Recently minted Brown Ph.D. Samantha Rosenthal is a research associate in the Department of Epidemiology in the Brown University School of Public Health as well as in the Brown Institute for the Study of Environmental Science. She double-majored in chemical and biomedical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. Her career began at Proctor & Gamble, but she quickly turned toward public health. Her dissertation focused on connections between Facebook and depression as well as global disease outbreaks. She has said that she is “generally interested in relieving distress of whatever type.”
PBN: Diminishing psychological suffering is an interesting goal for behavioral health. How did you come to identify the need?
ROSENTHAL: Early on, I worked for a consumer products company. It was hard work and enjoyable, but I wasn’t convinced the work had any meaningful or positive impact on people. That is when I transitioned to public health. I focused on relieving psychological suffering because it is widespread and affects people regardless of age, gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic position, and sexual orientation.
PBN: What did you find when researching your dissertation about links between social media and depression?
ROSENTHAL: My research suggests that young adults who experience meanness, misunderstandings, or unwanted contact on Facebook are more likely to be depressed than those who don’t. These negative experiences on Facebook are very common; more than 80 percent reported at least one negative experience. Also, females and those with a history of depression are more upset by these negative experiences.
PBN: How did you find drinking and problems for female college students to correlate?
ROSENTHAL: Quantity of alcohol consumption was not predictive of new onset depression among first-year female college students. Rather, alcohol-related consequences, such as relationship problems, declining grades, and campus discipline significantly predicted depression. This suggests that when identifying students with alcohol-related consequences on college campuses, health care providers should introduce both alcohol use – and misuse – education and targeted mental health care.
PBN: What about the transition to adulthood makes it so fraught with mental health risks?
ROSENTHAL: The transition to adulthood is a time of change marked by increased independence and role changes. It is an emotionally challenging time full of making and carrying out decisions about education, work, finances, living arrangements, and new relationships. Research has shown that during the transition to adulthood, an individual’s support system or lack thereof is known to influence psychopathology and risk behaviors.
PBN: How does your career today suit you compared to when you were working for the consumer products company?
ROSENTHAL: Today, my career still requires hard work, but it is much more rewarding. I am confident that my efforts are worthwhile and have the potential to improve peoples’ lives.
