Carol Prescott
I live in North Kohala on Hawaii’s Big Island, where I share a small farm with dogs, cats, chickens and several humans. My professional background is in clinical psychology and statistical genetics, which I combined in a 30-year academic career conducting research on the etiology of substance abuse, psychological disorders and cognitive decline. My scientific writing includes more than 150 published articles in peer-reviewed journals plus a coauthored book and various articles for a general audience. I also served as associate editor for two scientific journals.
I am now retired from academic work and enjoying the freedom to pursue creative writing projects. My interests are broad, including creative nonfiction, fiction and poetry. Publication credits include two nonfiction pieces in the fourth edition of HWG’s Latitudes and two poems in Latitudes V. I am also (inordinately) proud of being selected as a winner in the 2000 Prairie Home Companion sonnet contest and having my poem ‘Green is the Color of My True Love’s Socks’ read on air.
More information about Carol's writing and links to her published stories can be found on her personal website: https://kohalacarol.com/
Carol’s Published Books
Out of the Blue: Words and Images from Hawaiʻi Island [with Michael Foley} (2025)
Meeting for the first time at a local farmer’s market, Carol and Michael surprise themselves, each other and every one they know by falling in love.
Genes, Environment, and Psychopathology: Understanding the Causes of Psychiatric and Substance Use Disorders
This groundbreaking volume synthesizes the results of the Virginia Adult Twin Study of Psychiatric and Substance Use Disorders, which yielded longitudinal data on more than 9,000 individuals. The authors trace how risk for depression, anxiety, eating disorders, antisocial behavior, alcoholism, and substance abuse emerges from the interplay of a variety of genetic and environmental influences. Major questions addressed include whether risk is disorder-specific, how to distinguish between correlational and causal genetic and environmental factors, sex differences in risk, and how risk and protective factors interact over time.
