Rate My Professor Kristin Trainor

Kristin Trainor is an Assistant Professor of Health Sciences in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Butler University. She earned a BA in Sociology from Butler University in 2006, an MSW from Indiana University in 2009, and a PhD from Indiana University in 2019. Licensed as a Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Trainor integrates social work expertise into health sciences education and research within the Bachelor of Health Sciences program.

Trainor's research addresses psychosocial factors affecting mental health, particularly in perinatal populations and health professional training. Her 2023 article, 'Year 1 Lessons Learned in Building and Sustaining Interprofessional Education in a New Physician Assistant Program,' published in the Journal of Social Work Education, describes employing community-based participatory research approaches to establish interprofessional education initiatives. In a 2026 co-authored study, 'Postpartum Depression and Anxiety: An Examination of Adverse Childhood Experiences, Discrimination, Material Hardship, and Social Support,' appearing in Social Sciences, researchers surveyed 306 diverse postpartum women (average ACE score 3.26) using tools like the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and Perinatal Anxiety Screening Scale. Hierarchical regression analyses demonstrated that while ACEs initially predicted symptoms, discrimination, material hardship, and reduced social support emerged as stronger direct predictors after controlling for these factors. Follow-up qualitative interviews with 22 high-ACE participants highlighted social support, financial security, work flexibility, and self-care as critical protective elements against postpartum mental health challenges. With 12 research works accumulating 44 citations on ResearchGate, Trainor's scholarship informs clinical practices, policy, and education on perinatal mental health and interprofessional collaboration. She also mentors undergraduate students, advising theses on topics including nutrition and health.