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Cassandra (Cassie) Boness

Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of New Mexico
Chapter Member: New Mexico SSN
Areas of Expertise:

Connect with Cassandra (Cassie)

About Cassandra (Cassie)

Boness' research focuses broadly on substance use disorders and uses mixed method approaches. Overarching themes in Boness' writing include measurement, validity, and precision measurement. Boness serves on numerous professional leadership boards including Scholars Elevating Equity and Diversity and the APA Division 12 Committee on Science and Practice.

Contributions | No Jargon Podcast | Member Spotlight | In the News | Publications

Contributions

Massachusetts Bill H.1913/S.1117: An Act Relative to Treatment, not Incarceration

Testimony,

Federal Cuts Put Addiction Treatment and Recovery at Risk

Commentary,

What Mental Health Professionals Need to Know to Protect Their Patients and Themselves in the Post-Dobbs Era

  • Christine C. Call
  • Alexandra Tabachnick
  • Irene Tung
    • Stefanie L. Sequeira
  • Orma Ravindranath
  • Debora Bell
Basic Facts Brief,

Talking to Youth of Color about Racism

    Chardée A. Galán , Molly Bowdring ,
  • Julie Cristello
    • Juan Carlos Gonzalez , Nabila Jamal-Orozco , Stefanie L. Sequeira
Key Findings Brief,

How Should Healthcare Practitioners Address Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy? Motivational Interviewing Offers Guidance

Memo,

In the News

Opinion: "Adopting the Term ‘Preaddiction’ Would Be a Serious Mistake," Cassandra (Cassie) Boness, First Opinion, STAT News, May 25, 2023.
Interviewed in "Role of Motivational Interviewing in Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy," Psychiatry Advances, May 12, 2021.
Interviewed in "Diagnostic Issues in Alcohol Use Disorder," Anchor by Spotify, November 30, 2020.
Quoted by Adrienne Matei in "The Number of Fake Emotional Support Dogs Is Exploding – Why?," The Guardian, August 13, 2019.
Quoted by Christopher Mele in "Is That Dog (or Pig) on Your Flight Really a Service Animal?," The New York Times, May 1, 2018.

Publications

"“Either Way, They Will Use. And So, Probably, Would You:” a Critical Discourse Analysis of Harm Reduction Portrayal in United States Opinion News Media" (with Nina C. Christie, Hannah A. Carlon, Hanna M. Hebden, Felicia R. Tuchman, David I.K. Moniz-Lewis, Katie Witkiewitz, and Margo C. Hurlocker). International Journal of Drug Policy 140 (2025).

Analyzes how United States opinion news media portrays harm reduction in the context of opioid use. Finds that most articles present pro-harm reduction discourse, but often use stigmatizing language.

"Clinical Psychology in the Post-Dobbs Era: Navigating Clinical Practice, Research, and Advocacy in a Changing Sexual- and Reproductive-Health Landscape" (with Christine C. Call, Alexandra R. Tabachnick, Irene Tung, Stefanie L. Sequeira, Orma Ravindranath, Lindsay Sortor, Lucy Ogbu-Nwobodo, David Ley, Kristen Eckstrand, and Debora J. Bell). Clinical Psychological Science (2025).

Reviews evidence regarding abortion and mental health and discusses barriers to sexual and reproductive health competence for clinical psychology. Additionally, presents guiding principles for psychologists and institutions/training programs to address these competence gaps across research, clinical practice, and advocacy.

"Measuring Food Security in University Students: A Comparison of the USDA 10-Item and Six-Item Food Security Survey Modules" (with Christine C. Call, Sarita Cargas, and Kathryn E. Coakle). Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition (2024): 1-18.

Compares the identification of food insecurity in college students across two commonly used USDA assessments. Finds up to a 9% discrepancy in the identification of food insecurity depending on which measure was used, suggesting that improvements to current food insecurity measurement is needed for college settings.

"An Ethics and Social-Justice Approach to Collecting and Using Demographic Data for Psychological Researchers" (with Christine C. Call, Kristen L. Eckstrand, Steven W. Kasparek, Lorraine Blatt, Nabila Jamal-Orozco, Derek M. Novacek, and Dan Foti). Perspectives on Psychological Science 18, no. 5 (2023): 979-995.

Reviews ethical and social-justice challenges that arise when collecting, analyzing and reporting on demographic data in research. Provides a framework positioned in ethics and social justice to help researchers in social-science fields and other key stakeholders make thoughtful decisions about the collection and use of demographic data.

"Combatting the Conspiracy of Silence: Clinician Recommendations for Talking About Racism-Related Events With Youth of Color" (with Molly Bowdring, Chardée A. Galán, Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Nabila Jamal-Orozco, Stefanie L. Sequeira, Irene Tung, Alexandra Tabachnick, Derek M. Novacek, Isabella Kahhale, and Beza M. Bekele). Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (2021).

Discusses key clinician recommendations for talking about racism and racism-related events with youth of color.

"The Etiologic, Theory-based, Ontogenetic Hierarchical Framework of Alcohol Use Disorder: A translational systematic review of reviews" (with Ashley L. Watts, Kimberly N. Moeller, and Kenneth J. Sher). OSF Reprints (2021).

Presents a translational systematic review of reviews, systematically developed a conceptual framework of alcohol use disorder etiology. Considers 13 causal mechanisms that are related to alcohol use disorder at different stages along the addiction cycle.