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Flora Ma, PhDClinical PsychologistRequest a consultationConsult

Research

Research & publications

How can technology widen access to high-quality, integrated mental health care — especially for older adults? Dr. Ma’s research brings clinical science and systems thinking to that question.

Themes

Where the work concentrates.

Telemental health

Secure video and digital tools that extend specialist mental health care into community clinics and patients’ homes — and the clinician training that makes them work.

Digital self-management in later life

Mobile apps and guided self-management for anxiety and depression among older adults and Veterans, and the educational materials that help them use these tools with confidence.

The geropsychology workforce

National survey and conference work defining the obstacles — and the next steps — in preparing enough psychologists to serve a rapidly aging population.

Inclusive mentorship

Strategies that build safe, diverse, and resilient pathways for the learners who will become tomorrow’s geropsychologists.

2024

  1. Conference abstract

    Inclusive Mentorship in Geropsychology: Cultivating Safety, Trust, Humility, Authenticity, and Communication

    Yenko, I., Ma, F., Blanken, A., Son, C., Chin, L.

    Innovation in Aging, p. 100doi:10.1093/geroni/igae098.0316

  2. Conference abstract

    Building Bridges Toward Workforce Diversity: Strategies to Support Resilient Learners

    Allen, R., Ly, T., Ma, F., Carpenter, B., Moye, J.

    Innovation in Aging, p. 101doi:10.1093/geroni/igae098.0318

2023

  1. Journal article

    Building the Geropsychology Workforce: A National Survey and Virtual Conference Define Critical Obstacles and Steps Forward

    Ma, F., Heintz, H. L., Schmidt, N. E., Carpenter, B. D., Allen, R. S., Dzierzewski, J. M., Mlinac, M. E., Montepare, J. M., Moye, J.

    Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 54(5), 361–371doi:10.1037/pro0000524PubMed

2022

  1. Conference abstract

    Diversifying the Pathway: A Multifaceted Approach Within Geropsychology

    Carpenter, B., Ma, F., Hiroto, K.

    Innovation in Aging, p. 217

  2. Conference abstract

    Perceptions of the Geropsychology Workforce

    Moye, J., Ma, F., Schmidt, N., Heintz, H., Allen, R., Carpenter, B.

    Innovation in Aging, pp. 74–75doi:10.1093/geroni/igac059.299

  3. Journal article

    Older Veterans’ Treatment Preferences: Psychotherapy and Self-Management Treatment Modalities

    Ma, F., Carlson, C., Gomez, R., Gould, C. E.

    Clinical Gerontologist, 1–11doi:10.1080/07317115.2022.2079447PubMed

2021

  1. Journal article

    Effects of Mobile App-Based Intervention for Depression in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Mixed Methods Feasibility Study

    Gould, C. E., Carlson, C., Ma, F., Forman-Hoffman, V., Ranta, K., Kuhn, E.

    JMIR Formative Research, 5(6), e25808doi:10.2196/25808PubMed

2020

  1. Journal article

    Development and Refinement of Educational Materials to Help Older Veterans Use VA Mental Health Mobile Apps

    Gould, C. E., Loup, J., Scales, A. N., Juang, C., Carlson, C., Ma, F., Sakai, E. Y.

    Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 51(4), 414–423doi:10.1037/pro0000354PubMed

  2. Journal article

    Guided self-management targeting anxiety and activity participation in older Veterans

    Gould, C. E., Carlson, C., Wetherell, J. L., O’Hara, R., Goldstein, M. K., Loup, J. R., Ma, F., Beaudreau, S. A.

    Aging & Mental Health, 1–10doi:10.1080/13607863.2020.1758905PubMed

2019

  1. Journal article

    Technology Use and Preferences for Mental Health Self-Management Interventions among Older Veterans

    Gould, C. E., Loup, J., Kuhn, E., Beaudreau, S. A., Ma, F., Goldstein, M. K., Wetherell, J. L., Zapata, A. M., Choe, P., O’Hara, R.

    International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatrydoi:10.1002/gps.5252PubMed

  2. Journal article

    Relations of religion with depression and loneliness in older sexual and gender minority adults

    Escher, C., Gomez, R., Paulraj, S., Ma, F., Spies-Upton, S., Cummings, C., Brown, L. M., Tormala, T., Goldblum, P.

    Clinical Gerontologist, 42(2), 150–161doi:10.1080/07317115.2018.1514341PubMed

Writing & doctoral work

For a wider audience.

Article · 2016

Breathe and Focus: How Practicing Mindfulness Improves Mental Health as We Age

Our Better Health (psychologybenefits.org) — with Rowena Gomez, PhD

Palo Alto University

Doctoral dissertation

Examined how technology is changing clinical psychology, with the Veteran population as its use case.

Collaboration

Research that reaches practice.

For research collaboration, invited talks, or expert commentary on aging, telehealth, and AI in mental health, write to the office.

Speaking & media[email protected]