Our Lab
Dr. Melissa Fenton – Director
Our lab focuses on reducing behavioral health disparities among rural and LGBTQ+ adolescents and young adults by examining the influences of individual, family, community, and macro-level risk and protective factors on behavioral health outcomes.

Get Involved
If you’re interested in applying to work with Dr. Fenton as a graduate student or an undergraduate research assistant, please contact her directly.
Current Research Projects
Publications
* Denotes undergraduate or graduate student mentored during manuscript development
† Denotes joint first authorship
- Yuma, P. J., Fenton, M. P., Stallones, L., & Valley, M. (Accepted). Extension agent’s perceptions of community readiness for farm stress and suicide prevention efforts. Transforming Communities.
- Fenton, M. P., Seegulam, V. L.*, Antoine, J.*, Pham, T.*, Morris, M. R., Boren, S., & Striley, C. W. (2024). Examining the relationship between proposed anti-LGBTQ legislation and LGBTQ+ college student mental health: Findings from the Healthy Minds Study, 2021-2022. Journal of American College Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2024.2382426
- Doty, J. L., Grajo, N. C., Fenton, M. P., Pierre, B., & Johns, T. (2024). An examination of ecological factors predicting depressed mood among adolescents. Youth & Society. https://doi.org/10.1177/0044118X241260749
- †Fenton, M. P., †Smail, E. J., Lin, Y., Striley, C. W., & Kaufmann, C. N. (2024). Associations between driving cessation and mental health among rural and urban older adults. Journal of Rural Mental Health. https://doi.org/10.1037/rmh0000266
- Fenton, M. P., Forthun, L. F., & Grajo, N. C.* (2023). Associations between family risk and protective factors and youth substance use across the rural-urban continuum: A person-/variable-centered approach. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 32, 3187-3199. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-023-02615-y
- Fenton, M. P., Forthun, L. F., & Lynne, S. D. (2023). Pathways to adulthood in rural America: A latent profile and latent transition analysis of adult social roles. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 52, 1170-1190. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-023-01755-0
- Fenton, M. P., Forthun, L. F., Aristild, S.,* & Vasquez, K. B.* (2022). The role of the rural context in the transition to adulthood: A scoping review. Adolescent Research Review, 7, 101-126. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40894-021-00161-6