COVID-19 Risk in Rural North Carolina

Results from a wastewater pilot study in a rural Western North Carolina town that is home to a major regional university.

Aligning Validation of Wastewater Testing for SARS-CoV-2 to Policy Needs

With the COVID-19 pandemic, test kit shortages have created large blind spots with respect to disease transmission. Wastewater testing provides a new way to rapidly measure the viral exposure of thousands of people in a community.

Expanding COVID-19 Surveillance Through Wastewater Testing

By testing samples of municipal wastewater, officials can quickly assess the presence and spread of COVID-19 infections in their community.

Testing Municipal Wastewater to Flexibly Monitor Health and Safety

When combined with data on prescriptions filled at local pharmacies, EMS drug overdose calls, and drug seizures by law enforcement, wastewater testing can yield insights into the extent of black-market activity, policing impact on community drug use, and where and when drug overdoses might occur.

Mechanisms of Change in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Although cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is highly efficacious for body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), not all patients benefit, and mechanisms underlying response remain unknown.

Marijuana Legalization: Public Health, Safety, and Economic Factors for States to Consider

This brief discusses several factors and unknowns that states should consider when deciding whether to legalize marijuana. Drawing from our research for the Massachusetts Marijuana Baseline Health Study, we summarize potential impacts on tax revenue, public health, public safety, and regulation.

Anxiety Symptoms Questionnaire (ASQ): Development and Validation

The Anxiety Symptoms Questionnaire (ASQ) is a brief self-report questionnaire which measures frequency and intensity of symptoms and was developed to improve assessment of anxiety symptoms in a clinical setting.

A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy vs Supportive Psychotherapy to Treat Body Dysmorphic Disorder

This article describes results from a large, multi-site randomized clinical trial comparing cognitive behavioral therapy with supportive psychotherapy for adults with body dysmorphic disorder – an often severe psychiatric condition associated with high rates of hospitalization and suicidality.

Poor Access to Care Among Individuals with Low Quality of Life

This issue brief describes the HRQOL of individuals included in the Health Care Survey of Department of Defense Beneficiaries (HCSDB)—specifically, the survey administered in the third quarter (Q3) of 2018.

Identifying the Next Drug Epidemic by Testing Municipal Wastewater (In Focus Brief)

Potential of wastewater analysis for informing public health and safety policies and approaches.

Predictors of Long-Term Recovery in Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa: Data from a 22-Year Longitudinal Study

The objective of this study was to investigate predictors of long-term recovery from eating disorders 22 years after entry into a longitudinal study.

Special Report: The Potential of Wastewater Testing for Public Health and Safety

This report synthesizes research and recommendations from Mathematica’s symposium on “The Potential of Wastewater Testing for Public Health and Safety."

Re-Defining the Who, When, and Where of Mentoring for Professional Statisticians

The authors share mentoring strategies that have emerged at their organization, Mathematica, to overcome these obstacles.

Pharmacotherapy Relapse Prevention in Body Dysmorphic Disorder: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Continuation-phase escitalopram delayed time to relapse, and fewer escitalopram-treated subjects relapsed than did placebo-treated subjects.

The Potential of Wastewater Testing for Rapid Assessment of Opioid Abuse (Research Brief)

An overview of the potential of municipal wastewater testing to provide comprehensive estimates of opioid use across the country. The methodology allows for analysis of geographic and temporal trends in drug use, rapid feedback for program evaluations, and identification of new drugs of abuse.