Melissa L. Bessaha, PhD, LMSW, MA
Assistant Professor
Email: Melissa.Bessaha@stonybrook.edu
Phone: 631-638-2514
Curriculum Vitae
EDUCATION
Ph.D., University of Maryland, (Social Work)
M.S.W., New York University
M.A., Stony Brook University
B.S., Stony Brook University
AREAS OF INTEREST
Mental health and educational disparities among adolescents and young adults, Immigration and social determinants of mental health during the transition to adulthood, Influence of social relationships, Higher education equity, Social Work in higher education, Evaluating programs serving transition age youth
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Bessaha, M.L., Sabbath, E.L., Morris, Z., Malik, S., Scheinfeld, L., & Saragossi, J. (2020). A systematic review of loneliness interventions among non-elderly adults. Clinical Social Work Journal, 48 (1), 110-125. https://doi.org/10.
Thompson, T., Rodebaugh, T.L., Bessaha, M.L., & Sabbath, E. (2020). The association between social isolation and health: An analysis of parent-adolescent dyads from the Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating Study. Clinical Social Work Journal, 48 (1), 18-24. https://doi.org/10.1007/
Bessaha, M.L., Solis, C., Franks, C., Yoon, J., Dualeh, D., Monroy-Caceres, H., Cuesta, G., & Rodriguez, E. (2018). Social work in higher education: Internships in opportunity programs. Teaching in Social Work. https://doi.org/10.1080/
SELECTED PRESENTATIONS
Bessaha, M.L., Mushonga, D., & Fedina, L. (2019, October). College student perceptions of institutional responses to sexual assault reporting and general help-seeking intentions. Paper presentation at the Society for the Study of Emerging Adulthood 9th Conference, Toronto, ON.
Bessaha, M.L. Reed, R., Donlon, A., Matthews, W., Bell, A., & Merolla, D. (2019, October). Voices heard: College students with disabilities use participatory action research to enact campus-wide change. Symposium at the Society for the Study of Emerging Adulthood, 9th Conference, Toronto, ON.
Bessaha, M.L. (2018, July). Barriers to mental health service utilization among emerging adult immigrants in the United States. Paper presentation at the Joint World Conference on Social Work, Education and Social Development (SWSD), Dublin, Ireland.
Bessaha, M.L., Fedina, L., & Backes, B. (2017, November). Factors associated with sexual assault police reporting and victim service utilization among college-enrolled emerging adults. Symposium at the American Society of Criminology Meeting, Philadelphia, PA.
GRANTS/AWARDS
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): Minority Fellowship Program, provided through the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), 2015 – 2016
University of Maryland, Baltimore: Competitive Innovation Research Award, 2015