., Sanislow, C.A., Skodol, A.E., Gunderson, J.G., Grilo, C.M., McGlashan, T.H., & Morey, L.C. (2004). Childhood maltreatment associated with adult personality disorders: Findings from the Collaborative Longitudinal Study of Personality Disorders. Journal of Personality Disorders, 18, 193-211(2004)
• Battle, C.L. (2004). Promoting increased understanding of sexual diversity through experiential learning. Teaching of Psychology, 31, 118-120.(2004)
• Zlotnick, C., Johnson, D.M., Yen, S., Battle, C.L., Sanislow, C.A., Skodol, A.E., Grilo, C.M., McGlashan, T.H., Gunderson, J.G., Bender, D.S., Zanarini, M.C., & Shea, M.T. (2003). Clinical features and impairment in women with borderline personality disorder (BPD), with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), BPD without PTSD, and other personality disorders with PTSD. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 191, 706-713.(2003)
• Cardemil, E.V. & Battle, C.L. (2003). Guess who's coming to therapy? Getting comfortable with conversations about race and ethnicity in psychotherapy. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 34 (3), 278-286.(2003)
• Battle, C.L., Zlotnick, C., Najavits, L.M., Gutierrez, M., & Winsor, C. (2002). Posttraumatic stress disorder and substance use disorder among incarcerated women. In Brown, P. J. & Ouimette, P.C. (Eds.) PTSD and Substance Use Disorder Comorbidity. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.(2002)