Mary Fristad, PhD, ABPP

Dr. Fristad is a 1986 graduate of the University of Kansas clinical psychology program. She completed her clinical child psychology internship at Brown University and is board certified both in clinical psychology and in clinical child and adolescent psychology. She is a Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology and Human Nutrition at the Ohio State University, where she has been on faculty since 1986. Dr. Fristad is the Director of Research and Psychological Services in the OSU Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; her area of specialty is childhood mood disorders. She has published over 150 articles and book chapters addressing the assessment and treatment of childhood-onset depression, suicidality and bipolar disorder (manic-depression). In 2011, Dr. Fristad published a treatment manual, Psychotherapy for Children with Bipolar and Depressive Disorders as well as accompanying parent, child and therapist workbooks for multi-family and individual-family psychoeducational psychotherapy (MF-PEP and IF-PEP). She recently co-wrote two books for professionals, A Clinical Manual for the Management of Bipolar Disorder in Children and Adolescents and Childhood Mental Health Disorders: Evidence Base and Contextual Factors for Psychosocial, Psychopharmacological and Combined Interventions and one for families, Raising a Moody Child: How to Cope with Depression and Bipolar Disorder. Dr. Fristad has served on and chaired many NIMH review committees. She is serving a second presidential term on the Executive Board for the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (APA Division 53), has chaired the Serious Emotional Disturbance committee of the American Psychological Association Task Force for Serious Mental Illness/Serious Emotional Disturbance and served on the APA Task Force, Psychotropic Medications & Children. She serves on the Board of Directors for four web-based education and support groups for children and families with mood disorders. Dr. Fristad has been the principal or co-principal investigator on over two dozen federal, state, local grants focused on assessment and treatment of mood disorders in children.

Research Areas

I am interested, broadly speaking, in improving the assessment and treatment of mood disorders (depressive and bipolar spectrum) in children. Current studies include the Longitudinal Assessment of Manic Symptoms (LAMS) study, the impact of a multi-nutrient, EMP+, on children with severe mood dysregulation (SMD), an efficacy-to-effectiveness trial of MF-PEP in the community, an adaptation of MF-PEP for children with autism spectrum disorders, another adaptation of MF-PEP for adolescents with mood disorders, and an adaptation of IF-PEP delivered via tele-health capabilities. More details about each of these can be found at www.moodychildtherapy.com

Selected Publications

Findling, R.L., Youngstrom, E.A., Fristad, M.A., Birmaher, B., Kowatch, R.A., Arnold, L.E., Frazier, T.W., Axelson, D., Ryan, N., Demeter, C., Gill, M.K., Fields, B., Depew, J., Kennedy, S.M., Marsh, L., Rowles, B.M. & Horwitz, S.M. (2011). Characteristics of children with elevated symptoms of mania: the Longitudinal Assessment of Manic Symptoms (LAMS) Study. J Clin Psychiatry.

Fristad, M.A., (2010). Development of emotion regulation in children of bipolar parents: Treatment implications. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice. 17:187-190.

Leffler, J.M.*, Fristad, M.A. & Klaus, N.M.* (2010). Psychoeducational psychotherapy (PEP) for children with bipolar disorder: Two case studies. J Fam Psychotherapy. 21:269–286.

Mendenhall, A.N.*, Davidson, K.H.* & Fristad, M.A. (2011). The Service Provider and Medication Usage Grids: A new method to measure "Treatment as Usual" (TAU)." Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal.

Nadkarni, R.B*. & Fristad, M.A. (2010). Clinical course of children with a depressive spectrum disorder and transient manic symptoms. Bipolar Disorders. 12(5): 494-503.

Horwitz, S.M., Demeter, C., Pagano, M.E., Youngstrom, E.A., Fristad, M.A., Arnold, L.E., Birmaher, B., Gill, M.K., Axelson, D., Kowatch, R.A. & Findling, R.L. (2011). Identification of a childhood bipolar phenotype—the Longitudinal Assessment of Symptoms of Mania Study: Background, design and initial screening. J Clin Psychiatr.

Lofthouse, N.,* Fristad, M.A., Spaingard, M., Kelleher, K., Hayes, J. & Resko, S. (2010). Web-survey of pharmacological and non-pharmacological sleep interventions for children with early-onset bipolar spectrum disorders. J Aff Disorders, 120: 267-271.

Danner, S.*, Fristad, M.A., Arnold, L.E., Youngstrom, E.A., Birmaher, B., Horwitz, S.M., Demeter, C., Findling, R.L. Kowatch, R.A. & the LAMS Group. (2009). Early-onset bipolar spectrum disorders: Diagnostic issues. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev, 12:271-293.

Fields, B.W.* & Fristad, M.A. (2009). Assessment of childhood bipolar disorder. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice. 16(2): 166-181.

Frazier, E.A.*, Fristad, M.A. & Arnold, L.E. (2009). Multinutrient supplement as treatment: Literature review and case report of a 12-year-old boy with bipolar disorder. Journal of Child & Adolescent Psychopharmacology, 19(4): 453-460.

Fristad, M.A., Verducci, J.S., Walters, K. & Young, M.E.* (2009). The impact of multi-family psychoeducational psychotherapy in treating children aged 8-12 with mood disorders. Archives of General Psychiatry. 66(9);1013-1021.

Mendenhall, A.N.*, Fristad, M.A. & Early, T. (2009). Factors influencing service utilization and mood symptom severity in children with mood disorders: Effects of Multi-Family Psychoeducation Groups (MFPG). Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 77(3): 463-473.

Carlson, G.A., Findling, R.L., Post, R.M., Birmaher, B., Blumberg, H.P., Correll, C., DelBello, M.P., Fristad, M., Frazier, J., Hammen, C., Hinshaw, S.P., Kowatch, R., Leibenluft, E., Meyer, S.E., Pavuluri, M.N., Wagner, K.D. & Tohen, M. (2009). AACAP 2006 Research Forum—Advancing research in early-onset bipolar disorder: Barriers and suggestions. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, 19(1): 3-12.

*indicates current or former students or post-doctoral trainees