David S. Fink, PhD
he/him/his
Assistant ProfessorCards
About
Research
Overview
David Fink, PhD, MPH is a social epidemiologist whose research applies a multi-level life course perspective, coupled with rigorous causal inference methodologies, to understand the causes of addiction and mental illness and estimate the effects of policies and programs. His research in mental health, substance use, and health policy are united by a desire to understand and address structural, societal, and interpersonal factors that shape health and well-being over the life course.
Medical Research Interests
Mental Health; Mortality; Population Health; Psychosocial Functioning; Public Health; Social Determinants of Health; Statistics; Substance-Related Disorders; Systematic Review; Veterans; Veterans Health
Public Health Interests
Epidemiology Methods; Health Policy; Mental Health; Substance Use, Addiction
Publications
2025
Cannabis legalization and increasing cannabis use in the United States: Data from urine toxicology testing in emergency room patients
Fink D, Samples H, Malte C, Olfson M, Wall M, Alschuler D, Simpson T, Mannes Z, Saxon A, Hasin D. Cannabis legalization and increasing cannabis use in the United States: Data from urine toxicology testing in emergency room patients. International Journal Of Drug Policy 2025, 138: 104765. PMID: 40058102, PMCID: PMC11967342, DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104765.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsUrine drug screensCannabis use disorderMedical cannabis lawsVeterans Health AdministrationCannabis useRecreational cannabis lawsRates of cannabis use disordersCannabis lawsEmergency departmentIndicators of cannabis useUrine toxicology testsIncreased cannabis useDifference-in-differences analysisLegalized cannabis useEmergency room patientsSelf-reported dataBinomial regression modelsED visitsED patientsHealth AdministrationCannabis involvementPatient samplesPatientsUse disorderCannabisS66 Association Between State Cannabis Laws and Opioid Outcomes: A Systematic Review
Fink D, Gutkind S, Gorfinkel L, Bachowski D, Mannes Z, Saxon A, Hasin D. S66 Association Between State Cannabis Laws and Opioid Outcomes: A Systematic Review. Drug And Alcohol Dependence 2025, 267: 111486. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2024.111486.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchThe relationship of medical and recreational cannabis laws with opioid misuse and opioid use disorder in the USA: Does it depend on prior history of cannabis use?
Martins S, Bruzelius E, Mauro C, Santaella-Tenorio J, Boustead A, Wheeler-Martin K, Samples H, Hasin D, Fink D, Rudolph K, Crystal S, Davis C, Cerdá M. The relationship of medical and recreational cannabis laws with opioid misuse and opioid use disorder in the USA: Does it depend on prior history of cannabis use? International Journal Of Drug Policy 2025, 136: 104687. PMID: 39793270, PMCID: PMC11821435, DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104687.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCannabis lawsCannabis useNational Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHDrug Use and Health (NSDUHRecreational cannabis lawsState fixed effectsAvailability of cannabisOpioid outcomesOpioid useAssociated with changesHistory of cannabis useLawOpioid misusePast-year cannabis useLifetime cannabis useState policySensitivity to unmeasured confoundingMisuseIndividual level covariatesCannabisLogistic regression modelsAssociated with reductionsOpioidCollider biasFalse discovery rateMental Health Treatment among U.S. Military Veterans: Insights from the National Health Interview Survey
Marini M, Gutkind S, Livne O, Fink D, Saxon A, Simpson T, Sherman S, Mannes Z. Mental Health Treatment among U.S. Military Veterans: Insights from the National Health Interview Survey. Journal Of General Internal Medicine 2025, 1-9. PMID: 39753811, DOI: 10.1007/s11606-024-09320-6.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchVeterans Health AdministrationMental health treatmentNational Health Interview SurveyVeterans Health Administration patientsMental health counselingHealth Interview SurveyIntegrated healthcare systemHealth treatmentPrescription medicationsNon-VHA veteransU.S. military veteransHealth counselingHealthcare useInterview SurveyHealthcare systemReceipt of mental health counselingDelivery of mental health servicesMilitary veteransMental health servicesPrevalence of anxietyVeterans' useHealth servicesClinical initiativesHealth AdministrationReduce barriers
2024
Four targets: an enhanced framework for guiding causal inference from observational data
Lu H, Li F, Lesko C, Fink D, Rudolph K, Harhay M, Rentsch C, Fiellin D, Gonsalves G. Four targets: an enhanced framework for guiding causal inference from observational data. International Journal Of Epidemiology 2024, 54: dyaf003. PMID: 39868475, PMCID: PMC11769716, DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyaf003.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchTrends in Opioid Use Disorder in the Veterans Health Administration, 2005-2022
Gorfinkel L, Malte C, Fink D, Mannes Z, Wall M, Olfson M, Livne O, Keyhani S, Keyes K, Martins S, Cerdá M, Gutkind S, Maynard C, Saxon A, Simpson T, Gonsalves G, Lu H, McDowell Y, Hasin D. Trends in Opioid Use Disorder in the Veterans Health Administration, 2005-2022. JAMA Network Open 2024, 7: e2451821. PMID: 39705031, PMCID: PMC11662256, DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.51821.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsVeterans Health AdministrationOpioid use disorder diagnosisNon-Hispanic white patientsOpioid use disorderPrevalence of opioid use disorderCross-sectional studyHealth AdministrationVHA Corporate Data WarehouseVeterans Health Administration facilitiesElectronic health record dataNational Veterans Health AdministrationVeterans Health Administration patientsRecord dataNon-Hispanic Black patientsElectronic medical record dataContinued public health effortsWhite patientsHealth record dataPublic health effortsCorporate Data WarehouseMedical record dataMultivariate logistic regression modelUse disorderLogistic regression modelsBurden of opioid use disorderCannabis Use and Cannabis Use Disorder Among U.S. Adults with Psychiatric Disorders: 2001-2002 and 2012-2013
Hasin D, Mannes Z, Livne O, Fink D, Martins S, Stohl M, Olfson M, Cerdá M, Keyes K, Keyhani S, Wisell C, Bujno J, Saxon A. Cannabis Use and Cannabis Use Disorder Among U.S. Adults with Psychiatric Disorders: 2001-2002 and 2012-2013. Substance Use & Misuse 2024, 60: 285-292. PMID: 39533528, PMCID: PMC11710973, DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2024.2423374.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCannabis use disorderPsychiatric disordersCannabis useNon-medical cannabis useCannabis outcomesUse disorderDSM-IV cannabis use disorderRates of cannabis use disordersRates of cannabis useCannabis use disorder prevalenceAntisocial personality disorderU.S. adultsPersonality disorderDSM-IVVeterans AdministrationPatient samplesNon-medical useDisordersPrevalence differencesU.S. general populationNationally representative sampleCannabisVA patientsAdultsDisproportionate increaseS13 Trends in Prevalence of Cannabis Use Disorders Among U.S. Veterans With Psychiatric Disorders Between 2005 and 2019
Livne O, Malte C, McDowell Y, Olfson M, Wall M, Keyes K, Cerda M, Martins S, Saxon A, Mannes Z, Fink D, Keyhani S, Hasin D. S13 Trends in Prevalence of Cannabis Use Disorders Among U.S. Veterans With Psychiatric Disorders Between 2005 and 2019. Drug And Alcohol Dependence 2024, 260: 110124. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.110124.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchM72 State Cannabis Legalization and Changes in Cannabis Use as Determined by Biologic Testing in Emergency Department Patients in the U.S. Veterans Health Administration, 2008 to 2019
Fink D, Samples H, Saxon A, Malte C, Wall M, Hasin D. M72 State Cannabis Legalization and Changes in Cannabis Use as Determined by Biologic Testing in Emergency Department Patients in the U.S. Veterans Health Administration, 2008 to 2019. Drug And Alcohol Dependence 2024, 260: 110352. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.110352.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchRepresentation and inclusion among members and affiliates of the Society for Epidemiologic Research: findings from the 2021 diversity and inclusion survey
González D, Staley B, Andrea S, DeVilbiss E, Fink D, Peña C, Reed D, Santana M, Fasehun L, Alvero A, Babalola O, Puac-Polanco V, Thompson C, Frankenfeld C, Fernández-Rhodes L, Lopez D, Magid H, Committee O. Representation and inclusion among members and affiliates of the Society for Epidemiologic Research: findings from the 2021 diversity and inclusion survey. American Journal Of Epidemiology 2024, kwae104. PMID: 38863127, DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwae104.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
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