Sitara M Weerakoon, PhD, MPH
Associate Research Scientist in Public Health (Social and Behavioral Sciences)Cards
About
Research
Publications
2026
Cannabis Use and Mental Health Coping Behavior among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Women during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results from the COVID-19 Cannabis Health Study
Diggs B, Fellah R, Williams R, Reid M, de la Haye W, Weerakoon S, Ortega J, Messiah S, Vidot D. Cannabis Use and Mental Health Coping Behavior among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Women during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results from the COVID-19 Cannabis Health Study. Journal Of Racial And Ethnic Health Disparities 2026, 1-10. PMID: 42009992, DOI: 10.1007/s40615-026-02937-9.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchQualitative Exploration of Neighborhoods, Youth Substance Misuse, and Mental Health in an Urban Community
Opara I, Weerakoon S, Saeed G, Duran-Becerra B, Pagan C. Qualitative Exploration of Neighborhoods, Youth Substance Misuse, and Mental Health in an Urban Community. Journal Of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology 2026, ahead-of-print: 1-16. PMID: 41719485, DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2026.2617211.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchNeighborhood Violence Impacts on HIV and STI Testing Among Sexual Minority Youth in the United States.
Takenaka B, Weerakoon S, Sobrino M, Bustamante M, Nwaozuru U, Herrera C, Sesenu F, Ansarizadeh K, Flores J, Johnson R, Opara I. Neighborhood Violence Impacts on HIV and STI Testing Among Sexual Minority Youth in the United States. AIDS Education And Prevention 2026, 38: 29-46. PMID: 41746610, DOI: 10.1521/aeap.2026.38.1.29.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2025
The role of sleep in the relationship between racial discrimination and suicide ideation among black girls: A path analysis
Opara I, Sissoko G, Wan X, Weerakoon S. The role of sleep in the relationship between racial discrimination and suicide ideation among black girls: A path analysis. Journal Of Affective Disorders 2025, 398: 120896. PMID: 41422961, DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.120896.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAdolescent Substance Use Among High School Students Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study of Peer Exposure and Risk
Weerakoon S, Simmons S, Connors E, Genovese M, Clark K, Awad M, Tebes J. Adolescent Substance Use Among High School Students Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study of Peer Exposure and Risk. Substance Use & Misuse 2025, 61: 890-898. PMID: 41355084, DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2025.2583462.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchRacial self-efficacy and ethnic identity in the context of neighborhood violence and internalizing symptoms among Black and Latinx youth: an application of the Minority Stress Theory
Weerakoon S, Henson-Garcia M, Rose R, Lindsay J, Srikanth N, Opara I. Racial self-efficacy and ethnic identity in the context of neighborhood violence and internalizing symptoms among Black and Latinx youth: an application of the Minority Stress Theory. Community Health Equity Research & Policy 2025, 2752535x251406670-2752535x251406670. PMID: 41337681, PMCID: PMC13094771, DOI: 10.1177/2752535x251406670.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchExamining longitudinal associations between polysubstance use and firearm-related risk behaviors from adolescence into emerging adulthood: a group-based multi-trajectory modeling approach
Henson-Garcia M, Weerakoon S, Peskin M, Baumler E, Testa A, Malthaner L, Lu Y, Temple J. Examining longitudinal associations between polysubstance use and firearm-related risk behaviors from adolescence into emerging adulthood: a group-based multi-trajectory modeling approach. Injury Epidemiology 2025, 12: 74. PMID: 41189027, PMCID: PMC12584197, DOI: 10.1186/s40621-025-00627-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCATAcode: A Principled Approach for Coding Check-All-That-Apply Demographic Items
Merrin G, Nickodem K, Grant N, Weerakoon S, Holt M, Espelage D. CATAcode: A Principled Approach for Coding Check-All-That-Apply Demographic Items. Advances In Methods And Practices In Psychological Science 2025, 8: 25152459251401184. DOI: 10.1177/25152459251401184.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchExamining Pathways Among Teen Dating Violence, Substance Use, and Suicidal Ideation Among Black Girls: A Cross-Sectional Study
Opara I, Weerakoon S, Srikanth N, Stephens J, Wan X, Willie T. Examining Pathways Among Teen Dating Violence, Substance Use, and Suicidal Ideation Among Black Girls: A Cross-Sectional Study. Journal Of Interpersonal Violence 2025, 41: 4806-4824. PMID: 40741816, DOI: 10.1177/08862605251353484.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchSpatial Associations of Alcohol Outlet Density with Neighborhood Crime and Child Opportunity: A Hierarchical Bayesian Ecological Study
Weerakoon S, Takenaka B, Srikanth N, Warren J, Opara I. Spatial Associations of Alcohol Outlet Density with Neighborhood Crime and Child Opportunity: A Hierarchical Bayesian Ecological Study. Substance Use & Misuse 2025, 60: 1319-1327. PMID: 40289361, PMCID: PMC12794613, DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2025.2496932.Peer-Reviewed Original Research