Ronald Blount

 

Education

Ph.D. West Virginia University

Research Interests

My research is within the area of pediatric psychology. During the last ten years, my team at UGA and I have focused primarily on children and adolescents who have received kidney, liver, or heart transplants. We also conduct research with children who have cardiac conditions, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Tourette syndrome, and neuropsychological conditions. A goal of our research is to better understand the influence of child and family factors that are associated with medical adherence, barriers to adherence, health-related quality of life, medical outcomes, transition from pediatric to adult healthcare, and adjustment to illness. We have multiple ongoing studies addressing these topics.

My long-term research on children’s coping, pain, and distress during medical procedures is currently being conducted through collaboration with investigators at other institutions.

Current Research Initiatives

1. Medication adherence, quality of life, and health outcomes in pediatric transplant recipients. Two longitudinal studies.
2. Psychosocial functioning and adjustment, adherence, family factors, and health outcomes for children and adolescents with cardiomyopathy.
3. Transition of healthcare responsibility from parent to adolescent, and transition from pediatric to adult care.
4. Adjustment and therapeutic camp outcomes for children with Tourette's syndrome.
5. Other areas of Pediatric Psychology.

Recent Publications

Eaton, C. K., Lee, J. L., Loiselle, K. A., Reed-Knight, B., Mee, L. L., Gutierrez-Colina, A., & Blount, R. L. (In press, accepted September 6, 2016). Pre-transplant patient, parent, and family psychosocial functioning varies by organ type and patient age. Pediatric Transplantation.

Eaton C. K., Jones, A. M., Gutierrez-Colina, A. M., Ivey, E. K., Carlson, O., Melville, L., Kardon, P., & Blount, R. L. (First published online April 4, 2016). The influence of environmental consequences and internalizing symptoms on children’s tic severity. Child Psychiatry and Human Development. DOI: 10.1007/s10578-016-0644-5

Gutierrez-Colina, A. M., Lee, J. L., Reed-Knight, B., Hayutin, L., Lewis, J. D., & Blount, R. L. (First published online on March 17, 2016). The Pediatric Symptom Checklist: Comparison of symptom profiles using three factor structures between pediatric gastroenterology and general pediatric patients. Children’s Health Care. DOI: 10.1080/02739615.2016.1163493

Reed-Knight, B., Lee, J. L., Greenley, R. N., Lewis, J. D., & Blount, R. L. (2016). Disease activity doesn’t explain it all: How internalizing symptoms and caregiver depressive symptoms relate to health-related quality of life among youth with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Inflammatory Bowel Disease, 22(4), 963-967. doi: 10.1097/MIB.0000000000000686

Gutierrez-Colina, A. M., Eaton, C. K., Lee, J. L., Reed-Knight, B., Loiselle, K., Mee, L. L., LaMotte, J., Liverman, R., & Blount, R. L. (2016). Executive functioning, barriers to adherence, and nonadherence in adolescent and young adult transplant recipients. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 41, 759-767. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsv107

Eaton, C. K., La Motte, J., Gutierrez-Colina, A., Kardon, P., & Blount, R. L. (2016). Changes in socio-emotional and behavioral functioning after attending a camp for children with Tourette Syndrome: A preliminary investigation.  Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 44, 1197-1203. doi: 10.1007/s10802-015-0105-9

Huston, S. A., Blount, R. L., Heidsch, T., & Southwood, R. (First published online January 14, 2016). Resilience, emotion processing and emotion expression among youth with Type 1 diabetes. Pediatric Diabetes. doi: 10.1111/pedi.12347

Gilleland Marchak, J., Reed-Knight, B., Amaral, S., Mee, L., & Blount, R. L. (2015). Providers' assessment of transition readiness among adolescent young adult kidney transplant recipients. Pediatric Transplantation, 19, 849-857. DOI: 10.1111/petr.12615

Eaton, C. K. & Blount, R. L. (2015). Developing pediatric psychology science and application competencies in doctoral-level graduate programs: Timing and sequencing of training at the University of Georgia. Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology, 3, 191-196. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/cpp0000105

Gutierrez-Colina, A. Eaton, C. K., LaMotte, J., Kardon, P., & Blount, R. L. (2015). The role of self-competence in health-related quality of life and emotional/behavioral functioning of children with Tourette Syndrome. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 36, 743-751. DOI: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000000214

Loiselle, K. A., Gutierrez-Colina, A.M., Eaton, C. K., Simons, L. E., Devine, K. A., Mee, L. L., & Blount, R. L. (2015). Longitudinal stability of medication adherence among adolescent solid organ transplant recipients.  Pediatric Transplantation. 19, 428-435. doi/10.1111/petr.12480

Eaton, C., Gutierrez-Colina, A. M., Lee, J. L., & Blount, R. L. (2015). Predictors of experiences and attitudes at a summer camp for children and adolescents with Tourette syndrome. Children’s Health Care, 44, 221-234. DOI:10.1080/02739615.2014.948159

Eaton, C. K., Lee, J. L., Simons, L., Devine, K., Mee, L., & Blount, R. L. (2015). Clinical cutoffs for adherence barriers in solid organ transplant recipients: How many is too many? Journal of Pediatric Psychology. 40(4), 431-441. doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jsu102

Gutierrez-Colina, A. M., Eaton C., Lee, J., LaMotte, J., & Blount, R. (2015). Health-related quality of life and psychosocial functioning in children with Tourette Syndrome: Parent-child agreement and comparision to healthy norms. Journal of Child Neurology, 30, 326-332. DOI: 10.1177/0883073814538507.

Gutierrez-Colina, A. M., Eaton C., Cheng, P. Strieper, M., Frias, P., Gooden, K., & Blount, R. (2014). Perceived self-competence, psychosocial adjustment, and quality of life in pediatric patients with pacemakers. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. 35(6), 360-366. doi: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000000073

Lee, J. L., Eaton, C., Gutierrez-Colina, A. M., Devine, K., Simons, L. Mee, L., & Blount, R. L. (2014). Longitudinal stability of individual barriers to medication adherence. Journal of Pediatric Psychology. 39, 667-676. doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jsu026

Reed-Knight, B., Blount, R. L., & Gilleland, J. (2014). The transition of healthcare responsibility from parents to youth diagnosed with a chronic illness: A developmental systems perspective. Families, Systems, and Health. 32, 219-234. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/fsh0000039

Cheng, P., Gutierrez-Colina, A.M., Loiselle, K.A., Strieper, M., Frias, P., Gooden, K., & Blount, R. L. (2014). Quality of life and social support in pediatric patients with pacemakers. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings. 21: 92-102. DOI 10.1007/s10880-013-9381-0

McCormick King, M. L., Mee, L. L., Gutiérrez-Colina, A., Eaton, C. K., Lee, J. L., & Blount, R. L. (2014). Emotional functioning, barriers, and medication adherence in pediatric transplant recipients. Journal of Pediatric Psychology. 39(3) 283-293. doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jst074

Greenley, R. N., Reed-Knight, B., Blount, R. L., Wilson, H. W. (2013). Dyadic confirmatory analysis of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 38(8), 871-882.doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jst030 

Reed-Knight, B., Lewis, J., Blount, R. L. (2013). Behavioral functioning in youth with inflammatory bowel disease: Perceived barriers as mediator of medication adherence. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 38(3), 309-320. doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jss122 

Lee, J. L., Gilleland, J. Campbell, R. M., Johnson, G. L., Simpson, P., Dooley, K. J., & Blount, R. L. (2013). Internalizing symptoms and functional disability in children with noncardiac chest pain and innocent heart murmurs. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 38(3)255-264. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jss111 

Reed-Knight, B., Loiselle, K. A., Devine, K. A., Simons, L. E., Mee, L. L., & Blount, R. L. (2013). Health-related quality of life and need for mental health services in adolescent solid organ transplant recipients. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, 20(1), 88-96. DOI 10.1007/s10880-012-9303-6 

Lee, J., Gilleland, J., Campbell, R. M., Simpson, P., Johnson, G. L., Dooley, K. J., & Blount, R. L. (2013). Health care utilization and psychosocial factors in pediatric noncardiac chest pain. Health Psychology, 32, 320-327. doi: 10.1037/a0027806 

Payne, M. E., Eaton, C. K., Mee, L. L., & Blount, R. L. (2013). Promoting medication adherence and regimen responsibility in two adolescents on hemodialysis for end-stage renal disease: A case study. Clinical Case Studies, 12(2), 95-110. DOI: 10.1177/1534650112467079 

Loiselle, K. A., Lee, J. L., Gilleland, J., Campbell, R., Simpson, P, Johnson, G., Dooley, K., Blount, R. L. (2012). Factors associated with health care utilization among children with noncardiac chest pain and innocent heart murmurs. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 37(7), 817-825. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jss055  

Gilleland, J. Amaral, S., Mee, L. L., & Blount, R. L. (2012). Getting ready to leave: Transition readiness in adolescent kidney recipients. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 37(1), 85-96. doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jsr049 

Reed-Knight, B., McCormick, M., Lewis, J. D., & Blount, R. L. (2012). Participation and attrition in a coping skills intervention for adolescent girls with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings. 12, 188-196. doi: 10.1007/s10880-011-9269-9 

Devine, K. A., Reed-Knight, B., Loiselle, K. A., Simons, L. E., Mee, L. L., & Blount, R. L. (2011). Predictors of long-term health-related quality of life in adolescent solid organ transplant recipients. Journal of Pediatric Psychology. 36(8), 891-901. doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jsr007 

Martin, S. R., Chorney, J. M., Tan, E. T., Fortier, M. A., Blount, R. L., Wald. S. H., Shapiro, N. L., Storm, S. L., Patel, S., & Kain, Z. N. (2011). Changing healthcare providers’ behavior during pediatric inductions with an empirically-based intervention. Anesthesiology, 15(1), 18-27.  doi: 10.1097/ALN.0b013e3182207bf5 

Reed-Knight, B., Hayutin, L. G., Lewis, J. D., & Blount, R. L. (2011). Factor structure of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist with a pediatric gastroenterology sample. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings. 18, 299-306. doi: 10.1007/s10880-011-9242-7. 

Fortier, M. A., Blount, R. L., Wang, S. M., Mayes, L. C., & Kain, Z. N. (2011). Analysing a family-centered preoperative intervention programme: A dismantling approach. British Journal of Anesthesiology, 106(5), 713-718.  doi:10.1093/bja/aer010. 

Reed-Knight, B, Lewis, J. D., & Blount, R. L. (2011). Association of disease, adolescent, and family factors on medication adherence in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease. Journal of Pediatric Psychology. 36, 308-317.  doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsq076.  

Loiselle, K. A., Devine, K. A., Reed-Knight, B., & Blount, R. L. (2011). Post-traumatic growth associated with a relative's serious illness. Families, Systems, & Health, 29, 64-72. DOI: 10.1037/a0023043 

Williams, S., Blount, R. L., & Walker, L. S. (2011). Children's pain threat appraisal and catastrophizing moderate the impact of parent verbal behavior on children's symptom complaints.Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 36(1), 55-63. doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jsq043 

Lutton, L. M., Reed-Knight, B. Loiselle, K, O'Toole, K., & Blount, R. (2011). A pilot study evaluating an abbreviated version of the cognitive remediation program for youth with neurocognitive deficits. Brain Injury, 25(4), 409-415. DOI: 10.3109/02699052.2011.558044

Devine, K. A., Reed-Knight, B., Loiselle, K. A., Fenton, N., & Blount, R. L. (2010). Posttraumatic growth in young adults who experienced serious childhood illness: A mixed methods approach. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings,17(4), 340-348. DOI 10.1007/s10880-010-9210-7 

Devine, K. A., Reed-Knight, B., Simons, L. E., Mee, L. L., & Blount, R. L. (2010). Prospective comparison of parent and adolescent report of health-related quality of life in adolescent solid organ transplant recipients. Pediatric Transplantation, 14, 1000-1006. DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-3046.2010.01392.x 

Simons, L. E., McCormick, M. L., Devine, K. A., & Blount, R. L. (2010). Medication barriers predict adolescent transplant recipients' adherence at 18 month follow-up. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 35(9) 1038-1048. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsq025 

Ratcliff, M. B., Blount, R. L., & Mee, L. (2010). The relationship between adolescent renal transplant recipients' perceived adversity, coping, and medical adherence. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, 17, 116-124. DOI 10.1007/s10880-010-9194-3.