Verified by Psychology Today

Mitch Prinstein Ph.D.

About

Mitchell J. Prinstein, Ph.D., ABPP, is the John Van Seters Distinguished Professor of Psychology and the Director of Clinical Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Miami and completed his internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the Brown University Clinical Psychology Training Consortium. He is board certified (ABPP) in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology.

Mitch’s research examines interpersonal models of internalizing symptoms and health risk behaviors among adolescents, with a specific focus on the unique role of peer relationships in the developmental psychopathology of depression and self-injury. His research is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute of Child and Human Development, and several private foundations.

He is the Incoming Editor of the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, and the co-editor of the public service website Effective Child Therapy, designed to help parents and professionals learn more about evidence-based treatment options for children and adolescents, sponsored by the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies and the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology.

Mitch is a member of the Board of Directors of the American Psychological Association. He has received several national and university-based awards recognizing his contributions to research (American Psychological Association Society of Clinical Psychology Theodore Blau Early Career Award, Columbia University/Brickell Award for research on suicidality, APA Fellow of the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology), teaching/mentoring (ABCT Mentor Award, UNC Chapel Hill Tanner Award for Undergraduate Teaching), and professional development of graduate students (American Psychological Association of Graduate Students Raymond D. Fowler Award). Mitch's work has been featured in many popular media outlets (e.g., The New York Times, NPR), and he has appeared on over two dozen local and national television news programs to discuss his research.

Books by Mitch Prinstein Ph.D.
Recent Posts
"One Reason Why" Parents Should Worry about Teen Suicide

It doesn't matter if your child watches the show or not. Here's why children may be at risk, why they are so susceptible to popular media, and what you can do now.

It doesn't matter if your child watches the show or not. Here's why children may be at risk, why they are so susceptible to popular media, and what you can do now.

Life with a Mentally Ill Parent

A riveting new book chronicles one woman's experiences with a mentally-ill parent, and offers remarkable inspiration for coping as an adult

A riveting new book chronicles one woman's experiences with a mentally-ill parent, and offers remarkable inspiration for coping as an adult

If We Don't Ask, We'll Never Know

After a few minutes with a mental health professional, this is what parents are shocked to learn about their kids.

After a few minutes with a mental health professional, this is what parents are shocked to learn about their kids.

How 6th Grade Predicts Your Future

Recent research reveals remarkably strong links between the way you got along with your peers in elementary school and a wide range of outcomes in adulthood.

Recent research reveals remarkably strong links between the way you got along with your peers in elementary school and a wide range of outcomes in adulthood.

Don't Click! A Simple Solution to Save our American Girls

What if we banded together to stop the assault on our daughter's mental health? Every one of us has contributed to the horrible media messages that bombard American girls. But there is is one simple solution. Don't click! If for one month, no one clicked on internet stories that distorted girls' values about their self worth, then we would be sending a message to stop!

What if we banded together to stop the assault on our daughter's mental health? Every one of us has contributed to the horrible media messages that bombard American girls. But there is is one simple solution. Don't click! If for one month, no one clicked on internet stories that distorted girls' values about their self worth, then we would be sending a message to stop!

Therapy
Is Your Child’s Therapy a Waste of Time?

You can rely on a pediatrician to offer treatment proven to work, but this is not the case for mental health providers. Parents need to ask questions, do their research, and select treatment that has been proven to work.

You can rely on a pediatrician to offer treatment proven to work, but this is not the case for mental health providers. Parents need to ask questions, do their research, and select treatment that has been proven to work.