Dr. Rospenda’s research centers on occupational stress and its impact on the mental health and drinking behavior of employees. She is Principal Investigator of the first representative national study of workplace harassment and discrimination, use of health and mental health services, and alcohol use/abuse. Her other research interests include gender and work, work-family conflict, and the role of work in mental health.

Representative publications
Rospenda, K.M., Richman, J.A., & Nawyn, S.J. (1998). Doing power: The confluence of gender, race, and class in contrapower sexual harassment. Gender & Society, 12, 40-60.

Richman, J.A., Rospenda, K.M., Nawyn, S.J., Flaherty, J.A., Fendrich, M., Drum, M.L. & Johnson, T.P. (1999). Sexual harassment and generalized workplace abuse among university employees: Prevalence and mental health correlates. American Journal of Public Health, 89, 358-363.

Nawyn, S.J., Richman, J.A., Rospenda, K.M.& Hughes, T.L. (2000). Sexual identity and alcohol-related outcomes: Contributions of workplace harassment. Journal of Substance Abuse, 11, 289-304.

Rospenda, K.M., Richman, J.A., Wislar, J.S., & Flaherty, J.A. (2000). Chronicity of sexual harassment and generalized workplace abuse: Effects on drinking outcomes. Addiction, 95, 1805-1820.

Richman, J.A., Rospenda, K.M., Flaherty, J.A., & Freels, S. (2001). Workplace harassment, active coping, and alcohol-related outcomes. Journal of Substance Abuse, 13, 347-366.

Rospenda, K.M. (2002). Workplace harassment, services utilization, and drinking outcomes. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 7, 141-155.

Rospenda, K.M. & Richman, J.A. (2004). The factor structure of generalized workplace harassment. Violence and Victims, 19, 221-238.

Richman, J.A., Fendrich, M., Wislar, J.S., Flaherty, J.A. & Rospenda, K.M. (2004). Drinking and anxiety effects of 9/11/01 in combination with work stressors: A longitudinal cohort study. American Journal of Public Health, 94, 2010-2015.

Rospenda, K.M. & Richman, J.A. (2005). Harassment and discrimination. In J. Barling , E.K. Kelloway, and M.R. Frone (Eds.), Handbook of Work Stress. Sage Publications.

Rospenda, K.M., Richman, J.A., Ehmke, J.L.Z., & Zlatoper, K.W. (in press). Is workplace harassment hazardous to your health? Journal of Business and Psychology.