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• B.Sc., (Hon.) University of Toronto, 1993
• M.S., University of Oregon, 1995
• Ph.D., University of Oregon, 1998

Name Pronunciation Guide:
"Kait Haarknehss"

Click below to hear pronunciation

Research Interests

My primary research focus is the role of stress and early trauma in the etiology and ongoing pathology of major depression in adolescence and adulthood. My current work focuses on neurohormonal, social cognitive, and motivational/reward factors that increase the sensitivity to, and generation of, stress in major depression.

Selected Publications

Mazurka, R., Harkness, K. L., Hassel, S., Stensson, N., Nogovitsyn, N., Poppenk, J.,… & Mayo, L. (2024). Endocannabinoid Concentrations in Major Depression: Effects of Childhood Maltreatment and Relation to Hippocampal Volume. Translational Psychiatry, 14(1). DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-03151-z

Hudson, C., Sabbagh, M. A., & Harkness, K. L. (2024). How theory of mind skills lead to positive first impressions. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 153, 1489-1499. DOI: 10.1037/xge0001573

Min, S., Mazurka, R., Pizzagalli, D. A., Whitton, A. E., Milev, R. V., Bagby, R. M., Kennedy, S. H., & Harkness, K. L. (2024). Stressful Life Events and Reward Processing in Adults: Moderation by Depression and Anhedonia. Depression and Anxiety, 2024, 8853631. DOI:

Mazurka, R., Cunningham, S., Hassel, S., Foster, J., …., & Harkness, K. L. (2024).  Relation of Hippocampal Volume and Glucocorticoid-Related Gene Expression to Treatment Remission in Major Depression is Moderated by Childhood Maltreatment: A CAN-BIND Report. European Neuropsychopharmacology, 78, 71-80. DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2023.12.003

Gallagher, A., Washburn, D., Jacobson, J., & Harkness, K. L. (2024). Negative Feedback-Seeking in Depression: The Moderating Roles of Rumination and Interpersonal Life Stress. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 80, 471-489. DOI: 10.1002/jclp.23624

Rowe, J., Poppenk, J., Squires, S., Mazurka, R., Nogovitsyn, N., Hassel, S.,…. Harkness, K. L. (2023).  Anxious Arousal Predicts Within-Person Changes in Hippocampal Volume in Adults with a History of Childhood Maltreatment: A CAN-BIND-4 Report. Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science, 132(7), 797–807. DOI: 10.1037/abn0000864 (Special section)

Monroe, S. M., & Harkness, K. L. (2023). Why recurrent depression should be reconceptualized and redefined. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 32, 204-211. DOI: (invited)

Harkness, K. L., Charkrabarty, T., Rizvi, S., *Mazurka, R., Quilty, L.,… & Lam, R. (2023). The differential relation of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse histories to antidepressant treatment remission and persistence of anhedonia in major depression: A CAN-BIND-1 Report. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 62, 586-595. DOI: 10.1177/07067437231156255

Rowe, J., Chananna, J., Cunningham, S., & Harkness, K. L. (2023). Sexual, Physical, and Emotional Maltreatment in Childhood Are Differentially Associated with Sexual and Physical Revictimization in Adulthood. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 38, 3806-3830. DOI: 10.1177/08862605221111411

Monroe, S. M., & Harkness, K. L. (2022). Major depression and its recurrences:  Life course matters. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 18, 329-357. DOI: annurev-clinpsy-072220-021440 (invited)

Hicks, O., McInerney, S., Lam, R. W., Milev, R., Frey, B., Soares, C.,… & Harkness, K. L. (2022). Acute and Chronic Stress Predict Anti-Depressant Treatment Outcome and Naturalistic Course of Major Depression: A CAN-BIND Report. Journal of Affective Disorders, 313, 8-14. DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.06.058

Zheng, S., Stewart, J. S., Bagby, R. M., & Harkness, K. L. (2022). Specific Early Maladaptive Schemas Differentially Mediate the Relations of Emotional and Sexual Maltreatment to Recent Life Events in Youth with Depression. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 29, 1020-1033. DOI: 10.1002/cpp.2681

Mangardich, H., Tollefson, N., Harkness, K. L., & Sabbagh, M. A. (2022). Neural processes involved in theory of mind reasoning in dysphoric and non-dysphoric adults. Social Neuroscience, 22, 73-85. DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2021.2005678

Cunningham, S., Mazurka, R., Wynne-Edwards, K. E., Milev, R. V., Pizzagalli, D. A., Kennedy, S., & Harkness, K. L. (2021). Cortisol Reactivity to Stress Predicts Behavioral Responsivity to Reward: Moderation by Sex, Depression, and Anhedonia. Journal of Affective Disorders, 293, 1-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.05.126

Vallati, M., Stewart, J. G., Larocque, C., Mazurka, R., Milev, R., Bagby, R. M., Kennedy, S., & Harkness, K. L. (2020). Childhood maltreatment and the clinical characteristics of major depressive disorder in adolescence and adulthood. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 129, 469-479. DOI: 10.1037/abn0000521

Monroe, S. M., Anderson, S. F., & Harkness, K. L. (2019). Life Stress and Major Depression: The Mysteries of Recurrences. Psychological Review, 126, 791-816.

Cunningham, S., Goff, C., Bagby, R. M., Stewart, J. G., Larocque, C., Mazurka, R., Ravindran, A., & Harkness, K. L. (2019). Maternal- versus Paternal-Perpetrated Maltreatment and Risk for Sexual and Peer Bullying Revictimization in Young Women with Depression. Child Abuse and Neglect, 89, 111-121.

Hudson, C. C., Shamblaw, A., Wilson, G. A., Roes, M. M., Sabbagh, M.A., & Harkness, K. L. (2018). Theory of mind, excessive reassurance-seeking and stress generation in depression: A social-cognitive integration. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 37, 725-750.

Rnic, K., Sabbagh, M. A., Washburn, D., Bagby, R. M., Ravindran, A., Kennedy, J. L.,… & Harkness, K. L. (2018). Childhood neglect and physical abuse are associated with theory of mind decoding accuracy in young adults with depression. Psychiatry Research, 286, 501-507.

Mazurka, R., Wynne-Edwards, K. E., & Harkness, K. L. (2018). Sex Differences in the Cortisol Response to the Trier Social Stress Test in Depressed and Non-depressed Adolescents. Clinical Psychological Science, 6, 301-314.