Kate Comtois, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington at Harborview Medical Center
Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Washington

325 9th Avenue, PSB-5012
Box 359911
Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 897-4225

comtois@u.washington.edu

Educational Background:

• BA, Rutgers University- New Brunswick, NJ, Psychology, 1986
• MA, University of Maryland- College Park, MD, Clinical/Community Psychology, 1990
• PhD, University of Maryland- College Park, MD, Clinical/Community Psychology, 1992
• Fellowship, University of Washington- Seattle, WA, Clinical Psychology, 1994
• MPH, University of Washington- Seattle, WA, 2009

Current Research Interests:

• Suicide prevention, health services
• Borderline personality disorder
• Evidence-based treatment
• Co-occurring disorders
• Employment and recovery for severe and persistently mentally ill
• Training and implementation research

CHAMMP-Related Projects:

CHAMMP Training Institute:

• Reducing and Managing Suicidality in Your Clients, Trainer

Selected Publications:

• Comtois, K. A., Kerbrat, A. H., Atkins, D.C., Harned, M. S., & Elwood, L. (2010). Feasibility of Recovery for Individuals Psychiatrically Disabled by Borderline Personality Disorder: A Pilot of DBT-ACES. Psychiatric Services, 61, 1106-1111.
• Harned, M. S., Jackson, S. C., Comtois, K. A., & Linehan, M. M. (2010). Dialectical Behavior Therapy as a precursor to PTSD treatment for suicidal and/or self-injuring women with borderline personality disorder.  Journal of Traumatic Stress, 23: 421–429.
• Berking, M., Neacsiu, A., Comtois, K. A., & Linehan, M. M. (2009) The impact of experiential avoidance on the reduction of depression in treatment for borderline personality disorder. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 47(8):663-70.
• Brown, M.Z., Linehan, M.M., Comtois, K.A., Murray, A., & Chapman, A.L. (2009). Shame as a prospective predictor of self-inflicted injury in borderline personality disorder: A multi-modal analysis. Behavior Research and Therapy, 47(10):815-22.
• McDonell, M.G., Comtois, K.A., Voss, W.D., Morgan, A.H., & Ries, R.K. (2009). Am Global Appraisal of Individual Needs Short Screener (GSS): psychometric properties and performance as a screening measure in adolescents. Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 35(3), 157-160.
• Comtois, K.A., Schiff, M.A., & Grossman, D.C. (2008). Psychiatric risk factors associated with postpartum suicide attempt in Washington State, 1992-2001. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 199(2):120.e1-5.
• Ries, R.K., Yuodelis-Flores, C., Comtois, K.A., Roy-Byrne, P.P., Russo, J.E. (2008) Substance Induced Suicidal Admissions to an Acute Psychiatric Service:  Characteristics and Outcomes. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. 34:72-9.
• Harned, MS, Chapman, AL, Dexter-Mazza, ET, Murray, A, Comtois, KA, Linehan, MM (2008) Treating Co-occurring Axis I Disorders in Recurrently Suicidal Women with Borderline Personality Disorder: A Two-Year Randomized Trial of Dialectical Behavior Therapy vs. Community Treatment by Experts.  Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 76(6):1068-75.
• Reynolds, S., Lindenboim, N., Comtois, K., Murra,y A., & Linehan, M. (2006). Risky assessments: Evaluating and managing the effect of research assessments in a treatment study of suicidal behavior. Suicide and Life-threatening Behavior, 36, 19-34.
• Linehan, M.M., Comtois, K.A., Murray, A.M., Brown, M.Z., Gallop, R.J., Heard, H.L., et al. (2006). Two-year randomized trial + follow-up of dialectical behavior therapy vs. therapy by experts for suicidal behaviors and borderline personality disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry, 63, 757-766.
• Comtois, K.A., Tisdall, W.A., Holdcraft, L.C., & Simpson, T.L. (2005). Dual diagnosis: Impact of family history. American Journal on Addictions, 14, 291-299.
• Snowden, M.B., Walaszek, A., Russo, J.E., Comtois, K.A., Srebnik, D.S., Ries, R.K., Roy-Byrne, P.P. (2004). Geriatric patients improve as much as younger patients from hospitalization on general psychiatric units. Journal of the American Gerontological Society, 52, 1676-1680.
• Ries, R.K., Dyck, D.G., Short, R., Srebnik, D., Fisher, A., & Comtois, K.A. (2004). Outcomes of managing disability benefits among patients with substance dependence and severe mental illness. Psychiatric Services, 55, 445-457.
• Comtois, K.A., Ries, R.K., & Russo, J.E. (2004). Clinicians' assessment of bipolar disorder and substance abuse as predictors of suicidal behavior in acutely hospitalized psychiatric inpatients. Biological Psychiatry, 56, 757-763.
• Cummins, L.H., Dunn, E.C., Rabin, L., Russo, J., Comtois, K.A., & McCann, B.S.  (2003). Primary care provider familiarity with binge eating disorder and implications for obesity management: A preliminary survey.  Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, 20, 51-56.
• Srebnik, D., Comtois, K.A., Stevenson, J., Hoff, H., Snowden, M., Russo, J., et al. (2003). Eating disorder symptoms among adults with severe and persistent mental illness. Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment and Prevention, 11, 27-28.
• Comtois, K.A., Russo, J., Snowden, M., Srebnik, D., Ries, R., & Roy-Byrne, P. (2003). Factors associated with high use of public mental health services by persons with borderline personality disorder. Psychiatric Services, 54, 1149-1154.
• Comtois, K.A. (2002). A review of interventions to reduce the prevalence of parasuicide. Psychiatric Services, 53, 1138-1144.
• Brown, M., Comtois, K.A., Linehan, M.M. (2002). Reasons for suicide attempts and nonsuicidal self-injury in women with borderline personality disorder. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 111, 198-202.
• Linehan, M.M., Dimeff, L.A., Reynolds, S.K., Comtois, K.A., Shaw-Welch, S., Heagerty, P., et al. (2002). Dialectal behavior therapy versus comprehensive validation plus 12-step for the treatment of opiod dependent women meeting criteria for BPD. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 67, 13-26.
• Ries, R., Dyck, D., Short, R., Srebnik, D., Snowden, M., & Comtois, K.A. (2002). Use of case manager ratings and weekly urine toxicology tests in among outpatients with dual diagnosis. Psychiatric Services, 53, 764-766.
• Holdcraft, L.C., & Comtois, K.A. (2002). Description of and preliminary data from a women’s dual diagnosis community health program. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health, 21, 91-109.
• Srebnik, D.S., Uehar, E., Smukler, M., Russo, J., Comtois, K., & Snowden, M. (2002). Psychometric properties and utility of the problem severity summary for adults with serious mental illness. Psychiatric Services, 53, 1010-1017.
• Ries, R.K., Russo, J., Wingerson, D., Snowden, M., Comtois, K.A., Srebnik, D., et al. (2000). Shorter hospital stays and more rapid improvement among patients with schizophrenia and substance use disorders. Psychiatric Services, 51, 210-215.
• Ries, R.K., Jaffe, C., Comtois, K., & Mitchell, M. (1999). Treatment satisfaction compared with outcome in severe dual disorders. Community Mental Health Journal, 35, 213-221.
• Linehan, M.M., Schmidt, H., Dimeff, L.A., Craft, J.C., Kanter, J., & Comtois, K.A. (1999). Dialectical behavior therapy for patients with borderline personality disorder and drug dependence. American Journal on Addictions, 8, 279-292.
• Jaffe, C., Comtois, K.A., Calsyn, D.A., & Saxon, A.J. (1998). A pilot study comparing severely and persistently mentally ill opiate addicted patients in dual diagnosis treatment in methadone maintenance. American Journal on Addictions, 7, 288-298.