Vicki Helgeson, PhD

Vicki Helgeson, PhD, is a distinguished professor of psychology at Carnegie Mellon University’s Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Her research concentrates on two primary areas. First, she explores how individuals adapt to chronic illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, investigating the influence of personality traits, perceptions of control, and social environments on psychological adjustment and physical well-being. Second, she delves into the implications of gender-related traits (agency, communion, unmitigated agency, unmitigated communion) for relationships and health. She examines the connections between these traits and issues like relationship challenges, health behavior, and psychological distress in both healthy and chronically ill populations.

Helgeson’s impactful work involves conducting support interventions to enhance adjustment to chronic illnesses and studying the role of partners in managing chronic diseases. She teaches a course titled “Psychology of Gender,” where she investigates the ways in which societal gender norms influence health outcomes, focusing on the personality traits of agency and communion. Her research adds valuable insights to the understanding of how individuals adapt to challenges and how gender-related traits impact health and relationships across various populations.