Research in the lab examines cognitive and behavioral factors related to the development, course, and comorbidity of common psychological symptoms. We primarily focus on features that occur transdiagnostically across multiple anxiety, mood, and trauma-related disorders (for example, repetitive negative thought like worry or rumination). Our work is ultimately aimed at preventing and treating psychological problems. Our key areas of research are: (1) predicting psychopathology by studying features that distinguish “normal” from pathological experiences, (2) shared vs. distinct features across disorders that may help explain why many people develop more than one psychological disorder, and (3) use of evidence-based interventions for psychological problems.
Ongoing Projects:
Improving Suicide Assessment and Intervention: The goal of this project is to understand how mental health providers in the community assess and treat suicidal thoughts, and what predicts use of evidence-based treatments.
Statistical Risk Factors for Suicidal Ideation and Behavior: Led by 2025 lab graduate Declan Miles, this research aims to identify common factors reported by individuals who experience thoughts of suicide and previous suicidal behavior.
A Pilot Study of In-Class CBT Skills for College Students: This pilot study examines the implementation and impact of in-class CBT skills training in an undergraduate psychopathology course.
The Relationship of Meta-Cognitive Beliefs to the Experience of Worry, Rumination, and Intrusive Thought: The goal of this project is to test how strongly metacognitive beliefs (or thoughts about thoughts) relate to worry (and GAD), rumination (and depression), and intrusive thoughts (and OCD).
Rhode Island IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (RI-INBRE) 2024-2026
Summer Student Training and Research Award (Summer STAR)
*This was previously called a PUI SURF Award
Summer 2025 Students: Carly Esposito '26, Juliette Bonchonsky '26, Gabriella Yacovelli '27
Summer 2024 Students: Declan Miles '25, Gracie Marcinczyk '25, Laney Manware '25
Selected Peer Reviewed Publications:
Minkel, J. D., Pascuzzi, E., Mushkat, Z., Gentes, E. L., & Adams, S. K. (2023) Insufficient sleep blunts positive but not negative affective response to emotionally complex film clips. Journal of Sleep Research.
Gentes, E. L. & Ruscio, A.M. (2023). Metacognitive appraisals of perseverative cognition: A prospective test across thought types. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 47, 958–967.
Lieberman, P. B., Gentes, E. L., & Russell, S. A. (2020). Predictors of outcomes of acute partial hospitalization: An exploratory study. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 208, 194-200.
Gentes, E. L., Schry, A. R., *Hicks, T. A., Clancy, C. P., Collie, C. F., Kirby, A. C., Dennis, M. F., Hertzberg, M. A., Beckham, J. C., & Calhoun, P. S. (2016). Prevalence and correlates of cannabis use in an outpatient VA posttraumatic stress disorder clinic. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 30, 415-421.
Schry, A. R., Rissling, M. B., Gentes, E. L., Beckham, J. C., Kudler, H. S., Straits-Troster, K., & Calhoun, P.S. (2015). The relationship between post-traumatic stress symptoms and physical health in a survey of U.S. Iraq and Afghanistan era veterans. Psychosomatics, 56, 674-684.
Gentes, E., Dennis, P.A., Kimbrel, N.A., Kirby, A.C., Hair, L.P., Beckham, J.C. & Calhoun, P.S. (2015). Latent Factor Structure of DSM-5 Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Psychopathology Review, 2, 17-29. PMC Journal – In Process.
Gentes, E. L. & Ruscio, A. M. (2015). Do negative appraisals of unwanted thoughts predict negative outcomes? A test of the effect of negative appraisals across thought types. Journal of Experimental Psychopathology, 6, 1-18.
Ruscio, A. M., Gentes, E. L., Jones, J. D., Hallion, L. S., Coleman, E. S., & Swendsen, J. (2015). Rumination predicts heightened responding to stressful life events in major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 124, 17-26.
Selected Conference Presentations:
*Indicates a PC undergraduate student author
*Miles, D., Geana Armstrong, A., & Gentes, E. L. (2025, November). Common Factors in Individuals at Risk for Suicide. Poster to be presented at the annual meeting for the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, New Orleans, LA.
*Glennon, B., & Gentes, E. L. (2024, November). Anxiety and Depression Symptoms and Certainty in Negative Future Predictions: The Role of Intolerance of Uncertainty and Perseverative Thought. Poster presented at the annual meeting for the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Philadelphia, PA.
*Petrycki, C., *Rosnov, Z., *Margulies, H., *Bonchonsky, J., *Glennon, B., & Gentes, E. L. (2024, November). Repetitive Negative Thought, Subjective Stress, and Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety. Poster presented at the annual meeting for the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Philadelphia, PA.
*Rosnov, Z., *Peacock, J., *Petrycki, C., *Wheldon, O., *Bonchonsky, J., & Gentes, E. L. (2024, September). Intolerance of Uncertainty in Trauma and PTSD. Poster presented at the annual meeting for the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Boston, MA.