CBDMH Co-Director

s_lopezSteven R. López, PhD is a Professor of Psychology and Social Work at the University of Southern California. His research provides a critical cultural perspective to the study of psychopathology, assessment, and intervention of Latinos and other ethnic minority groups. In one line of research, his research team has developed a heuristic model of cultural competence for clinical practice, which, with support from California’s Mental Health Services Act, they are currently testing. In a second line of research, Professor López studies the relationship of family factors and the course of schizophrenia, particularly among Mexican American families. One of their aims is to better understand the role of emotional over involvement and its relationship to relapse. In collaboration with Dr. Carmen Lara in Puebla, Mexico and Dr. Alex Kopelowicz at UCLA, Dr. López has also developed a public education campaign to help Spanish speaking family members recognize the key signs of psychosis so that they will be able to seek services promptly. With support from the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities, Dr. López and Dr. Lara direct a summer research-training program in Puebla, Mexico. Among the goals is to increase the number of researchers committed to studying disparities in mental health care for Latinos in the United States.  website  |  email hidden; JavaScript is required