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Grayson Holmbeck

Professor Emeritus

Education

Ph.D., 1987, Virginia Commonwealth University
B.S., 1980, Brown University 

Research Interests

My research interests cover the following areas: pediatric psychology (e.g., adolescents with physical disabilities), family relations during adolescence and young adulthood, statistical applications in psychology, and research design. My current research is concerned with how families of children with chronic physical conditions manage the transitions into adolescence and early adulthood and the implications that these transitions have for mental health and medical self-management.

I am currently working on data analyses related to 2 grant-funded projects on individuals with spina bifida. Spina bifida is a congenital birth defect that typically produces numerous medical problems, including orthopedic, bowel/bladder, and neurological difficulties. The first project was an NINR-funded longitudinal study of adolescents and young adults with spina bifida which focused on self-management and the transition from pediatric to adult health care, as well as related family, psychosocial, and neuropsychological functioning. Participants were studied in their homes with observational, interview, questionnaire, and neuropsychological assessment methodologies. The second study was funded by the Kiwanis Neuroscience Research Foundation and examined the effectiveness of a camp-based independence program for children, adolescents, and young adults with spina bifida. 

For more information about my research on adolescents with spina bifida, click on the following link: CHATS Lab

Publications/Research Listings

Publications since 2023

  1. Driscoll, C. F. B. & Holmbeck, G. N. (2023). Self-management in youth with spina bifida: Associations with parent factors in the context of a summer camp intervention. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 48, 51-66.
  2. Stiles-Shields, C., Kritikos, T. K., Winning, A. M., Starnes, M., & Holmbeck, G. N. (2023). Caregiver expressed emotion in families of youth with spina bifida: Demographic, medical, and family correlates. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 48, 144-155.
  3. Ridosh, M. M., Adams, W., Magaña, F., Sawin, K. J., & Holmbeck, G. N. (2023). Trajectories of self-management and independence in youth with spina bifida: Demographic predictors of growth. Child: Care, Health and Development, 49(3), 508-517.
  4. Ohanian, D. M. & Holmbeck, G. N. (2023). Bi-directional, longitudinal associations between chronic pain and family functioning in youth with spina bifida.Family, Systems, & Health, 41, 478-487.
  5. Darow, E.L., Flax, M.A., Clark, O.E., Holmbeck, G.N., & Smith, Z.R. (2023). Comparing cognitive disengagement syndrome growth in youth with and without spina bifida. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 48, 720-730.
  6. Ridosh, M. M., Smith, Z., Adams, W., Brei, T. J., Fremion, E., Holmbeck, G. N., Roach, A. J., Sawin, K. J., & Sherburne, E. (2024). Adolescent/Young Adult Self-Management and Independence Self-Report Scale: Preliminary psychometric findings. Child: Care, Health and Development,50(1), e13229. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.13229
  7. Ridosh, M.M., Adams, W., Driscoll, C.F.B., Magaña, F., Sawin K.J., & Holmbeck, G.N. (2024). Trajectories of self-management and independence in youth with spina bifida: Family-related predictors of growth. Research in Nursing and Health, 47, 435-449.
  8. Clark, O.E., Smith, Z.R., Hilderbrand, T.L., & Holmbeck, G.N. (2024). Growth of condition-related knowledge among youth with spina bifida: Associations with neurocognitive functioning and self-management skills. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 49, 449-458.
  9. Kritikos, T.K.,Smith, Z.R., Stiles-Shields, C., Clark, O., Winning, A.M., Encalade, A., Hendrix, M., Helgeson, V., & Holmbeck, G.N. (2024). Inclusive measure development: Amplifying the voices of adolescents and young adults with spina bifida in a new measure of benefit-finding and growth. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 49, 802-811.
  10. Kritikos, T. K., Stiles-Shields, C., Leard, R., & Holmbeck, G. (2024). Barriers to transitioning from pediatric to adult healthcare among young adults with spina bifida. Health Care Transitions, 2, 100054. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hctj.2024.100054
  11. Ridosh, M. M., Adams, W., Payne, A. D., Hilderbrand, T. L., Magaña, F., Sawin, K. J., & Holmbeck, G. N. (2024). Contextual predictors of self-management and independence trajectories in adolescents and young adults with spina bifida. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 66(10), 1329–1339. https://doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.15900
  12. Payne, A. d., Smith, Z. R., & Holmbeck, G. N. (2024). Development of inattention and executive dysfunction in youth with spina bifida: Condition severity variables as predictors. Child Neuropsychology, 31, 711-731. https://doi.org/10.1080/09297049.2024.2428673
  13. Suhs, M. C., Bryant, B. L., Hilderbrand, T. L., Holmbeck, G. N. (2025). The importance of friendship: Influence of peer relationship factors on adjustment in youth with spina bifida. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 50, 479–487.
  14. Holmbeck, G. N., Clark, O., Hilderbrand, T., Kritikos, T., Psihogios, A. M., Ridosh, M., & Stiles-Shields, C. (2025). The daily phone diary in adolescents and young adults with spina bifida: Utility and psychometric evidence. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 50, 820-830.
  15. Bowman, R. M., Muller, R., Scoville, J., Winning, A. M., Payne, A. d., Fagan, A., Murray, C., Papadakis, J. L., Meyer, T., Fletcher, J. M., & Holmbeck, G. N. (2025). Asymptomatic ventriculomegaly in myelomeningocele: A matched cohort study of neuropsychological outcomes across institutions with varying shunt rates. Child’s Nervous System, 41, 196. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-025-06847-9
  16. Ridosh, M., Adams, W., Magaña, F., Sawin K.J., & Holmbeck, G.N. (2025). Self-management in youth with spina bifida: Predictors of health and quality of life outcomes. Disability and Rehabilitation, 48(7), 2062-2079. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2025.2547396
  17. Winning, A. M., Payne, A. d., Ohanian, D., Fagan, A., Murray, C., Papadakis, J. L., Bowman, R. M., & Holmbeck, G.N. (2025). Family factors as moderators of the association between neuropsychological functioning and psychosocial and developmental outcomes in youth with spina bifida.Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 50, 970-980.
  18. Payne, A. d., Suhs, M. C., Winning, A. M., Fagan, A. S., & Holmbeck, G. N. (2025). Neuropsychological predictors of growth in condition-related self-management skill mastery in youth with spina bifida. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 50, 1153-1161.
  19. Clark, O. E., Suhs, M. C., Hilderbrand, T. L., Ridosh, M. M., Wartman, E. C., Darow, E., & Holmbeck, G. N. (2026). Understanding disease aetiology and related needs knowledge of parents of children with spina bifida. Child: Care, Health and Development, 52, https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.70229
  20. Holmbeck, G. N., Kritikos, T. K., Clark, O. E., Payne, A. d., Dattilo, T. M., Driscoll, C. F. B., Hilderbrand, T. L., Ridosh, M. M., & Stiles-Shields, C. (in press). The transition from pediatric to adult healthcare in spina bifida: An interview-based measure. Journal of Pediatric Psychology.  https://doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jsaf107.
  21. Bryant, B. L., Ohanian, D. M., Bryant, K. M., Hilderbrand, T. L., & Holmbeck, G. N. (in press). Neighborhood conditions and physical health, neurocognitive, and academic outcomes in youth with spina bifida. Journal of Pediatric Psychology.
  22. Streur, C., Elased, D., Kreschmer, J., Parten, R., Alhazmi, H., Gay, B., Duby, A., Schmalfuss, H., Goldstein, J., Holmbeck, G., Prosser, L., & Bridges, J. (in press). Developing and piloting an instrument to prioritize the worries of female youth with a physical disability and mothers during the transition to adulthood. Medical Decision Making (MDM): Policy & Practice.