Joseph W. Ditre

Professor, Psychology, College of Arts & Sciences Link

Faculty Affiliate, Aging Studies Institute
Faculty Affiliate, Center for Aging and Policy Studies

CAPS Biography:

My program of research examines bidirectional relationships between the experience of pain, the use/misuse of addictive substances (e.g., alcohol, nicotine/tobacco, prescription opioids, cannabis), and comorbid psychopathology. A major contribution of my research program has been to elucidate why individuals who experience persistent pain are more likely to misuse prescribed medications and develop substance-related disorders; and why individuals with substance-related disorders are more likely to develop and exacerbate chronically painful conditions. My team has led efforts to conceptualize integrative theoretical models of pain-substance use reciprocity that identify malleable cognitive-affective, neurobiological, and psychosocial mechanisms of action. This work is important for designing targeted assessments that can be used to identify high-risk individuals most in need of specialized intervention; elucidating mechanisms underlying pain- and substance-related disorder comorbidity; and developing novel integrated approaches that target the most etiologically potent facets and vulnerability factors. 

My research aligns closely with the Center for Aging and Policy Studies (CAPS) signature theme of health and well-being, as does my focus on health disparities within and across populations, including those defined by socioeconomic disadvantage, racial-ethnic minority status, and disability/physical impairment. My translational approach incorporates mechanistic laboratory studies, epidemiological surveys, mixed-method approaches, intervention development, and randomized controlled trials. My research contributes to the CAPS cross-cutting theme of specific populations by examining social determinants of health that drive disparities in the comorbidity of pain and addiction. Notably, my NIH-funded treatment development work has focused on addressing tobacco smoking and opioid misuse among older adults with HIV and chronic pain (R21DA038204), and my current project involves developing an integrated, personalized, mHealth intervention to reduce hazardous co-use of alcohol and prescription opioid medications among adults with chronic pain (R01AA028639). My clinical research prioritizes the recruitment of diverse and underserved populations, with the goal of advancing health equity and improving the generalizability of our findings. These efforts have been reflected in my scholarly publications, which include studies on the roles of race, health literacy, and social determinants of health in the context of pain and substance use among diverse populations, including persons living with HIV/AIDS, Latinx Spanish-speaking adult smokers, and African American adults seeking cessation treatment.