Rani Hoff, MPH, PhD
Professor of Psychiatry; Director, Northeast Program Evaluation Center; Director, Evaluation Division, National Center for PTSD
Research & Publications
Biography
News
Locations
Research Summary
Dr. Hoff’s research utilizes principles of psychiatric epidemiology, services research, quality improvement, program evaluation research, and implementation science to examine risk factors and correlates of psychiatric disorders and suicide behaviors, with particular attention paid to co-occurring disorders and vulnerable populations; mental health service provision in both VA and non-VA settings, including the contribution of community and background environmental factors in the quality of care and clinical outcomes; and the epidemiology of behavioral addictions. This research has included studies on pathological gambling, schizophrenia, substance abuse/dependence, the risk of suicide in psychiatric patients, trauma and comorbidity, criminal justice mental health, and the mental health problems experienced by the homeless and by returning Veterans from the Middle East. She is currently the Principal Investigator of the Survey of the Experiences of Returning Veterans (SERV) a large VA-funded study of the gender differences in coping behaviors of Veterans returning from military service; the Veterans Outcomes Assessment, an annual nationally representative sample of 10,000 VA mental health patients with clinical outcomes measures after the first three months of treatment; and the Veteran Satisfaction Survey, an annual sample of those receiving VA mental health services that assesses access and perceived quality of services.
Extensive Research Description
- Health correlates of compulsive video game playing, shopping, and stealing among high school students in CT
- Associations between gambling behaviors and other health and risk behaviors in adolescents
- Gender differences in the association between deployment experiences and substance use and abuse in veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan (SERV Study)
- Use of CAM services in the treatment of PTSD
- Pain as a mediator of the association between childhood abuse and onset of major depression in adults
- Predictors of the use of residential treatment services in VA
- Differential mortality in Veterans with and without mental illness
- Surgical outcomes in Veterans with and without mental illness
- Cardiac outcomes in Veterans with and without mental illness
- Gender differences in the correlates of cutting behavior in adolescents
Coauthors
Research Interests
Homeless Persons; Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders; Prisoners; Veterans; Women; Mood Disorders; Substance-Related Disorders; Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders; Vulnerable Populations
Selected Publications
- Video-gaming among high school students: health correlates, gender differences, and problematic gaming.Desai RA, Krishnan-Sarin S, Cavallo D, Potenza MN. Video-gaming among high school students: health correlates, gender differences, and problematic gaming. Pediatrics 2010, 126:e1414-24.
- Gender differences in the association between body mass index and psychopathology.Desai RA, Manley M, Desai MM, Potenza MN. Gender differences in the association between body mass index and psychopathology. CNS Spectrums 2009, 14:372-83.
- A cross-sectional study of problem and pathological gambling in patients with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder.Desai RA, Potenza MN. A cross-sectional study of problem and pathological gambling in patients with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder. The Journal Of Clinical Psychiatry 2009, 70:1250-7.
- Gender differences in the associations between past-year gambling problems and psychiatric disorders.Desai RA, Potenza MN. Gender differences in the associations between past-year gambling problems and psychiatric disorders. Social Psychiatry And Psychiatric Epidemiology 2008, 43:173-83.
- Suicide among discharged psychiatric inpatients in the Department of Veterans Affairs.Desai RA, Dausey D, Rosenheck RA. Suicide among discharged psychiatric inpatients in the Department of Veterans Affairs. Military Medicine 2008, 173:721-8.
- Gambling, health and age: data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions.Desai RA, Desai MM, Potenza MN. Gambling, health and age: data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Psychology Of Addictive Behaviors : Journal Of The Society Of Psychologists In Addictive Behaviors 2007, 21:431-40.
- Perceived Stress Mediates the Association between Deployment Sexual Trauma and Nicotine Dependence in Women Veterans.Gross GM, Colon R, Bastian LA, Hoff R. Perceived Stress Mediates the Association between Deployment Sexual Trauma and Nicotine Dependence in Women Veterans. Women's Health Issues : Official Publication Of The Jacobs Institute Of Women's Health 2020, 30:214-220.
- Stealing among high school students: prevalence and clinical correlates.Grant JE, Potenza MN, Krishnan-Sarin S, Cavallo DA, Desai RA. Stealing among high school students: prevalence and clinical correlates. The Journal Of The American Academy Of Psychiatry And The Law 2011, 39:44-52.
- Relationship of nicotine dependence, subsyndromal and pathological gambling, and other psychiatric disorders: data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions.Grant JE, Desai RA, Potenza MN. Relationship of nicotine dependence, subsyndromal and pathological gambling, and other psychiatric disorders: data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. The Journal Of Clinical Psychiatry 2009, 70:334-43.
- Impact of clozapine on completed suicide.Sernyak MJ, Desai R, Stolar M, Rosenheck R. Impact of clozapine on completed suicide. The American Journal Of Psychiatry 2001, 158:931-7.
- Consumer experience with payeeship provided by a community mental health center.Rosen MI, Desai R, Bailey M, Davidson L, Rosenheck R. Consumer experience with payeeship provided by a community mental health center. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal 2001, 25:190-5.
- Bed closures and incarceration rates among users of Veterans Affairs mental health services.Rosenheck RA, Banks S, Pandiani J, Hoff R. Bed closures and incarceration rates among users of Veterans Affairs mental health services. Psychiatric Services (Washington, D.C.) 2000, 51:1282-7.
- Health advantage for black women: patterns in pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder.Pilver CE, Kasl S, Desai R, Levy BR. Health advantage for black women: patterns in pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder. Psychological Medicine 2011, 41:1741-50.
- Impact of clozapine prescription on inpatient resource utilization.Sernyak MJ, Rosenheck R, Desai R, Stolar M, Ripper G. Impact of clozapine prescription on inpatient resource utilization. The Journal Of Nervous And Mental Disease 2001, 189:766-73.
- Using patient-reported outcome measures for program evaluation: Design and findings on intention-to-treat outcomes from the Veterans Outcome Assessment survey.Katz IR, Resnick SG, Kasprow WJ, Boden MT, Cherkasova E, Fielstein EM, Trafton JA, Hoff RA. Using patient-reported outcome measures for program evaluation: Design and findings on intention-to-treat outcomes from the Veterans Outcome Assessment survey. Psychiatry Research 2020, 291:113226.
- Validation of a Brief Pornography Screen across multiple samples.Kraus SW, Gola M, Grubbs JB, Kowalewska E, Hoff RA, Lew-Starowicz M, Martino S, Shirk SD, Potenza MN. Validation of a Brief Pornography Screen across multiple samples. Journal Of Behavioral Addictions 2020, 9:259-271.
- A psychosocial mediational model of homelessness among U.S. male and female veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.Spinola S, Hoff RA, Tsai J. A psychosocial mediational model of homelessness among U.S. male and female veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Health & Social Care In The Community 2021, 29:453-463.
- Excitement-Seeking Gambling in Adolescents: Health Correlates and Gambling-Related Attitudes and Behaviors.Farhat LC, Wampler J, Steinberg MA, Krishnan-Sarin S, Hoff RA, Potenza MN. Excitement-Seeking Gambling in Adolescents: Health Correlates and Gambling-Related Attitudes and Behaviors. Journal Of Gambling Studies / Co-sponsored By The National Council On Problem Gambling And Institute For The Study Of Gambling And Commercial Gaming 2021, 37:43-57.
- Schizophrenia symptom severity and motivations for gambling in individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.Fortgang RG, Hoff RA, Potenza MN. Schizophrenia symptom severity and motivations for gambling in individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Psychiatry Research 2020, 291:113281.
- Measurement-based care and psychological assessment: Using measurement to enhance psychological treatment.Resnick SG, Oehlert ME, Hoff RA, Kearney LK. Measurement-based care and psychological assessment: Using measurement to enhance psychological treatment. Psychological Services 2020, 17:233-237.
- Early discontinuation of pharmacotherapy in U.S. veterans diagnosed with PTSD and the role of psychotherapy.Duek O, Pietrzak RH, Petrakis I, Hoff R, Harpaz-Rotem I. Early discontinuation of pharmacotherapy in U.S. veterans diagnosed with PTSD and the role of psychotherapy. Journal Of Psychiatric Research 2021, 132:167-173.
- Associations between patient experience and clinical outcomes in general mental health clinics: Findings from the veterans outcomes assessment survey.Katz IR, Resnick S, Hoff R. Associations between patient experience and clinical outcomes in general mental health clinics: Findings from the veterans outcomes assessment survey. Psychiatry Research 2021, 295:113554.
- Problematic shopping and self-injurious behaviors in adolescents.Greenberg NR, Zhai ZW, Hoff RA, Krishnan-Sarin S, Potenza MN. Problematic shopping and self-injurious behaviors in adolescents. Journal Of Behavioral Addictions 2020.
- Lottery-Purchasing Adolescents: Gambling Perceptions, Problems, and Characteristics.Zhai ZW, Hoff RA, Howell JC, Wampler J, Krishnan-Sarin S, Potenza MN. Lottery-Purchasing Adolescents: Gambling Perceptions, Problems, and Characteristics. Journal Of Gambling Studies / Co-sponsored By The National Council On Problem Gambling And Institute For The Study Of Gambling And Commercial Gaming 2021.
- Influences of religiousness/spirituality on mental and physical health in OEF/OIF/OND military veterans varies by sex and race/ethnicity.Park CL, Sacco SJ, Kraus SW, Mazure CM, Hoff RA. Influences of religiousness/spirituality on mental and physical health in OEF/OIF/OND military veterans varies by sex and race/ethnicity. Journal Of Psychiatric Research 2021, 138:15-23.
- Post-9/11 military veterans' adjustment to civilian life over time following separation from service.Park CL, Sacco SJ, Finkelstein-Fox L, Sinnott SM, Scoglio AAJ, Lee SY, Gnall KE, Mazure C, Shirk SD, Hoff RA, Kraus SW. Post-9/11 military veterans' adjustment to civilian life over time following separation from service. Journal Of Clinical Psychology 2021.
- Meaningful military engagement among male and female post-9/11 veterans: An examination of correlates and implications for resilience.Finkelstein-Fox L, Sinnott SM, Lee SY, Carney LM, Park CL, Mazure CM, Hoff R. Meaningful military engagement among male and female post-9/11 veterans: An examination of correlates and implications for resilience. Journal Of Clinical Psychology 2021.