The Sleep Health Assessment, Intervention, and Dissemination (SHAID) Lab at the School of Psychological Science (SPS) is led by Assistant Professor of Psychology Jessee Dietch
Assistant Professor of Psychology Jessee Dietch
By Ellie Webb-Bowen, CLA Student Writer - March 5, 2024
The Sleep Health Assessment, Intervention, and Dissemination (SHAID) Lab investigates sleep interventions that do not involve medication, but, instead, focuses on behavioral strategies and psychotherapy. Jessee Dietch, an assistant professor in SPS, along with PhD and undergrad students, examines sleep health in special populations with the goal of developing, testing, and disseminating evidence-based behavioral sleep health interventions and treatments for a variety of clinical sleep disorders.
“Sleep is a pillar of physical and mental health, right up there with nutrition, physical activity, and social connections,” said Dietch. “However, the field of sleep psychology is relatively new and still has a lot of places it needs to develop.”
The lab’s research agenda is currently recruiting participants for two studies, including for a new intervention that aims to treat insomnia and shift work disorder as result from working overnight, specifically in healthcare. Funded by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine Foundation, Optimizing Sleep Health in Nurses (OSHIN) is testing two non-medication treatments for insomnia: cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia and multicomponent relaxation therapy. Both treatments have been tested in people who keep typical sleep hours, but have yet to be thoroughly tested in night shift populations.
“The overarching goal of this research is to develop interventions and get them out into the hands of people who need them,” said Dietch. “If we see success from either treatment, then this research could really impact the overall health and productivity of essential workers who are assigned to overnight shifts in healthcare settings.”
The SHAID Lab is also currently exploring the effects of hormone therapy and sleep in non-binary and transgender youth, a chronically under-researched issue. Previous studies developed at the lab have examined the sleep health of those living with Moebius syndrome and explored the link between streaming media near bedtime and sleep.
Dietch was a double major in psychology and film production at Chapman University. After working briefly as a sleep technologist, she earned her master’s and PhD in clinical health psychology from the University of North Texas; she went on to complete her clinical internship at the VA Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, and then a postdoctoral fellowship at VA Palo Alto and Stanford University.
After Dietch arrived at OSU in 2021, the SHAID Lab began and currently employs three PhD students, a lab manager and between 10 to 15 undergraduate students. The lab continues to be a safe haven for students from a variety of backgrounds and ages, fostering an enthusiastic and safe atmosphere for all those engaged and passionate about the research taking place.
One such undergraduate student, Alice Desai, stated, “The best part about being in the SHAID lab is the opportunity to contribute to ongoing research alongside other people in my field.”
The SHAID Lab is an excellent resource for undergraduate and graduate students alike. Desai discussed how the lab has provided valuable information that she knows will be useful in the long run. “While sleep is not my precise planned field of study, it’s one I have no doubts I’ll find ample opportunity to tie into my future career aspirations.”
Sleep studies are often overlooked as a field of study, so the SHAID Lab provides students with a space to explore the various possibilities that this line of research can bring. Desai went on to state, “Dr. Dietch’s lab provides an opportunity to help research sleep disparities in groups which are particularly at risk of losing sleep - such as night shift workers in medical or other fields. And for students with an interest in sleep studies, I feel like this presents a terrific opportunity to pursue their interests while contributing to a field that is always in need of new talent.”
Students enrolling at OSU are becoming more and more interested in psychology, leading SPS to become the largest school within the College of Liberal Arts. Dietch pointed out that in light of this growing interest, it's critical to continuously enhance and adjust programs that support this curiosity. The growing interest in the psychology major has prompted the development of a new clinical Ph.D. program that will prepare graduate students for a variety of careers in clinical psychology including clinical work, advocacy, research, and teaching.
“One of the driving factors behind this new program,” explained Dietch, "is that Oregon doesn't have enough licensed mental health professionals who are trained in evidence-based treatments. A primary goal of starting the clinical program is to increase the pool of people who stay in Oregon after they do their training.”
