Congratulations to Malcolm McCarthy for Presenting at the American Psychological Association 2026 Annual Convention
We are thrilled to congratulate Malcolm McCarthy, an undergraduate psychology student in the ISSUES Lab, for presenting his first-authored research poster at the American Psychological Association (APA) 2026 Annual Convention, held August 6-8, 2026 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC!
Malcolm’s poster, titled:
“How Multiple Environmental Factors Influence Mental Health Outcomes”
explores how neighborhood-level environmental conditions including greenspace exposure and suicide death concentrations shape mental health and suicide risk across census tracts in Cook County, Illinois. The study integrates spatial data and statistical modeling to disentangle the complex relationships between depression burden, environmental predictors, and suicide mortality.
Key Findings
- Neighborhoods with higher depression burden were not the same neighborhoods with higher suicide mortality, highlighting that these are distinct spatial phenomena.
- Higher greenspace predicted greater depression while also being associated with reduced suicide incidence.
- Walkability and greenspace together influenced the co-location of depression and suicidality.
- Suicide locations were closer to greenspace boundaries than random control points, and suicide risk increased within 1 km of nearby greenspace.
Policy Implications
The research points to actionable environmental design strategies such as accessible greenspace, improved walkability, and targeted community support services as levers for reducing mental health disparities in urban areas.
Co-authored with Dr. Gia Barboza-Salerno and Dr. Karla Shockley-McCarthy, Malcolm’s presentation was part of the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI) poster session (Division 9).
This is an outstanding achievement for an undergraduate researcher. Malcolm’s presentation reflects the caliber of work being done in the ISSUES Lab and his dedication to evidence-based science in service of community wellbeing. We are incredibly proud of you, Malcolm!
Malcolm McCarthy
Undergraduate Geospatial Analyst
Malcolm is a third-year psychology major with minors in GIS and ASL studies interested in pursuing a clinical psychology PhD.
Dr. Gia Elise Barboza-Salerno
Director
I am an interdisciplinary scholar whose research integrates law, public health, social work, and advanced statistics to study childhood adversity, violence-related harm, and neighborhood-level inequities. I lead the ISSUES Lab at Ohio State, translating spatial and legal analysis into policy and practice.
Dr. Karla Shockley McCarthy
Co-Director
Dr. Karla Shockley, PhD, LMSW, TRCC, FSW, is a Principal Investigator and Senior Research Consultant at the Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center, where she leads applied health services and population health research. She uses a collaborative team approach to design and execute mixed methods studies, develops survey instrumentation, oversees qualitative and quantitative analyses, and employs various dissemination methods. Her work centers on translating complex data into actionable insights that inform public health.