Diversity-Related Research at LSU

* indicates graduate student author, ** indicates undergraduate student author

Buckner Lab

A primary aim of Dr. Buckner’s research program is to identify psycho-sociocultural factors related to substance-related problems and other health-related problems (e.g., anxiety, suicidal thoughts and behaviors), especially among individuals at particular risk for such problems, including understudied/historically underrepresented groups. Her research has included examination of psychological and substance use vulnerability factors among individuals who identify as African American/Black or Hispanic/Latin, as well as individuals from sexual minority groups. She has also examined the role of gender in these processes. Current studies include examination of the role of race-based microaggressions and other forms of discrimination on negative affect and substance use.

Buckner, J.D., Zvolensky, M.J., & *Scherzer, C.R. (in press). Microaggressions and cannabis-related problems among Black adults: The roles of negative affect and cannabis use motives. Cognitive Therapy and Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-023-10375-8

Zvolensky, M. J., Heggeness, L. F., Mayorga, N. A., Garey, L., Buckner, J. D., Businelle, M. S., & Redmond, B. Y. (in press). Financial strain among Black smokers in terms of abstinence expectancies. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities.

Buckner, J.D., Tucker, R.P., *Morris, P.E., *Scherzer, C.R., Crapanzano, K.A., & *Pardue-Bougeois, S. (2023). Substance misuse among a diverse psychiatric inpatient sample: Suicidal thoughts and behaviors and motivation to change. Behavioral Medicine, 49(3), 231-235. doi: 10.1080/08964289.2022.2065240

Buckner, J.D., *Scherzer, C.R., Crapanzano, K.A., & *Morris, P.E. (2023). Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for substance use disorders with psychiatric inpatients in an underserved area: An opportunity to intervene for opioid misuse. Public Health Reports, 138 (Suppl 1), 90S-95S. https://doi.org/10.1177/00333549231170219

Buckner, J.D., Zvolensky, M.J., & *Scherzer, C.R. (in press). Alcohol-related problems among Black adults: The role of false safety behaviors. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 10(3), 987-992. doi: 10.1007/s40615-022-01286-7

Buckner, J.D., *Morris, P.E., *Ferrie, E.L., & *Scherzer, C.R. (2023). Social anxiety and alcohol use and related problems among Black adults: Differential roles of motives by sex. Substance Use and Misuse, 58(1), 36-43. doi: 10.1080/10826084.2022.2137813

Buckner, J.D., **Threeton, E.M., *Morris, P.E., & *Stoneking, F. (2023). Sexual orientation and cannabis outcomes among Black individuals: The role of cannabis use motives. Addictive Behaviors, 141. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2023.107635

Buckner, J.D., Zvolensky, M.J., *Ferrie, M.L., & *Morris, P.E.  (2023). False safety behavior use among Black adults, 52(1), 65-74. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. doi: 10.1080/16506073.2022.2139291

*Morris, P.E., & Buckner, J.D. (2023). Cannabis-related problems and social anxiety: The roles of sex and cannabis use motives updated. Addictive Behaviors, 137. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107528

Buckner, J. D., *Lewis, E. M., Shepherd, J. M., & Zvolensky, M. J. (2022). Ethnic discrimination and alcohol‐related problem severity among Hispanic/Latin drinkers: The role of social anxiety in the minority stress model. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 138. doi: 10.1016/j.jsat.2022.108730

Buckner, J.D., *Morris, P.E., Shepherd, J.M., & Zvolensky, M.J. (2022). Cannabis use among Black young adults: The interactive effects of ethnic‐racial identity, anxiety, and sex. Cognitive Therapy and Research. doi: 10.1007/s10608‐022‐10296‐y

Buckner, J.D., *Morris, P.E., Shepherd, J.M., & Zvolensky, M.J. (2022). Ethnic‐racial identity and hazardous drinking among Black drinkers: A test of the minority stress model. Addictive Behaviors, 127. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.107218

Buckner, J. D., *Glover, N. I., Shepherd, J. M., & Zvolensky, M. J. (2022). Racial discrimination and hazardous drinking among Black drinkers: The role of social anxiety in the minority stress model. Substance Use and Misuse, 57(2), 256‐262. doi: 10.1080/10826084.2021.2002903

*Dean, K. E., Long, A. C., Trinh, N. T., McClendon, J., & Buckner, J.D. (2022). Treatment-seeking for anxiety and depression among Black adults: A multilevel and empirically informed psycho-sociocultural model. Behavior Therapy, 53(6), 1077-1091. doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2022.04.005 

Zvolensky, M. J., Kauffman, B. Y., Garey, L., Buckner, J. D., Businelle, M. S., & Reitzel, L.R. (2022). Financial strain among adult African American/Black cannabis users. Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, 6, 1-13, doi: 10.1080/15332640.2022.2092924. 

Zvolensky, M. J., Kauffman, B. Y., Garey, L., & Buckner, J. D. (2022). Abstinence phobia among adult African American/Black cannabis users. Addictive Behaviors, 132. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107344

*Oakey‐Frost, N., Tucker, R.P., & Buckner, J.D. (2021). Ethnic identity and suicide risk among Hispanic/Latinx young adults: The independent and synergistic impacts of perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. Archives of Suicide Research, 25(2):253‐268. doi: 10.1080/13811118.2019.1670766.

*Ecker, A.H., *Dean, K.E., Buckner, J.D., & Foster, D.W. (2019). Perceived injunctive norms and cannabis‐related problems: the interactive influence of parental injunctive norms and race. Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, 18, 211‐223. doi: 10.1080/15332640.2017.1333477. PMCID: PMC5995670

Kosiba, J.D., Hughes, M.T., LaRowe, L.R., Zvolensky, M.J., Norton, P.J., Smits, J.A.J., Buckner, J.D. & Ditre, J.W. (2019). Menthol cigarette use and pain reporting among African American adults seeking treatment for smoking cessation. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 37(3), 276‐282. doi: 10.1037/pha0000254

*Walukevich‐Dienst, K., Neighbors, C., & Buckner, J.D. (2019). Online personalized feedback intervention for cannabis‐using college students reduces cannabis‐related problems among women. Addictive Behaviors, 98. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2019.106040

*Walukevich‐Dienst, K., **Twitty, D.T., & Buckner, J.D. (2019). Sexual minority women and cannabis use: The serial impact of PTSD symptom severity and coping motives. Addictive Behaviors, 92, 1‐5. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.12.012.

Buckner, J.D., *Jeffries, E.R., Crosby, R.D., Zvolensky, M.J., Cavanaugh, C.E., & Wonderlich, S.A. (2018). The impact of PTSD clusters on cannabis use in a racially diverse trauma‐exposed sample: An analysis from ecological momentary assessment. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 44(5), 532‐542. doi: 10.1080/00952990.2018.1430149

*Dean, K.E., Long, A.C.L., Matthews, R.A., & Buckner, J.D. (2018). Willingness to seek treatment among Black students with anxiety or depression: The synergistic effect of sociocultural factors with symptom severity and intolerance of uncertainty. Behavior Therapy, 49(5), 691‐701. doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2017.12.008

Calamia Lab

Dr. Calamia’s lab is engaged in neuropsychology research focused on Black/African Americans including examining dementia knowledge and interest in research participation, examining factors that increase risk and resilience to cognitive decline, and examining representativeness and inclusion in neuropsychology research. His lab also considers aging as an element of diversity and studies the degree to which findings from studies of other age groups generalize to older adults.

Friis, M., Cherry, K. E., Bordes, P. J., Calamia, M. R., & Elliott, E. M. (2023). Younger and older adults’ perceptions of stressors after a flood. Traumatology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/trm0000451

Pugh, E., Robinson, A., Montgomery, V., & Calamia, M. (2022). Trainee perceptions of multicultural climate and supervision in neuropsychology. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 44, 386-397. doi: 10.1080/13803395.2022.2107185

Calamia, M.¸ Kaseda, E.T., Price, J.S., De Vito, A., Silver, C.H., Cherry, J., VanLandingham, H., Khan, H., Spark, P.J., Ellison, R. (2022). Mentorship in clinical neuropsychology: Survey of current practices, cultural responsiveness, and untapped potential. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 44, 366-385. doi: 10.1080/13803395.2022.2128068

Pugh, E., Stewart, J., Carter, L., Calamia, M., Carmichael, O., & Newton, R.L. (2022). Beliefs, Understanding, and Barriers Related to Dementia Research Participation among Older African Americans. Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders, 36, 52-57. doi: 10.1097/WAD.0000000000000476

Pugh, E., Robinson, A, De Vito, A., Bernstein, J.P.K., & Calamia, M. (2022). Representation of U.S. Black Americans in Neuropsychology Research: How Well Do Our Reporting Practices Show that Black Lives Matter?' The Clinical Neuropsychologist, 36, 214‐226. doi: 10.1080/13854046.2021.1958923.

Pugh, E., De Vito, A., Divers, R., Robinson, A., Weitzner, D.S., Calamia, M. (2021). Social factors that predict cognitive decline in older African American adults. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 36, 403-410. doi: 10.1002/gps.5435

Robinson, A., Divers, R., Moscardini, E., & Calamia, M. (2021). Perfectionism, conscientiousness, and neuroticism: Does Age Matter? Personality and Individual Differences, 172, 110563. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2020.110563

Wagner, L.S., Luger, T.M., & Calamia, M. (2020). Aging as an element of diversity: Best practices for challenging classroom conversations and avoiding ageism. In M. Kite, K.A. Case, & W.R. Williams (Eds.), Navigating Difficult Moments in Teaching Diversity and Social Justice: Perseverance and Resilience. American Psychological Association.

Capron Lab

Fergerson, A. K., Caulfield, N. M., Dworkin, E. R., & Capron, D. W. (in press). Sexual assault history may moderate posttraumatic cognition and posttraumatic stress among trauma-exposed sexual minority women. Behavior Therapy.

Fergerson, A. K., Karnick, A. T., Caulfield, N. M., Tennity, C. L., & Capron, D. W. (in press). The indirect effects of proximal stressors associated with posttraumatic stress symptoms severity among sexually-victimized sexual minority women: A cross-sectional path analysis. Violence Against Women. 

Bulla, B. A., Smith, N. S., Preston, O., Capron, D.W., & Anestis, J. C. (2021). The indirect effects of psychopathy on trait aggression through anxiety sensitivity across genders. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, and Trauma, 30, 207-225.

Cohen Lab

Objective technologies hold the potential for redefining how mental health assessment is conducted. They also hold the potential for being inaccessible, biased, inaccurate, and dangerous if improperly used. Dr. Cohen’s lab is exploring how to build, evaluate and implement culturally and contextually sensitive analytic systems that can improve patients’ outcomes. These are being conducted as part of several international consortium investigating links between natural speech, symptoms of mental illness and genomics, and as part of community-based research conducted within Louisiana, Arkansas and Nevada healthcare systems. 

Cohen, A. S., Rodriguez, Zachary Warren, K. K., Cowan, T. M., Masucci, M. M., Granrud, Ole Edvard Holmlund, Terje B Chandler, C., Foltz, P. W., & Strauss, Gregory, P. (2022). Natural Language Processing and Psychosis: On The Need for Comprehensive Psychometric Evaluation. Schizophrenia Bulletin, In Press.

Cowan, T., Cohen, A. S., Raugh, I. M., & Strauss, G. P. (2022). Ambulatory audio and video recording for digital phenotyping in schizophrenia: Adherence & data usability. Psychiatry Research, 114485.

Cohen, A. S., Schwartz, E., Le, T. P., Cowan, T., Kirkpatrick, B., Raugh, I. M., & Strauss, G. P. (2021). Digital phenotyping of negative symptoms: the relationship to clinician ratings. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 47(1), 44–53. https://doi.org/10.1093/schbul/sbaa065

Holmlund, T. B., Foltz, P. W., Cohen, A. S., Johansen, H. D., Sigurdsen, R., Fugelli, P., Bergsager, D., Cheng, J., Bernstein, J., Rosenfeld, E., & Elvevåg, B. (2019). Moving psychological assessment out of the controlled laboratory setting: Practical challenges. Psychological Assessment, 31(3), 292–303. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0000647

Schwartz, E. K., Docherty, N. M., Najolia, G. M., & Cohen, A. S. (2019). Exploring the Racial Diagnostic Bias of Schizophrenia Using Behavioral and Clinical-Based Measures. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 128(3), 263–271. https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0000409

Fonseca-Pedrero, E., Chan, R. C., Debbané, M., Cicero, D., Zhang, L. C., Brenner, C., ... & Cohen, A. (2018). Comparisons of schizotypal traits across 12 countries: Results from the International Consortium for Schizotypy Research. Schizophrenia Research. 199,128-134. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2018.03.021. 

Frick Lab

Research in Dr. Frick’s lab explores the effects of prejudice and discrimination on the psychological adjustment of children and adolescents and the impact of an adolescent’s racial and ethnic background on their treatment by the juvenile justice system.  Dr. Frick was part of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s Models for Change in Juvenile Justice initiative, which intervened to reduce disproportionate minority within all stages of the juvenile justice system in Louisiana. For this work, he received the MacArthur Foundation Champion for Change in Juvenile Justice Award for Louisiana in 2008.   Dr. Frick was also part of the multiple PI team with Dr. Beth Cauffman and Dr. Laurence Steinberg for the Crossroads in Juvenile Justice project, which studied the effects of juvenile justice processing on the development of adolescents of color.  

Bersani, B. E., Fine, A.D., Piquero, A.R., Steinberg, L., Frick, P.J., & Cauffman, E. (2018).  Investigating the offending histories of undocumented immigrants. Migration Letters, 15, 147-166.

Chen, J.M., Norman J.B., Frick, P.J. & Cauffman, E. (2021). Out of the picture: Latinx and white male youths’ facial features predict their juvenile justice system processing outcomes. Crime & Delinquency, 67, 787-807. 

Fine, A., Amemiya, J., Frick, P., Steinberg, L., & Cauffman, E. (2021). Perceptions of police legitimacy and bias from ages 13 to 22 among Black, Latino, and White justice-involved males. Law & Human Behavior, 45, 243-255. 

Fine, A., Cavanagh, C., Donley, S., Frick, P.J., Steinberg, L., Cauffman, E. (2017). Is the effect of justice system attitudes on recidivism stable after youths’ first arrest? Race and legal socialization among first-time youth offenders. Law and Human Behavior, 41(2), 146-158.

Fine, A., Donley, S., Miltimore, S., Steinberg, L., Frick, P.J., & Cauffman, E. (in press).  And justice for all:  Determinants and effects of juvenile justice system processing.  Psychology, Public Policy, and Law.

Fine, A., Moule, R., Trinkner, R., Frick, P.J., Steinberg, L., & Cauffman, E. (2022). Legal socialization and individual belief in the code of the streets: A theoretical integration and longitudinal test. Justice Quarterly, 39, 1310-1331.

Kan, E., Riano, N. S., Beardslee, J., Frick, P. J., Steinberg, L., Cauffman, E. (2023). Race differences in the association between binge drinking and treatment among first-time justice-system-impacted youth. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 58, 23-30.

Padgaonkar, N.T., Baker, A., Dapetto, M., Galvan, A., Frick, P.J., Steinberg, L., & Cauffman, E. (2021). Exploring disproportionate minority contact in the juvenile justice system over the year following first arrest.  Journal of Research on Adolescence, 31, 317-334.

Hill Lab

Sumlin, E., Hill, R. M., Busby, D., Brown, J., & Sharp, C. (in press). Quantifying the representation of Black adolescents in suicide intervention research. Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology. 

DeMello, A. S., Peskin, M., Hill, R. M., Cesarez, R., & Santa Maria, D. M. (2022). The impact of bullying victimization and sexual orientation on the severity of suicidal behavior. Violence and Victims.

Cramer, R.J., Kaniuka, A.R., Yada, F., Diaz‐Garelli, F., Hill, R.M., Bowling, J., Macchia, J.M., & Tucker, R.P. (2022). An analysis of suicidal thoughts and behaviors among transgender and gender diverse adults. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 57, 195‐205. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127‐021‐02115‐8

Hill, R. M., Dodd, C. G., Oosterhoff, B., Layne, C. M., Pynoos, R. S., Staine, M. B., & Kaplow, J. B. (2020). Measurement invariance of the Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder Checklist with respect to youth gender, race, ethnicity, and age. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 33, 85‐856. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22560

Mellick, W., Hatkevich, C., Venta, A., Hill, R. M., Kazimi, I., Elhai, J., & Sharp, C. (2019). Measurement invariance of depression symptom ratings across African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Caucasian adolescent psychiatric inpatients. Psychological Assessment, 31(6), 833‐838. doi: 10.1037/pas0000708

Hill, R. M., Rooney, E. E., Mooney, M. A., & Kaplow, J. B. (2017). Links between social support, thwarted belongingness, and suicide ideation among gay, lesbian, and bisexual college students. Journal of Family Strengths, 17(2).

Tucker Lab

Aboussouan, A., Moscardini, E. H., Cerel, J., & Tucker, R. P. (2022). Experiences of hospitalization for suicide ideation and suicide attempt in gender diverse adults. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior.

Pardue-Bourgeois, S., Cerel, J., & Tucker, R. P. (2022). From and for folks: Relationships between forms of social support and suicidal thinking in transgender and gender diverse adults. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity.

Cerel, J., Tucker, R. P., & Snow, A. (2020). Suicide exposure in transgender and gender diverse adults. Journal of Affective Disorders, 278, 165-171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.09.045

Carter, S. P., Cowan, T., Snow, A., Cerel, J., & Tucker, R. P. (2020). Health insurance and mental health care utilization among transgender and gender-diverse people. Psychiatric Services, 71(2), 151-157. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201900289 

Gregus, S., Stevens, K., Seivert, N., Tucker, R. P., & Callahan, J. (2019). Student perceptions of multicultural training and program climate in clinical psychology doctoral programs. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 14(4), 293–307. https://doi.org/10.1037/tep0000289

Tucker, R. P., Pardue-Bourgeois, S., Snow, A., Bradstreet, M., & Cerel, J. (2019). The relationship between suicide-related exposure and personal suicidal behavior in transgender and gender-diverse veterans. LGBT Health, 6(7), 335-341. https://doi.org/10.1089/lgbt.2019.0120

Aboussouan, A. B., Snow, A., Cerel, J., & Tucker, R. P. (2019). Non-suicidal self-injury, suicidal ideation, and past suicide attempts: comparison between transgender and gender diverse veterans and non-veterans. Journal of Affective Disorders, 259, 186-194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2019.08.046

Tucker, R. P. (2019). Transgender veteran suicide: Prevalence, prevention, and Implications of current policy. Perspectives on Psychological Science.

Carter, S. P., Allred, K. M., Tucker, R. P., Simpson, T. L., Shipherd, J. C., & LeHavot, K. 2019). Discrimination and suicidal ideation among transgender veterans: the role of social support and connection. LGBT Studies.

Tucker, R. P., Testa, R. J., Simpson, T. L., Shipherd, J. C., Blosnich, J. R., & LeHavot, K. (2018). Hormone therapy, gender affirmation surgery, and their association with recent suicidal ideation and depression symptoms in transgender veterans. Psychological Medicine. doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291717003853

Tucker, R. P., Testa, R. J., Reger, M. A., Simpson, T. L., Shipherd, J. C., & LeHavot, K. (2018). Current and military-specific gender minority stress factors and their relationship to suicidal ideation in transgender veterans. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior. doi: 10.1111/sltb.12432.