Patricia Cavazos, Ph.D.

Phone: 314-362-2152
Email: rehgp@psychiatry.wustl.edu
My Research Team: Investigators Connecting Health and Social Media (iCHASM)
My specific research areas include:
- Social media: Social media use is a popular activity, especially among young people. In my research, I study how social media posts can be used for behavioral insights.
- Policy: Many young people engage in behaviors that can jeopardize their health such as substance abuse and unprotected sex. My goal is to understand how policies can help to reduce health risk behaviors.
- Mental health epidemiology: My research addresses why and how certain risk behaviors cluster with psychiatric illnesses.
Recent findings:
Pro-substance use content is rampant on social media platforms and normalizes substance abuse behaviors.
Cavazos-Rehg, P. A., Krauss, M., Fisher, S. L., Salyer, P., Grucza, R. A., & Bierut, L. J. (2015). Twitter chatter about marijuana. J Adolesc Health, 56(2), 139-145. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2014.10.270. PMID: 25620299
Some state-level policies play an important role in reducing youth risk behaviors at a population-level (e.g., lowering drunk driving behaviors).
Cavazos‐Rehg, P. A., Krauss, M. J., Spitznagel, E. L., Chaloupka, F. J., Schootman, M., Grucza, R. A., & Bierut, L. J. (2012). Associations between selected state laws and teenagers’ drinking and driving behaviors. Alcohol Clin Exp Res, 36(9), 1647-1652. PMID: 22702907
Quitting smoking is associated with improved mental health; we found that positive behavioral and psychological outcomes tend to accompany smoking cessation.
Cavazos-Rehg, P. A., Breslau, N., Hatsukami, D., Krauss, M. J., Spitznagel, E. L., Grucza, R. A., … & Bierut, L. J. (2014). Smoking cessation is associated with lower rates of mood/anxiety and alcohol use disorders. Psychol Med, 44(12), 2523-2535. PMID: 25055171
Our active projects include:
Digital Therapy to Support Recovery among Pregnant Women with Opioid Use Disorder
In this study we will recruit pregnant women with opioid use disorder and test a newly developed digital therapy that delivers engaging, credible, and relevant information about medication assisted treatment.
uMAT-R: A mobile application to support pregnant women in Missouri who are recovering from Opioid Use Disorders (OUD)
We will implement the uMAT-R app in several clinics throughout Missouri who treat pregnant women with OUD. uMAT-R is designed as an add-on to routine in-person clinical care so that patients of these clinics can access the skills and strategies they need outside of scheduled visits.
Implications of Social Media Content and Engagement for Alcohol and Marijuana Use
We are studying the marijuana and alcohol-related content to which young people are exposed via social media and their associations with marijuana and alcohol use behaviors and norms.
Leveraging Social Media for Substance Use Behavioral Insight
This study will harness social media posts for novel insight into drug use, especially newly emerging and increasingly popular drugs.
Leveraging Social Media to Accelerate Mental Health Treatment
This study will take first steps toward facilitating intervention development linked to social media to support recovery from opioid use disorder (OUD).
Understanding Depression Displays on Twitter and Identifying Ways to Intervene
We are exploring strategies for identifying and helping individuals who are feeling depressed, contemplating suicide, and/or engaging in self-harm behaviors and expressing these struggles on Twitter.
Investigating the Promotion of Eating Disorders on Twitter: Implications for Online Intervention
We are taking the first steps towards engaging individuals who are networking on social media about eating disorder symptoms and risk factors. Additionally, we are garnering suggestions/receptivity for the delivery of technology-based prevention/treatment messages on social media platforms.
Policy as Environment: Long-term Effects of Laws Restricting Youth Substance Use
We are studying whether policy environments in which adolescents have easier access to alcohol and tobacco lead to elevated risk for addiction and related health effects later in adulthood.
Smoking, Suicide and Mental Health: Using Policy Change to Probe Causality
The global aim of this study is to examine whether smoking is a contributing cause for suicide and more proximal adverse mental health outcomes.
Building on Bridging the Gap: Environmental Influences on Teen Substance Use (recently completed)
We are conducting an in-depth investigation of the processes through which prevention efforts (e.g., school-based efforts and state-level penalties) reduce the substance use behaviors they target.
Funding:
Opioid Epidemic Research Funding Program
Digital Therapy to Support Recovery among Pregnant Women with Opioid Use Disorder
My Role: Principal Investigator
SAMHSA State Opioid Response (P19-00792)
uMAT-R: A mobile application to support pregnant women in Missouri who are recovering from Opioid Use Disorders (OUD)
My Role: Principal Investigator
R01 DA039455
Implications of Social Media Content and Engagement for Alcohol and Marijuana Use
My Role: Principal Investigator
K02 DA043657
Leveraging Social Media for Substance Use Behavioral Insight
My Role: Principal Investigator
Once Upon a Time Foundation
Leveraging Social Media to Accelerate Mental Health Treatment
My Role: Principal Investigator
R03 MH109024
Understanding Depression Displays on Twitter and Identifying Ways to Intervene
My Role: Principal Investigator
R21 MH112331
Investigating the Promotion of Eating Disorders on Twitter: Implications for Online Intervention
My Role: Principal Investigator
R01 DA031288
Policy as Environment: Long-term Effects of Laws Restricting Youth Substance Use
My Role: Co-Investigator
R01 DA042195
Smoking, Suicide and Mental Health: Using Policy Change to Probe Causality
My Role: Co-Investigator
R01 DA032843 (recently completed)
Building on Bridging the Gap: Environmental Influences on Teen Substance Use
My Role: Principal Investigator