Mai-Ly Nguyen Steers, PhD

Contact Information

Biography

Dr. Mai-Ly Nguyen Steers joined Duquesne's School of Nursing in Fall 2019. She brings a passion and commitment to health-related research. As an applied social psychologist, she has developed two parallel research trajectories in the addictions field: 1) examining psychosocial factors, particularly social norms, in relation to drinking, and 2) exploring the influences of social media on health and well-being. These two lines of research stem from her educational background in psychology, health, and communication studies. Dr. Steers possesses BA degrees in Biology and Broadcast Journalism from the University of Southern California; an MA in Communication Studies from California State University, Los Angeles; and an MA in Psychology and a PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Houston.

Prior to pursuing a PhD, Dr. Steers served as an associate producer and researcher for television documentaries (e.g., "Modern Marvels" and "A&E Biography") for several years. Working in television impressed upon her the dire importance of disseminating research, particularly in the addictions realm, to the general public, since the knowledge gained by such work can have such an enormous impact on people's physical and mental well-being.

Her current research, sponsored by a five-year K99-R00 grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, involves systematically integrating her two complementary interests in addictions and social media use in relation to health and well-being into a programmatic line of research dedicated to developing novel interventions, targeting at-risk drinkers who are also avid social media users. Dr. Steers' ultimate objectives with this research are to provide standardized assessment tools and innovative, low-cost interventions for clinicians and researchers working in this field.

Education

PhD, Social Psychology, University of Houston
MA, Psychology, University of Houston
MA, Communication Studies, California State University, Los Angeles
BA, Broadcast Journalism, University of Southern California
BA, Biology, University of Southern California

Expertise

Social media in relation to health and well-being
Social media in relation to alcohol use
Psychosocial factors on alcohol use and substance use
Brief alcohol interventions
Cultural influences on health

School

School of Nursing

About

Scholarship

Published Refereed Articles - Last 5 years

Angosta, J., Steers, M.-L. N., Steers, K., Lembo Riggs, J., & Neighbors, C. (2019). Who cares if college and drinking are synonymous? Identification with typical students moderates the relationship between college life alcohol salience and drinking outcomes. Addictive Behaviors, 98, 106046. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2019.106046.

Steers, M.-L. N., Neighbors, C., Wickham, R. E., Petit, W. E., Kerr, B., & Moreno, M. A. (2019). My friends, I'm #SOTALLYTOBER: A longitudinal examination of college students' drinking, friends' approval of drinking, and Facebook alcohol-related posts. Digital Health, 5, 2055207619845449. doi: 10.1177/2055207619845449.

Neighbors, C., DiBello, A.M., Young, C.M., Steers, M.-L. N., Rinker, D.V., Rodriguez, L.M., Knee, C.R., Blanton, H., & Lewis, M.A. (2019). Personalized normative feedback for heavy drinking: An application of deviance regulation theory. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 115, 73-82.

Steers, M.-L. N., Chen, T-A., Neisler, J., Obasi, E., McNeill, L., & Reitzel, L.R. (2019). The buffering effect of social support on the relationship between discrimination and psychological distress among church-going African-American adults. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 115, 121-128.

Tomkins, M.M., Neighbors, C., & Steers, M-L. N. (2019). Contrasting the effects of harmonious and obsessive passion for religion on stress and drinking: Give me that old time religion ... and a beer. Alcohol, 77, 41-48.

Øverup, C. S., Brunson, J. A., Steers, M.-L. N., & Acitelli, L. K. (2017). I know I have to earn your love: How the family environment shapes feelings of worthiness of love. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth. 22(1), 16-35.

Steers, M.-L. N., Øverup, C. S., Brunson, J. A., & Acitelli, L. K. (2016). Love online: How relationship awareness on Facebook relates to relationship quality among college students. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 5(3), 203-216.

Steers, M.-L. N., Moreno, M. A., & Neighbors, C. (2016). The Influence of Social Media on Addictive Behaviors in College Students. Current Addiction Reports, 1-6.

Steers, M.-L. N., Quist, M. C., Bryan, J. L., Foster, D. W., Young, C. M., & Neighbors, C. (2016). I want you to like me: Extraversion, need for approval, and time on Facebook as predictors of anxiety. Translational Issues in Psychological Science, 2(3), 283.

Young, C. M., DiBello, A. M., Steers, M.-L. N., Quist, M. C., Foster, D. W., Bryan, J. L., & Neighbors, C. (2016). I like people who drink like me: Perceived appeal as a function of drinking status. Addictive Behaviors, 53, 125-131.

Steers, M.-L. N. (2016). ‘It's complicated': Facebook's relationship with the need to belong and depression. Current Opinion in Psychology, 9, 22-26.

Steers, M.-L. N., Coffman, A. D., Wickham, R. E., Bryan, J. L., Caraway, L., & Neighbors, C. (2016). Evaluation of Alcohol-Related Personalized Normative Feedback with and Without an Injunctive Message. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 77(2), 337-342.

Bryan, J. L., Lucas, S., Quist, M. C., Steers, M.-L. N., Foster, D. W., Young, C. M., & Lu, Q. (2016). God, Can I Tell You Something? The Effect of Religious Coping on the Relationship between Anxiety Over Emotional Expression, Anxiety, and Depressive Symptoms. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 8(1), 46-53.

Bryan, J. L., Quist, M. C., Young, C. M., Steers, M.-L. N., & Lu, Q. (2016). General Needs Satisfaction as a Mediator of the Relationship Between Ambivalence Over Emotional Expression and Perceived Social Support. The Journal of Social Psychology, 156(1), 115-121.

Acitelli, L.K., Wickham, R.E., Brunson, J.A., & Steers, M.-L. N. (2015) Relationship partners have shared scripts for conversations about the relationship: A replication and extension. Family Science, 6(1), 99-108.

Steers, M.-L. N., Neighbors, C., Hove, M.C., & Olson, N. & Lee, C.M. (2015). Harmonious and Obsessive Passion for Alcohol and Marijuana and Negative Consequences. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 76(5), 749-757.

Book Chapters - Last 5 years

Steers, M.-L. N., You, J., & Lu, Q. (2017). Ethnic Differences between Asians and European Americans in Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction and Depressive Symptoms. In S. L. Wade (Ed.), Self-Determination Theory (SDT): Perspective, Applications and Impact: Nova Science Publishers, Incorporated.

Manuscripts - Last 5 years

Steers, M.-L. N., Wickham, R.E., Young, C. M., Quist, M. C., Bryan, J. L., & Eikenburg, L. B. (in review). Testing the Boundaries of Friendship: How Levels of Closeness Influence "Cybernoyance" After Viewing Facebook Posts. Manuscript in review.

Wang, C., Cunningham-Erdogdu, P., Steers, M.-L. N., Weinstein, A., & Neighbors, C. (in review). Stressful Life Events and Gambling: The Roles of Coping and Impulsivity Among At Risk Gamblers. Manuscript in review.

Steers, M.-L. N., Neighbors, C., Macia, K.S., Young, C.M., & Pedersen, E.R., Self in the Service: Self-identification Moderates the Association between Perceived Drinking Norms and Own Drinking Among Veterans. Manuscript in review.Kerr, B., Steers, M.-L. N., Jenkins, M., Pham, D. & Moreno, M.E. (in preparation) Associations between Problem Alcohol Use and Active and Passive Social Media Posts. Manuscript in preparation.

Steers, M.-L. N., Ward, R.M., Neighbors, C., Bruheim, L.C., Guo, Y., & Colbert, A.M. (in preparation). Double Vision on Social Media: How Self-Generated Alcohol-Related Posts Moderate the Relationship Between Viewing Others' Posts and Drinking. Manuscript in preparation.

Steers, M.-L. N., Anthenien, A.M., Wickham, R.E., Petit, W.E. (in preparation) How Rejection Concern and Shame Predict Drinking Outcomes Among Asians and Whites. Manuscript in preparation.

Newspaper and Magazine Publications - Last 5 years

Steers, M.-L. N. (2015, April 13) Why Facebook can be depressing, and what you can do about that. Houston Chronicle. Houston Chronicle article is viewable here.

Steers, M.-L. N. (2015, April 24) Why too much Facebook can leave you feeling down. The Conversation. The Conversation article can be read online.

Symposium Presentations and Invited Talks - Last 5 years

Steers, M.-L. N., Neighbors, C., Wickham, R.E., Moreno, M.A. (2020, June). Uncovering the Who, What, Where, and Why Heavy Drinking College Students Post Alcohol-Related Content to Social Media. In M-L. N. Steers (chair) & R.M. Ward (co-chair), Alcohol-related Posts to Social Media for Novices: How Features, Functions, and Audience for Different Platforms Determine Alcohol-related Content. Proposed Symposium for the 2020 Research Society on Alcoholism Annual Convention, New Orleans, LA.

Steers, M.-L. N., Wickham, R.E., Neighbors, C., & Moreno, M.A. (2018, June). My friends, I'm #Sotallytobers: Perceptions of friends' approval of drinking moderates the relationship between drinking and posting alcohol-related content (ARC). In Enoch Gordis Postdoctoral Nomination Presentations. Symposium conducted at the 2017 Research Society on Alcoholism Annual Convention, San Diego, CA.

Steers, M.-L. N., Wickham, R.E., Moreno, M.A., & Neighbors, C. (2017, July). T. Chung (discussant), A Social Media Personalized Normative Feedback Intervention for Heavy Drinking Students. In Advancing Research on Underage Alcohol Use and Social Media Involvement. An RSA Satellite Workshop presented at the 2017 Research Society on Alcoholism Annual Convention, Denver, CO.

Steers, M.-L. N., Øverup, C. S., Brunson, J. A., & Acitelli, L. K. (2016, August). Becoming "Facebook Official"? Commitment Mediates Attachment and Relationship Status Online. In F. G. Lopez (chair), Coming of Age Online: Attachment Dispositions and Social Media Use. Symposium conducted at the Division 17 at the 2016 American Psychological Association Annual Convention, Denver, CO.

Conference Poster Presentations - Last 5 years

Steers, M.-L. N. (2020, April) College Students' Motivations for Posting Alcohol-related Content to Different Social Media Platforms. Poster to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Pediatric Nurses, Anaheim, CA.

Wasmuth, S., Bruheim, L.C., Steers, K., & Steers, M.-L. N. (2020, February) Obsessive and Harmonious Passion and Drinking in College Students. Poster to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, New Orleans, LA.

Weinstein, A. P., Steers, M.-L. N., & Neighbors, C. (2020, February) It's All Good, Everyone Does It: Marijuana Use in the Context of Perceived Norms and Social Expectancies of Marijuana Use. Poster to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, New Orleans, LA.

Steers, M.-L. N., Ward, R.M., & Neighbors, C. (2020, February) Social Media's Social Influence on Drinking: Self-Generated Alcohol-Related Posts as a Moderator of the Relationship Between the Viewing Others' Posts and Drinking. Poster to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, New Orleans, LA.

Steers, K., Bruheim, L. C., Wasmuth, S., & Steers, M.-L. N. (2020, February) Can Intentions for Posting Marijuana-Related Content Predict Marijuana Use? Poster to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, New Orleans, LA.

Bruheim, L.C. & Steers, M.-L. N. (2020, February) Motivations of Not Disclosing Relationship Status on Facebook. Poster to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, New Orleans, LA.

Steers, M.-L. N., Neighbors, C. & Moreno, M.A. (2019, August). College Students' Motivations for Posting Alcohol-related Content to Different Social Media Platforms. Poster presented at the Collaborative Research on Addiction at the National Institutes of Health Mentored Career Development Meeting, Bethesda, MD.

Steers, M.-L. N., Angosta, J., Lembo, J., Steers, K., & Neighbors, C. (2019, February) Drinking Buddies: Inclusion of Close Friends as a Moderator of the Relationship Between the College Life Alcohol Salience Scale and Peak Drinks. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Portland, OR.

Steers, K., Momin, R., Mathew, S., Mathew, J. A., & Steers, M.-L. N. (2019, February) The Need to Belong as a Moderator of the Association between Anxiety and Social Comparisons on Facebook. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Portland, OR.

Steers, M.-L. N., Neighbors, C. & Pedersen, E. R. (2018, November) Self in the Service: The Moderating Effect of Inclusion of the Self in the Other on the Relationship Between Drinking Norms and Alcohol-Related Consequences Among Veterans. Poster presented at the 2018 Annual Meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Washington D.C.

Momin, R., Steers, K., Mathew, S., Mathew, J. A., & Steers, M.-L. N. (2018, October) Others' Posts as a Moderator of the Association Between Social Media Influence and Self Posts. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the University of Houston Undergraduate Research Day, Houston, TX.

Mathew, J. A., Moore, K., Momin, R., Mathew, S., & Steers, M.-L. N. (2018, October) Inclusion of Close Friends as a Moderator of the Relationship Between College Life Alcohol Salience Scale and Binge Drinking. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the University of Houston Undergraduate Research Day, Houston, TX.

Mathew, S., Momin, R., Mathew, J. A., Moore, K., & Steers, M.-L. N. (2018, October) Race as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Rejection concern and Drinks Per Week. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the University of Houston Undergraduate Research Day, Houston, TX.

Steers, M.-L. N., Wickham, R.E., Neighbors, C., Moreno, M.A. (2018, June) My friends, I'm #Sotallytobers: Perceptions of friends' approval of drinking moderates the relationship between drinking and posting alcohol-related content (ARC). Poster presented at the 41st Annual Meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism, San Diego, California. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 42(s1), 178A.

Steers, M.-L. N. (2018, March) All in the Family: How Contingencies of Self-Worth - Family Support Moderates the Relationship Between Collectivistic Orientation and Satisfaction With Life. Poster presented at the 2018 the Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Atlanta, GA.

Steers, M.-L. N., Wickham, R.E., Neighbors, C., & Moreno, M.A. (2018, March) Friends Don't Let Friends Drink and Post? How Perceptions of Friends' Approval of Drinking Relates to Facebook Alcohol-related Content Posts. Poster presented at the 2018 Psychology and Media and Technology Preconference for the Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Atlanta, GA.

Steers, M.-L. N. & Anthenien, A. (2017, January) Differences in Rejection Sensitivity, Controlled Orientation, and Depressive Symptoms Among Asians and European Americans. Poster presented at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, San Antonio, TX.

Steers, M.-L. N., Fillo, J., & Neighbors, C. (2016, June) University-Related Collective Self-Esteem Reduces Alcohol-related Consequences: A Comparison of Three U.S. Universities. Poster presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism, New Orleans, LA.

Steers, M.-L. N., Tomkins, M.M., Knee, C.R., & Neighbors, C. (2016, January) The Moderating Effect of Instability of Self-Esteem on the Relationship Between Identification with the Group and Drinking. Poster presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, San Diego, CA.

Tomkins, M.M., Neighbors, C., & Steers, M.-L. N. (2016, March) Passion for religion, perceived stress, and drinking. Poster presented at the 2016 Collaborative Perspectives on Addiction Meeting, San Diego, CA.

Steers, M.-L. N., Tomkins, M.M., Knee, C.R., & Neighbors, C. (2016, November) The Moderating Effect of Instability of Self-Esteem on the Relationship Between Identification with the Group and Peak Drinks. Poster presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, New York, NY.

Achari, R. & Steers, M.-L. N., (2015, April). All in The Family: How Contingencies of Self-Worth - Family Support Moderates the Relationship Between Collectivistic Orientation. Poster presented at the 2015 Annual Meeting of Southwestern Psychological Association, Wichita, KS.

Steers, M.-L. N., Young, C.M., Quist, M.C., Bryan, J.L., Eikenburg, L.B., Acitelli, L.K., & Foster, D.W. (2015, February) To Like or Not to Like: How Levels of Closeness to Facebook Friends Influence Perceptions of Posts. Poster presented at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Long Beach, CA.

Reams, K., Steers, M.-L. N., Eikenburg, L.B., Caraway, L., & Acitelli, L.K. Choosing Your Facebook Friends Wisely: Perceived Choice as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Number of Facebook Friends and Social Anxiety. Poster presented at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Long Beach, CA.

Quist, M.C., Young, C.M., Steers, M.-L. N., Bryan, J.L., Knee, C.R., & Foster, D.W. (2015, February) You Gotta Have Faith, But Not the Kind You Think: Types of Religiosity and Their Associations with Guilt, Anxiety, and Depression. Poster presented at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Long Beach, CA.