Research
The goal of our research is to understand psychosocial determinants in addiction and psychiatric disorders to pave the way for prevention, recovery, and cure through the development of behavioral interventions. We take advantage of new and emerging knowledge in basic science, neuroscience, and technology to develop maximally efficacious psychosocial treatments and measures. As new developments arise grounding our understanding of the biological and psychosocial components that drive use/addictive behaviors and psychiatric symptoms, there is a need to apply this knowledge to the development of effective behavioral treatments as an important step in translating research into practice. Additionally, given substance use and chronic psychiatric conditions often lead to debilitated functioning in multiple areas of life, research also includes changes in environment to assist in reducing patients’ psychiatric symptoms and substance use. In this respect, substance use and symptoms are seen as being maintained in part by the reinforcing properties of their subjective effects, social rewards, physical sensations, and dependence inducing qualities and are reduced if other competing reinforces are maximized in the environment such as satisfying work, increased valued community roles, housing stability, improved social relationships, increased physical health/management of health, and improved socioeconomic status. Led by Dr. Kathlene Tracy, the Clinical Lead for the Blau Consultation Center for Resilience and Treatment within Mount Sinai Behavioral Health System and an Associate Professor within Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the research interfaces with a multidisciplinary team of scientists, clinicians, administrators, and patients to develop interventions that not only take advantage of emerging science, but are patient centered and target gaps within service delivery systems to address adoption, adherence, and attrition which are significant problems undercutting addiction treatment efficacy.
Lab Director:
Kathlene Tracy, Ph.D.
Email: kathlene.tracy@mssm.edu
Phone: 212.585.4667
Address: 1399 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10029
Funding and Awards
NIH/NIDA A Stage Ib Randomized Pilot Study of Mentorship for Addiction Problems (MAP) 1R34DA034898-01
NIH/NIDA Minority Supplement 1R34DA034898-S1
NIH/NIAAA Mentorship for Alcohol Problems (MAP) 5R01AA016160-2
Current Projects
We are vigorously developing new psychosocial treatments and measures to utilize emerging data within the field to meet needs and address service delivery system gaps to provide the highest quality of patient-centered addiction care. Currently we are working on developing the large follow-up Stage II Efficacy Trial to our earlier successful Stage Ia and Stage Ib psychotherapy development studies of Mentorship for Addiction Problems (MAP). In addition, we are working with Key Stakeholders within our Opioid Treatment Service Delivery System, which is the largest in the country and includes 11 fully operating Opioid Treatment Programs, and funding/policy makers to develop innovative behavioral services and treatments to augment care to combat the Opioid Epidemic which is plaguing our urban communities and other communities across the country. Taking advantage of emerging neuroscientific data related to reward mechanisms and cognitive deficits, we are in the process of developing an innovative behavioral intervention for individuals who smoke with schizophrenia. Lastly, we are leveraging new technological advancements and are working on developing new platforms that offer alternative approaches to delivering addiction care to those with co-occurring disorders significantly addressing barriers of the past.
Select Publications
Joseph, S.A., Chiu, Y.H.M., & Tracy, K. (2021). Risk factors for inappropriate opioid use among New York City residents. Current Psychology, 40(7).
Tracy, K., Wachtel, L., & Friedman, T. (2021). The impact of COVID-19 on opioid treatment programs (OTP) services: Where do we go from here? Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 131.
Tracy, K., Wachtel, L., Goldmann, E., Nissenfeld, J., Burton, M., Galanter, M., & Ball, S.A. (2020). Mentorship for addiction problems (MAP): A new behavioral intervention to assist in the treatment of substance use disorders. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 81(5), 664-672.
Brooks, J.M., Umucu, E., Fortuna, K.L., Reid, C., Boockvar, K., Tracy, K., & Poghosyan, L. (2020). Prevalence of lifetime nonmedical opioid use among U.S. health center patients aged 45 years and older with psychiatric disorders. Aging and Mental Health, Dec. 9:1-7.
Tracy, K., Wachtel, L., Goldmann, E. Beyond Substance Use Reductions: The Positive Impact of Mentorship for Addiction Problems (MAP). Journal of Alcoholism Drug Abuse and Substance Dependence, 4:009, 2018.
Tracy, K., Wallace, S. Benefits of Peer Support Groups in the Treatment of Addiction. Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation, 29(7), 143-154, 2016.
Tracy, K., Guzman, D., Burton, M. Treatment Process and Participant Characteristic Predictors of Substance Use Outcome in Mentorship for Addiction Problems (MAP). Journal of Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, 2(171), 1-5, 2014.
Bini, E., Kritz, S., Brown, L., Robinson, J., Calsyn, D., Alderson, D., Tracy, K., McAuliffe, P., Smith, C., Rotrosen, J. Hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus services offered by substance abuse treatment programs in the United States. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment (JSAT), 42, 438-435, 2013.
Tracy, K., Burton, M., Miescher, A., Galanter, M., Babuscio, T., Frankforter, T, Nich, C., Rounsaville, B. Mentorship for Alcohol Problems (MAP): A peer to peer modular intervention for outpatients. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 47(1), 42-47, 2012.
Tracy, K, Burton, M., Rounsaville, B. Utilizing peer mentorship to engage high recidivism substance abusing patients in treatment. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 37(6), 525-531, 2011.
Tracy, K., Burton, Miescher, A., M., Trujillo, E, Galanter, M., Meyers, R., Babuscio, T., Nich, C., Rounsaville, B. It takes two: Teamwork set to improve recovery from alcohol abuse. International Innovation: Healthcare, 4, 94-96, 2010.
Tracy, K., Brown, L., Kritz, S., Alderson, D., Robinson, J., Bini, E, Levy, M., Calsyn, D., Rieckmann, T., Fuller, B., McAuliffe, P., & Rotrosen, J. Substance abuse treatment clinician opinions and infectious disease service delivery. Journal of Addictive Diseases, 28, 8-12, 2009.
Galanter, M., Glickman, L., Dermatis, H., Tracy, K., & McMahon, C. Addressing Patients’ Spirituality in Medical Treatment. Primary Psychiatry, 15(9), 32-40, 2008.
Tracy, K, Babuscio, T., Nich, C., Kiluk, B., Carroll, K., Petry, N., & Rounsaville, B. Contingency management to reduce substance use in individuals who are homeless with co-occurring psychiatric disorders. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 33, 1-6, 2007.
Baer, J., Ball, S., Campbell, B.K., Miele, G., Schoener, E., & Tracy, K. Training and fidelity monitoring of behavioral interventions in multi-site addictions research. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 87, 107-108, 2007.
Tracy, K., Weingarten, R., Mattison, E, Piselli, A, & Rounsaville, B. Moving beyond illness to recovery: The Recovery is for Everyone Grants Program (RIFE). Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 28(2), 129-135, 2004.
Edson, R., Lavori, P., Bloch, D., Tracy, K., Adler, L, Rotrosen, J., & the Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study #394 Study Group. Interrater reliability of the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) in a multi-center trial: Results from Department of Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study #394. International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research, 1999; 4, 157-164, 2000.
Adler, L., Rotrosen, J., Edson, R., Lavori, P., Lohr, Hitzemann, R., Raisch, R. & Tracy, K. Effects of long term treatment with vitamin E on tardive dyskinesia: Results from VA Cooperative Study #394. Archives of General Psychiatry, 1999; 56, 836-841.
Tracy, K., Adler, L., Rotrosen, J., Edson, R. & Lavori, P. Interrater reliability issues in multi-center trials part I: Theoretical concepts and operational procedures in VA Cooperative Study #394. Psychopharmacological Bulletin, 1997; 33(1), 53-57.
Edson, R., Lavori, P., Tracy, K., Adler, L. & Rotrosen, J. Interrater reliability issues in multi-center trials
part II: Statistical Procedures used in VA Cooperative Study #394. Psychopharmacological Bulletin, 1997; 33(1), 59-67.
Caligiuri, M. P., Lohr, J.B., Rotrosen, J., Adler, L., Lavori, P., Edson, R. & Tracy, K. Reliability of an instrumental assessment of tardive dyskinesia in a multicenter clinical trial. Psychopharmacology; 1997, 132, 61-66.
Lab Members
Kathlene Tracy, Ph.D.
Director, Laboratory of Psychosocial
Processes in Addiction and Psychiatric Disorders, Clinical Lead, Blau Consultation Center for Resilience and Treatment
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Mount Sinai Behavioral Health System
Email: kathlene.tracy@mssm.edu
Akarsh Sharma, M.S., M.D. Candidate
Medical Intern, Laboratory of Psychosocial Processes in Addiction and Psychiatric Disorders
Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Mount Sinai Behavioral Health System
Email: Akarsh.sharma@icahn.mssm.edu
Stefanie Joseph, M.P.H.
Public Health Intern, Laboratory of Psychosocial Processes in Addiction and Psychiatric Disorders
Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Mount Sinai Behavioral Health System
Email: Stefanie.joseph@icahn.mssm.edu
Sabina Guliyeva, L.M.S.W.
Care Management Specialist, Laboratory of Psychosocial Processes in Addiction and Psychiatric Disorders Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Mount Sinai Behavioral Health System Email: sabina.guliyeva@mountsinai.org
Meghan Nguyen
Psychology Extern, Laboratory of Psychosocial Processes in Addiction and Psychiatric Disorders
Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Mount Sinai Behavioral Health System Email: mun5009@psu.edu
Enna Selmanovic, B.S.
Physical Activity and Exercise Intern, Laboratory Psychosocial Processes in Addiction and Psychiatric Disorders Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Mount Sinai Behavioral Health System Email: Enna.Selmanovic@mountsinai.org
Contact Us
Lab Director:
Kathlene Tracy, Ph.D.
Email: kathlene.tracy@mssm.edu
Phone: 212.585.4667
Address: 1399 Park Avenue New York, NY 10029