Alexandria Bauer

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Assistant Research Professor at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted people globally both collectively – i.e., through waves ofillness, government restrictions, and economic downturns – and individually, – i.e., individualhealth, COVID-related behaviors, and financial struggles. Individuals’ subjective attitudes arecritical for mitigating the impact of large crises like the COVID-19 pa...

Since the inception of the criterion A framework into the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis in DSM-III, what qualifies as traumatic has been a fieldwide debate. Historically, social movements coinciding with advances in research have spurred improvements in the definition of criterion A, often by expanding the breadth of experiences th...

Objectives: The legacy of slavery renders Black individuals vulnerable to the harmful effects of historical trauma which may interact with contemporary racism-related experiences to increase substance use. We examined the associations between historical and contemporary racism-related experiences (i.e., historical loss thinking, major racial discri...

There are complex cultural considerations for understanding, assessing, and treating substance use disorders (SUD) among Black men, from the initiation of substance use through SUD-related outcomes. This narrative review provides insight into some of these factors, including the individual, interpersonal, and community-level risk and protective fac...

African Americans (AAs) are disproportionately burdened with diabetes and prediabetes. Predominately AA churches may be optimal settings for reaching AAs at greatest diabetes risk, along with related morbidities and mortalities. The current study used the RE-AIM framework to qualitatively examine the feasibility, acceptability, and satisfaction wit...

We conducted a systematic review and network meta-analyses (NMA) of psychotherapy and pharmacologic treatments for individuals with co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol or other drug use disorder (AOD). A comprehensive search spanning 1995–2019 yielded a pool of 39 studies for systematic review, including 24 randomized cont...

Purpose of Review Research demonstrates a strong association between alcohol use disorder (AUD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, less is known about sex- and gender-based differences among individuals with AUD + PTSD. This narrative review examines recent literature in this area and aims to be a reference for future research endea...

Introduction: Research has identified significant racial differences in cigarette smoking behavior, associated disease risk, likelihood of cessation, and mortality from smoking-related diseases. The current study assessed, via qualitative narrative analysis, racial differences in participants' motivations for smoking, perceived consequences of smo...

Background: Substance use trends during the COVID-19 pandemic have been extensively documented. However, relatively less is known about the associations between pandemic-related experiences and substance use. Method: In July 2020 and January 2021, a broad U.S. community sample (N = 1123) completed online assessments of past month alcohol, cannab...

Objective: Young Black/African American men (YBM) are at greater risk for trauma and related mental health concerns compared to young non-Hispanic White men but are less likely to receive mental health care when needed. The current study used a Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB)-guided framework to qualitatively explore beliefs, norms, and intentions...

Background: Self-report measures are important in substance use assessment, yet they are susceptible to reporting errors. Urine drug screens (UDS) are often considered a more valid alternative. However, collecting in-person UDS may not always be feasible, contributing to the need to understand factors that influence the validity of self-reported s...

COVID‐19 pandemic presents an unheralded opportunity to better understand trajectories of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms across a prolonged period of social disruption and stress. We tracked PTSD symptoms among trauma‐exposed individuals in the United States and sought to identify population‐based variability in PTSD symptom trajecto...

Objective: Concurrent Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Substance Use Disorders Using Prolonged Exposure (i.e., COPE) is an efficacious, integrated, psychotherapy that attends to PTSD and substance use disorders simultaneously. No study has examined how therapeutic alliance functions during the provision of COPE and how this co...

Objective: To report on multilevel strategies for addressing community mental health disparities among young Black/African American men, who are at increased risk for trauma exposure yet have a lower likelihood of receiving mental health care compared to other young adults. Method: This was a secondary data analysis from a larger mixed-methods stud...

Background: African American women are at greater risk for cervical cancer incidence and mortality than White women. Up to 90% of cervical cancers are caused by human papillomavirus (HPVs) infections. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) co-developed HPV self-test kits to increase access to screening, which may be critical for underserved popula...

In the aftermath of mass trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms follow prototypical trajectories of resilience, recovery, or chronic distress. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic represented an unheralded opportunity to better understand heterogeneous trajectories of PTSD symptoms across a prolonged period of social disr...

Introduction Black women are at heightened risk for trauma exposure, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance use disorders (SUDs), compared to White women and the general population. However, disparities in treatment engagement and retention persist, particularly for Black women with co-occurring PTSD+SUD. Although therapeutic alliance...

HIV continues to disproportionately impact Black/African Americans. New and innovative strategies are needed to increase and enhance engagement in HIV care. The Black/African American church is a powerful institution with the potential to enhance HIV care among congregants. This study examines perceptions on incorporating religiosity into engagemen...

Individually, the COVID-19 pandemic and opioid epidemic have each been responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths. Systemic racism, including public perceptions about people who use opioids, inadequate substance abuse prevention and treatment efforts, heightened risks for COVID-19 exposure, and inadequate access to testing and health care, has...

African Americans are disproportionately burdened by mental health issues (e.g., stress, chronic depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder). Upon review of mental health local/state/national data, a highly-engaged faith-based Community Action Board (CAB) raised concerns about the mental health needs of African Americans and addressed mental he...

PurposePhysical activity is important for enhancing quality of life and cancer control among prostate cancer survivors. The purpose of this study was to characterize adherence to physical activity guidelines among African American and white prostate cancer survivors based on social and clinical determinants and psychosocial factors.Methods Observat...

African Americans (AAs) in the Midwest are more likely to die from an opioid overdose compared to Whites, despite lower rates of use. Little is known about factors related to opioid use among AAs residing in the Midwest, particularly church-affiliated AAs. AAs have the highest rate of church attendance among all racial/ethnic groups, and the Black...

Purpose To examine financial toxicity and strain among men in an equal access healthcare system based on social determinants and clinical characteristics. Methods Observational study among men receiving prostate cancer care (n = 49) at a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facility. Financial hardship included overall financial strain and financi...

Despite risk for trauma, subsequent mental health concerns, and poor health outcomes, young Black/African American men (YBM) are less likely to receive mental health services than other racial/ethnic groups. Despite the growing literature on resilience, there is less information on relationships between resilience, risk behaviors, and use of mental...

Wide-reaching health promotion interventions are needed in influential, accessible community settings to address African American (AA) diabetes and CVD disparities. Most AAs are overweight/obese, which is a primary clinical risk factor for diabetes/CVD. Using a faith-community-engaged approach, this study examined feasibility and outcomes of Projec...

Diabetes and heart disease disproportionately burden African Americans, who tend to have worse nutritional intake than Whites. Many Black churches are influential institutions in the Black community, with potential to assist with promotion of healthy eating behaviors. The purpose of the current study was to use the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB)...

HIV is diagnosed at eight times the rate in African Americans (AAs) compared to whites. One-third of AAs have never been tested for HIV. Studies indicate low rates of HIV testing in healthcare settings, so understanding missed opportunities for HIV testing can inform prevention efforts in these settings. Our study examined predictors of self-report...

The updated National HIV/AIDS Strategy recommends widespread HIV education and testing and calls the faith community to assist in these efforts. Yet, limited information exist on church-based HIV testing interventions. This study examined feasibility and assessed HIV testing outcomes of Taking It to the Pews (TIPS), a multilevel HIV education and t...

Introduction Black women are disproportionately burdened by obesity but maintain body satisfaction and strong religious commitment. Although faith-based weight-loss interventions have been effective at promoting weight loss among blacks, little is known about how body image and religious views contribute to weight-related beliefs among religious bl...

Studies with the general population indicate that involvement in the correctional system is strongly associated with the risk of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. However, limited studies have examined ex-offender status and HIV risk among African Americans-a population disproportionately impacted by incarceration and HIV-a...

African Americans are disproportionately burdened with health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, and limited access to health care. Using a CBPR approach, we conducted a health needs assessment process in collaboration with our Kansas City (KC) FAITH Initiative Community Action Board (CAB) to identify: a) priority health disparity issues...

Promotion of preventive behaviors, health screening, and access to care is critical to addressing African American (AA) health disparities. Black churches may be ideal settings for health promotion interventions as they have extensive influence and reach in AA communities. Yet, limited studies exist on engaging AA faith communities in identifying p...

African Americans (AAs) are disproportionately diagnosed with diabetes and related complications, indicating the need for interventions addressing diabetes prevention in AA communities. Yet, no studies exist on development of interventions based on AAs’ selection of intervention strategies deemed to be important/feasible for long-term public health...

High blood pressure continues to burden the African American community. In 2012, 46% of African American women and 43% African American men were diagnosed with high blood pressure in the US. African Americans are disproportionately affected by diabetes, heart disease, and asthma. African American churches may be well-positioned to extend reach of p...

The public is encouraged to participate in cancer education programs because it is believed that acquiring health-promoting knowledge will motivate participants to make the recommended, evidence-based behavioral modifications that should lead to reductions in cancer morbidity and mortality. Because of the extended time that elapses between conducti...