Suzanne Decker, PhD
Associate Professor of PsychiatryDownloadHi-Res Photo
Cards
Appointments
Psychiatry
Primary
Additional Titles
Director of Fellowship, Advanced Fellowship in Mental Illness Research and Treatment at MIRECC
Contact Info
Appointments
Psychiatry
Primary
Additional Titles
Director of Fellowship, Advanced Fellowship in Mental Illness Research and Treatment at MIRECC
Contact Info
Appointments
Psychiatry
Primary
Additional Titles
Director of Fellowship, Advanced Fellowship in Mental Illness Research and Treatment at MIRECC
Contact Info
About
Titles
Associate Professor of Psychiatry
Director of Fellowship, Advanced Fellowship in Mental Illness Research and Treatment at MIRECC
Biography
Dr. Decker is a licensed clinical psychologist at VA Connecticut Healthcare System, New England Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Pain Research, Informatics, Multi-morbidities, and Education (PRIME) Center, and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Decker's interests span three related areas: suicide and its correlates, emotion dysregulation as a potential mechanism for suicide and other high-risk behaviors such as substance use, and the development, adaptation, and implementation of skills-based behavioral treatments. Dr. Decker developed the Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Group program at VA Connecticut, which has led to published research, a funded multi-site effectiveness-implementation grant, and a national training initiative with VA. Dr. Decker is the Director of the Advanced Fellowship in Mental Illness Research and Treatment at MIRECC and enjoys mentoring trainees.
Appointments
Psychiatry
Associate Professor on TermPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
- Psychiatry
- Psychology Section
- Yale Instruction/Investigation/Intervention in Emotional Lability and Dysregulation (YIELD)
Education & Training
- PhD
- Western Michigan Univ (2011)
- MA
- Western Michigan Univ (2007)
Research
Overview
Medical Research Interests
Emotions; Mental Disorders; Psychotherapy; Suicide
ORCID
0000-0002-8653-0509
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Suzanne Decker's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Suzanne Decker's research output by year.
Research Interests
Research topics Suzanne Decker is interested in exploring.
Charla Nich
Joseph Lucien Goulet, PhD, MS
Sally Haskell, MD
Brian D. Kiluk, PhD
Erica A. Abel, PhD
Harini Bathulapalli
25Publications
353Citations
Emotions
Psychotherapy
Suicide
Mental Disorders
Publications
2024
Mixed-methods formative evaluation of implementing an adapted suicide prevention treatment: Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Groups in the Veterans Health Administration
Decker S, Kroll-Desrosiers A, Mattocks K, Aunon F, Galliford E, Doran N, Baird S, Rielage J, Ridley J, Bannister J, Giovannelli T, Landes S, Goodman M, Walker L, DeRycke E, Shriver C, Spana E, Honsberger M, Brown H, Demirelli S, Shest E, Martino S. Mixed-methods formative evaluation of implementing an adapted suicide prevention treatment: Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Groups in the Veterans Health Administration. Frontiers In Psychiatry 2024, 15: 1495102. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1495102.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsDialectical Behaviour Therapy Skills GroupEmotion dysregulationSuicide attemptsVeterans Health AdministrationSkill groupsReducing emotion dysregulationSuicide prevention treatmentsReduce suicide attemptsImproving coping skillsSuicidal behaviorCoping skillsSuicide preventionLimited staffingHealth AdministrationSuicideVeterans Health Administration medical centersHybrid effectiveness-implementation trialVeteran suicideMixed-methods formative evaluationVeteransIntegrated Promoting ActionEffectiveness-implementation trialPrevent veteran suicideQualitative dataRandomized controlled trialsClinical Documentation of Patient Identities in the Electronic Health Record: Ethical Principles to Consider
Decker S, Farook M, Meshberg-Cohen S, Matsuura T, Manning M, Abel E, Blakley L, Prelli F. Clinical Documentation of Patient Identities in the Electronic Health Record: Ethical Principles to Consider. Psychological Services 2024, 21: 589-600. PMID: 37917474, DOI: 10.1037/ser0000816.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsMulticultural guidelinesAmerican Psychological Association’s multicultural guidelinesFluid identitiesLanguageLived experienceIdentitySet of questionsIdentity variablesPurpose of documentationEthical dilemmasDocumentation approachAssociation CodePsychologistsPatient identityEthical principlesOrganizational mandatesDocumentationGeneral principlesArticleDilemmaQuestionsExperienceLittle guidancePreliminary Feasibility, Acceptability and Referral Efficacy of a Drop-In Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills Group to Promote Enrollment in Standard DBT Skills Group
Aunon F, Carretta R, Lovell J, Wolkowicz N, Decker S. Preliminary Feasibility, Acceptability and Referral Efficacy of a Drop-In Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills Group to Promote Enrollment in Standard DBT Skills Group. Cognitive And Behavioral Practice 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpra.2024.01.003.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsDBT skills groupSkill groupsDialectical Behaviour Therapy Skills GroupDialectical behavior therapyEvidence-based treatmentsDBT skillsBehavioral therapyMindfulness practiceTreatment readinessAmbivalent clientsPretreatment interventionClientsPreliminary feasibilitySkillsMindfulnessAcceptanceSessionsEfficacyParticipantsPretreatmentReferralGroupIntervention
2023
Barriers and Facilitators to Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Groups in the Veterans Health Administration
Decker S, Matthieu M, Smith B, Landes S. Barriers and Facilitators to Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Groups in the Veterans Health Administration. Military Medicine 2023, 189: 1055-1063. PMID: 37104810, DOI: 10.1093/milmed/usad123.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsDBT skills groupVeterans Health AdministrationDialectical behavior therapyStand-alone interventionPromoting ActionHealth AdministrationVA health care systemHealth Services frameworkBehavior therapySuicide prevention interventionsStand-alone treatmentInstitutional review boardMixed-methods program evaluationSemi-structured telephone interviewsHealth care systemResearch implementationMore veteransPrevention interventionsLeadership supportConsultation teamHealth service domainsTelephone interviewsReview boardCare systemIntervention
2021
Military sexual trauma and suicidal ideation in VHA-care-seeking OEF/OIF/OND veterans without mental health diagnosis or treatment
Decker SE, Ramsey CM, Ronzitti S, Kerns RD, Driscoll MA, Dziura J, Skanderson M, Bathulapalli H, Brandt CA, Haskell SG, Goulet JL. Military sexual trauma and suicidal ideation in VHA-care-seeking OEF/OIF/OND veterans without mental health diagnosis or treatment. Psychiatry Research 2021, 303: 114089. PMID: 34247061, DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2021.114089.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsMental health diagnosesMilitary sexual traumaVeterans Healthcare AdministrationSuicidal ideationHealth diagnosisSexual traumaRelative risk estimatesOEF/OIF/OND veteransSample of veteransPost-9/11 veteransSuicide risk factorsMental health concernsClinical remindersRisk factorsRelative riskHigh riskMen veteransMental healthcareHealth concernRisk estimatesMST survivorsWomenDiagnosisTraumaVeteransCorrespondence Between Retrospective and Momentary Self‐Reported Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms: Evidence for Peak and End Effects in Veterans
Decker SE, Rosen MI, Cooney NL, Schnurr PP, Black AC. Correspondence Between Retrospective and Momentary Self‐Reported Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms: Evidence for Peak and End Effects in Veterans. Journal Of Traumatic Stress 2021, 34: 889-894. PMID: 33743184, DOI: 10.1002/jts.22669.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricDSM‐5 eating disorder prevalence, gender differences, and mental health associations in United States military veterans
Masheb RM, Ramsey CM, Marsh AG, Decker SE, Maguen S, Brandt CA, Haskell SG. DSM‐5 eating disorder prevalence, gender differences, and mental health associations in United States military veterans. International Journal Of Eating Disorders 2021, 54: 1171-1180. PMID: 33665848, DOI: 10.1002/eat.23501.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsPrevalence estimatesDSM-5Disorder diagnosisDisorder groupNight eating syndromeHigher mean BMIUnited States military veteransMental health symptomsBinge Eating DisorderHigher prevalence estimatesMental health concernsMental Health AssociationMean BMIAtypical ANPurging DisorderDisorder prevalenceVeteran populationGender differencesSpecific diagnosisBulimia nervosaAnorexia nervosaHealth symptomsHealth concernNon-eating disorder groupMental health
2020
Sex Differences in Military Sexual Trauma and Severe Self-Directed Violence
Gross GM, Ronzitti S, Combellick JL, Decker SE, Mattocks KM, Hoff RA, Haskell SG, Brandt CA, Goulet JL. Sex Differences in Military Sexual Trauma and Severe Self-Directed Violence. American Journal Of Preventive Medicine 2020, 58: 675-682. PMID: 32037020, DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2019.12.006.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsMilitary sexual traumaSelf-directed violenceSexual traumaWomen veteransCox proportional hazards regression modelVeterans Health Administration (VHA) careProportional hazards regression modelsHazards regression modelsOperations Enduring Freedom/Iraqi Freedom/New Dawn veteransPsychiatric morbidityNew Dawn veteransSuicide attemptsBivariate analysisPreventative effortsTraumaWomenMenSex differencesVeteransRiskRegression modelsDemographic variablesSevere selfHospitalizationMorbidityChapter 12 Dialectical behavior therapy research and program evaluation in the Department of Veterans Affairs
Landes S, Decker S, McBain S, Goodman M, Smith B, Sullivan S, Spears A, Meyers L. Chapter 12 Dialectical behavior therapy research and program evaluation in the Department of Veterans Affairs. 2020, 275-292. DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-816384-9.00012-9.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsDBT skills groupDialectical behavioral therapyBorderline personality disorderVeterans AffairsPosttraumatic stress disorderFemale veteransPersonality disorderIntensive outpatient programEvidence-based psychotherapiesTreatment of veteransProgram evaluationOutpatient programHigh riskTolerance groupDBT researchBehavioral therapyStress disorderEmotion dysregulationBehavior therapy researchDisordersVeteransSuicidalityDysregulationEfficacyTherapy research
2019
Is Emotion Dysregulation Associated With Suicidal Ideation in Post 9/11 Veterans?
Decker SE, Hoff R, Martino S, Mazure CM, Park CL, Porter E, Kraus SW. Is Emotion Dysregulation Associated With Suicidal Ideation in Post 9/11 Veterans? Archives Of Suicide Research 2019, 25: 126-140. PMID: 31556798, DOI: 10.1080/13811118.2019.1661895.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetric
News & Links
News
- August 31, 2021
Four Current or Former MIRECC Fellows Receive Career Development Awards
- March 24, 2021
Yale, VA Researchers Investigate Eating Disorders in Iraq and Afghanistan War-Era Veterans
- December 17, 2018
When measuring resilience, the type of trauma suffered matters
- May 12, 2017
Research group at West Haven VA looks to bolster membership