Lindsay Sheehan

Lindsay Sheehan is Associate Professor of Psychology, and core faculty member in the Division of Counseling and Rehabilitation Science at Illinois Tech. She is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in the Illinois. Dr. Sheehan teaches counseling courses and serves as research advisor to doctoral students. She directs a Department of Education funded training grant for master’s level counselors and a state-funded certificate program to train students as Recovery Support Specialists. She also has a decade of experience working in community mental health care, including provision of counseling, case management, residential support, and vocational training services.

Sheehan is the director of the Center for Health Equity, Education, and Research (CHEER), where her research focuses on the stigma of mental illness, suicide, the evaluation of peer services for people with mental illness, and disclosure of stigmatized conditions. An important part of her work is community-based participatory research (CBPR), in which researchers collaborate with community members through all stages of research. Through the University of Chicago’s Institute for Translational Medicine she conducts trainings with physicians and scientists on how to infuse CBPR into their work.

Education

Ph.D., Illinois Institute of Technology
M.S., Illinois Institute of Technology
B.A., Augustana College

Research Interests

Community-based participatory research

Disclosure of suicidal thoughts and behaviors

Stigma related to mental illness, suicidality, and suicide loss

Ethnic health disparities and disability-related health disparities

Peer services in behavioral health

Supported education and supported employment for people with mental illness

Publications

Sheehan, L. (2026). Social media disclosure of suicidal thoughts and behaviors: a qualitative study of lived experience perspectives. Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention. https://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/full/10.1027/0227-5910/a001047

Chua, S. N., Chong, J.E., Lee Yih Chee, K.C.L., Darshini, S., Sheehan, L. (2025). Lived experience perspectives on suicide-related help-seeking. Journal of Public Mental Health. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMH-05-2025-0068

Nakayama, S., Ginger, E. J., Pinheiro-Mehta, N. & Sheehan, L. (2025). A silent hazard: Worker and management perspectives on mental health and suicide in construction. Professional Safety, 70(01), 22-31.

Qin, S., Sheehan, L., Yau, E., Chen, Y., Wang, Y., Deng, H., ... & Corrigan, P. (2024). Adapting and evaluating a strategic disclosure program to address mental health stigma among Chinese. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 22(3), 1029-1046. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-022-00911-0

Sheehan, L., Sayer, J., Siddiqi, M., Qin, S., & Glover, L. (2023). How African Americans with severe mental illness and trauma experience diet and exercise.  Journal of Human Services, 42(5), 5-21. https://doi.org/10.52678/001c.74364

Sheehan, L., Oexle, N., Bushman, M., Glover, L., Lewy, S., Armas, S. A., Qin, S., & Mathew, M. (2023). To share or not to share? Evaluation of a strategic disclosure program for suicide attempt survivors. Death Studies, 1-8.

Sheehan, L., Oexle, N.,Armas, S. A., Wan, H. T., Bushman, M., Glover, L., Lewy, S., & Laique, A. (2021).  The context of disclosing suicidality: An exploration with suicide attempt survivors. Journal of Counseling and Development, 10(2), 183-193. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcad.12414

Sheehan, L., Oexle,N.,Armas, S. A., Wan, H. T.,Bushman, M., Glover, L., Lewy, S., & Laique, A. (2021).  The context of disclosing suicidality: An exploration with suicide attempt survivors.  Journal of Counseling and Development. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcad.12414

Feigelman, W., Cerel, J., Sheehan, L., & Oexle, N. (2021).  Using multiple regression analyses to uncover patterns of correlates of grief problems, depression and suicidal ideation among suicide bereaved individuals.  OMEGA- Journal of Death and Dying.https://doi.org/10.1177/00302228211024812

Sheehan, L., Ballentine, S., Washington, L, Canser, M., Connor, J., Jones, R., Laster, E., Muhammed, K., Noble, S., Smith, R., Walley, G., Kundert, C., & Corrigan, P. W. (2021). Implementing community-based participatory research among African Americans with serious and persistent mental illness: A qualitative study.  Gateways: International Journal of Community Research and Engagement, 14(1), 1-19.  http://dx.doi.org/10.5130/ijcre.v14i1.6894

Nieweglowski, N. & Sheehan, L. (2021). Peer support specialists and people with mental illness: Navigating COVID-19 experiences.  The Journal of Rehabilitation, 87(1), 55-63.

Corrigan, P. W., Sheehan, L., Nieweglowski, K., Qin, S., Walley, G. Winbush, K. & the CBPR team (2020). Availing reasonable accommodations for college students with psychiatric disabilities. Rehabilitation, Research, Policy and Education, 34(4), 275-283.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1891/RE-19-26

Sheehan, L.,Oexle, N., Armas, S. A., Wan, H. T., Bushman, M., Glover, L., & Lewy, S. (2019). Benefits and risks of suicide disclosure. Social Science and Medicine, 16-23. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.01.023

Sayer, J., Paniagua, D., Ballentine, S., Sheehan, L., Carson, M., Nieweglowski, K., & Corrigan, P. (2019). Perspectives on diet and physical activity among urban African Americans with serious mental illness. Social Work and Health Care. doi:10.1080/00981389.2019.1587662

Oexle, N., Feigelman, W., & Sheehan, L. (2019). Perceived stigma, secrecy about suicide loss and mental health outcomes. Death Studies. Advanced online: https://doi.org/10.1080/07481187.2018.1539052

Sheehan, L., Oexle, N., Dubke, R., Wan, H. T., & Corrigan, P. W. (2018). The self-stigma of suicide attempt survivors. Archives of Suicide.Advanced online: https://doi.org/10.1080/13811118.2018.1510797

Corrigan, P., Sheehan, L., Morris, S., Larson, J. E., Torres, A., Lara, J. L., Paniagua, D., Mayes, J. & Doig, S. (2017). The impact of a peer navigator program in addressing the health needs of Latinos with serious mental illness. Psychiatric Services,69(4), 456-461.doi:10.1176/appi.ps.201700241

Sheehan, L., Torres, A., Lara, J. L., Paniagua, D., Larson J. E., Mayes, J., Doig, S….Corrigan, P. W. (2018). Qualitative evaluation of a peer navigator program for Latinos with serious mental illness. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 45(3), 495-504.doi:10.1007/s10488-017-0839-5

Sheehan, L., Corrigan, P. W., Al-Khouja, M., Lewy, S., Major, D., Mead, J., Redmon, M., Rubey, C. T., & Weber, S. (2018). Behind closed doors: The stigma of suicide loss survivors. Omega Journal of Death and Dying, 77(4), 330-349. doi:0.1177/0030222816674215

Nieweglowski, K. & Sheehan, L. (2017). Relationship depth and associative stigma of disability. Disability Studies Quarterly, 37(3), 1.

Sheehan, L. Dubke, R. & Corrigan, P. W. (2017). The specificity of suicide stigma. Psychiatry Research, 256, 40-45. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2017.06.015

Corrigan, P. W., Sheehan, L., Al-Khouja, M., & the Stigma of Suicide Research Team. (2017). Making sense of the public stigma of suicide: Factor analyses of its stereotypes, prejudices, and discriminations. Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention, 38, 351-359. doi:10.1027/0227-5910/a000456

Sheehan, L., Corrigan, P. W., Al-Khouja, M.,&the Stigma of Suicide Research Team. (2017). Stakeholder perspectives on the stigma of suicide attempt survivors. Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention. 38(2), 73-81. doi:10.1027/0227-5910/a000413

Sheehan, L. & Lewicki, T. (2016). Collaborative documentation in mental health: Trends and opportunities for rehabilitation counseling. Rehabilitation Research, Policy and Education,30(3), 305-320.

Sheehan, L., Fominaya, A., Bink, A., Kraus, D., Schmidt, A. & Corrigan, P. W. (2016). Stigma by any other name. Psychiatric Services, 67(12), 1373-1375.http://dx.doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201500319

Sheehan, L.,Nieweglowski, K., & Corrigan, P. W. (2016). The stigma of personality disorders. Current Psychiatry Reports, 18(1), 1-7.

Larson, J. E., Sheehan, L. Ryan, C, Lemp, S. & Drandorff, L. (2014). Practitioner perspectives on Individual Placement and Support (IPS) for individuals with serious mental illness. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 41(3), 225-235.

Books

Books and Book Chapters 

Corrigan, P., Sheehan, L., Tooley, A. & Mahadeokar, N. (2026). Replacing stigmatizing beliefs and behaviors with affirming attitudes and actions that advance recovery and self-determination. In S. Rosenberg & J. Rosenberg (Eds). Community mental health (4^th ed.). Routledge.

Sheehan, L., Parson, R., & Velázquez, C. (2026). The role of participatory research in realizing shared decision making. In Corrigan, P.W. (Ed). Shared decision making and serious mental illness. American Psychological Association.

Stovall, K.B. & Sheehan, L. (2026).  In Corrigan, P.W. (Ed). Decision making, recovery, and peer support. Shared decision making and serious mental illness. American Psychological Association.

Sheehan, L., Oppenheim, M. & Corrigan, P. (2025). Stigma and depression. In T. Olino & J. Pettit (Eds). American Psychological Association handbook of depression. American Psychological Association.

Corrigan, P., Rusch, N., Watson, A., Kosyluk, K. & Sheehan, L., Eds (2024). Principles and Practice of Psychiatric Rehabilitation: Towards the Vision of Recovery, 3^rd Edition. Guilford Press.

Sheehan, L., Palermo, C.V. & Corrigan, P. (2022). Theoretical models to understand the stigma of mental illness.  In D. Vogel & N. Wade (Eds).  The Cambridge handbook on stigma and mental health.  Cambridge University Press. doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108920995