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Dr. Prevatt is a Meredith alum. She obtained a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from East Carolina University. After working in several different settings, she opened a private practice with a specialization in reproductive mental health and worked primarily with women and families experiencing infertility and perinatal mood disorders. Dr. Prevatt was prompted to return to graduate school by two factors: 1) she realized her passion for teaching undergraduate students while working as an adjunct professor at Meredith, and 2) she discovered an interest in research when her clinical work in the community necessitated an empirical examination. Dr. Prevatt’s current research interests broadly focus on developing evidence-based interventions for improving maternal mental health. She is particularly interested in examining the needs and experiences of mothers who belong to marginalized groups. Her research has been highlighted by NPR and cited in Vogue magazine. She is thrilled to join the psychology faculty at Meredith where she will get to come full-circle from student to professor.
Ph.D. in Psychology, 2018; North Carolina State University
M.A. in Clinical Psychology, 2001; East Carolina University
B.A. in Psychology, 1999; Meredith College
Licensed Psychological Associate (LPA) and Health Services Provider Psychological Associate (HSP-PA) in North Carolina
Clinical Psychologist, Private Practice, 2007 – present
Co-founder, Fertility Connections, 2010 – 2014
Disabilities Services Counselor, Meredith College Counseling Center, 2002 –2007
Staff Psychologist, Carolina Neuropsychological Service, August 2001 – October 2002
Psychology Intern, Cherry Psychiatric Hospital, January 2000 – May 2001
Phi Kappa Phi – NCSU, 2018
Award for Excellence in Classroom Teaching – Graduate Student Association, NCSU, March, 2018
Student Travel Award $200 – Applied Social and Community Psychology Program, NCSU, Spring 2018
John Oliver Cook Graduate Student Award in Psychology $1,355 – NCSU, 2018
Preparing the Professoriate Fellow – The Graduate School, NCSU, 2017-2018
Experiment.com $2,500 – Crowdsource funded research grant
Award for Excellence in Mentorship – Graduate Student Association, NCSU, March, 2017
Prevatt, B.-S., Lowder, E. M., Desmarais, S. L. (2018). Peer-support intervention for postpartum depression: Participant satisfaction and program effectiveness. Midwifery, 64, 38-47.
Prevatt, B.-S., & Desmarais, S. L. (2018). Facilitators and barriers to disclosure and help-seeking for postpartum mood disorder symptoms. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 22(1), 120-129. doi: 10.1007/s10995-017-2361-5. Winner of the American Public Health Association Lutterman Student Paper Award.
Prevatt, B.-S., Desmarais, S. L., & Janssen, P. A. (2017). Lifetime substance use and postpartum mental health. Archives of Women’s Mental Health, 20(1), 189-199. doi: 10.1007/s00737-016-0694-5