Primary Research Area To date, my research has largely centered on the examination and treatment of substance use disorder, with an emphasis on harm reduction, recovery processes, and applying advanced quantitative research methods to better understand changes in alcohol and drug use behavior over time. I am also a licensed clinical psychologist and I have worked extensively on the development, evaluation, and dissemination of mindfulness-based relapse prevention for substance use disorder. I train clinicians in the delivery of mindfulness-based interventions for substance use disorders in New Mexico, nationally, and internationally. My recent research has focused on integrated behavioral treatments for comorbid chronic pain and opioid use disorder.
Council Member, National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Board of Scientific Counselors, National Institute on Drug Abuse
Past President, Society of Addiction Psychology
Field Editor, Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research
Consulting Editor, Substance Use and Misuse
Consulting Editor, Alcohol and Alcoholism
Outstanding Leadership in Addiction Psychology, American Psychological Association Division 50 Society of Addiction Psychology
Fellow, American Psychological Association Division 50 Society of Addiction Psychology
G. Alan Marlatt Mid-Career Award, Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies
Selected Research Publications:
Witkiewitz, K., Montes, K. S., Schwebel, F. J., & Tucker, J. A. (2020). What is recovery? A narrative review of definitions of recovery from alcohol use disorder. Alcohol Research: Current Reviews, 40. https://doi.org/10.35946/arcr.v40.3.01
Witkiewitz, K., Pearson, M. R., Wilson, A. D., Stein, E. R., Votaw, V. R., Hallgren, K. A., Maisto, S. A., Swan, J. E., Schwebel, F. J., Aldridge, A., Zarkin, G. A., & Tucker, J. A. (2020). Can alcohol use disorder recovery include some heavy drinking? A replication and extension up to nine years following treatment. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 44, 1862-1874. doi: 10.1111/acer.14413
Tofighi, D., Hsiao, Y. Y., Kruger, E. S., MacKinnon, D. P., Van
Horn, M. L., & Witkiewitz, K. (2019). Sensitivity analysis of the
no-omitted confounder assumption in latent growth curve mediation models. Structural Equation Modeling. 26,
1, 94-109. doi: 10.1080/10705511.2018.1506925
Witkiewitz, K., Falk, D. E., Litten, R. Z., Hasin, D. S.,
Kranzler, H. R., Mann, K. F., O'Malley, S. S., & Anton, R. F. (2019).
Maintenance of World Health Organization risk drinking level reductions and
post-treatment functioning following a large alcohol use disorder clinical
trial. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 43, 979-987. doi:
10.1111/acer.14018
Witkiewitz, K., Hallgren, K. A., Kranzler, H. R., Mann, K. F.,
Hasin, D. S., Falk, D. E., Litten, R. Z., & Anton, R. F. (2017). Clinical
validation of reduced alcohol consumption after treatment for alcohol
dependence: Using the World Health Organization risk drinking levels. Alcoholism:
Clinical and Experimental Research, 41 (1), 179-186. doi:
10.1111/acer.13272
Witkiewitz,
K., Litten, R. Z., & Leggio, L. (2019). Advances in the science and
treatment of alcohol use disorder. Science Advances, 5 (9),
eaax4043.
Witkiewitz,
K., Hallgren, K. A., Kranzler, H. R., Mann, K. F., Hasin, D. S., Falk, D. E.,
Litten, R. Z., & Anton, R. F. (2017). Clinical validation of reduced
alcohol consumption after treatment for alcohol dependence: Using the World
Health Organization risk drinking levels. Alcoholism: Clinical and
Experimental Research, 41, 179-186. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acer.13272/full
Witkiewitz,
K., Roos, C. R., Pearson, M. R., Hallgren, K. A., Maisto, S. A., Kirouac, M. ?
Heather, N. (2017). How much is too much? Patterns of drinking during alcohol
treatment and associations with post-treatment outcomes across three alcohol
clinical trials. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 78 (1),
59-69.
Witkiewitz,
K., Hallgren, K. A., O'Sickey, A. J., Roos, C. R., & Maisto, S. A. (2016).
Reproducibility and differential item functioning of the alcohol dependence
syndrome construct across four alcohol treatment outcome studies: An
integrative data analysis. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 158, 86-93.
doi: 10.1016/ j.drugalcdep.2015.11.001.
Witkiewitz,
K., Finney, J., Harris, A., Kivlahan, D., & Kranzler, H. (2015).
Recommendations for the design and analysis of treatment trials for alcohol use
disorders. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 39,
1557-1570.
Witkiewitz,
K., Vowles, K. E., McCallion, E., Frohe, T., Kirouac, M., & Maisto, S. A.
(2015). Pain as a predictor of alcohol treatment outcomes in the COMBINE study
and the United Kingdom Alcohol Treatment Trial. Addiction, 110,
1262-1271. doi: 10.1111/add/12964
Witkiewitz,
K., Falk, D. E., Kranzler, H. R., Litten, R. Z., Hallgren, K. A., O'Malley, S.
S., & Anton, R. F. (2014). Methods to analyze treatment effects in the
presence of missing data for a continuous heavy drinking outcome measure when
participants drop out from treatment in alcohol clinical trials. Alcoholism:
Clinical and Experimental Research, 38, 2826-2834.
Witkiewitz,
K., Warner, K., Sully, B., Barricks, A., Stauffer, C., Steckler, G., Thompson,
B., & Luoma, J. (2014). Randomized trial comparing mindfulness based
relapse prevention with relapse prevention for women offenders at a residential
addiction treatment center. Substance Use and Misuse, 49,
536-546. doi: 10.3109/10826084.2013.856922
Witkiewitz,
K., Dearing, R. L., & Maisto, S. A. (2014). Alcohol use trajectories among
non-treatment seeking heavy drinkers. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and
Drugs, 75, 415-422.
Witkiewitz,
K., Desai, S. A., Bowen, S., Leigh, B. C., Kirouac, M., & Larimer, M. E.
(2014). Development and evaluation of a mobile intervention for heavy drinking
and smoking among college students. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 28,
639-650. doi: 10.1037/a0034747
Witkiewitz,
K. (2013). "Success" following alcohol treatment: Moving beyond
abstinence. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 37
suppl1, E9-E13. doi: 10.1111/acer.12001.
Witkiewitz,
K. (2013). Temptation to drink as a predictor of drinking outcomes following
psychosocial treatment for alcohol dependence. Alcoholism: Clinical and
Experimental Research, 37, 529-537. doi:
10.1111/j.1530-0277.2012.01950.x.