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Jeffrey W. Swanson

Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Psychiatry, Child & Family Mental Health & Community Psychiatry
Box 102505 Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27705
Physical Address: 2400 Pratt Street, Room 6035, Postal Address: Box 102505 DUMC, Durham, NC 27705

Research Interests


 Epidemiology of serious mental illnesses and substance use disorders in adult community-based populations
 Violent behavior and mental illness in social-environmental context
 Public health law approaches to reducing firearm violence and suicide
 Legal leverage in community treatment for adults with severe mental illness
 Psychiatric advance directives for adults with serious mental illnesses
 Effectiveness of involuntary outpatient commitment
 Mental illness and criminal justice policy
 Discrimination, law, and policy affecting persons with psychiatric disabilities

Selected Grants


Predicting firearm suicide in military veterans outside the VA health system using linked civilian electronic health record data

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2023 - 2027

Implementation of Extreme Risk Protection Orders: Experiences of special populations

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by Elizabeth K Dollard Charitable Trust · 2025 - 2026

Justice Involvement Population Training and Technical Support Scope of Work Deflection, Diversion and Reentry Community Programming

Public ServiceCo Investigator · Awarded by University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill · 2024 - 2026

Equity and effectiveness of firearm prohibitors, record-reporting, and restoration of gun rights associated with mental health adjudication

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Elizabeth K Dollard Charitable Trust · 2023 - 2024

Implementation and Effectiveness of "Dangerous Persons" Gun-Seizure Laws

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Elizabeth K Dollard Charitable Trust · 2014 - 2023

Mental Disorders Prevalence Study

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by Research Triangle Institute International · 2019 - 2023

Implementing Extreme Risk Protection Order Laws: A Promising Strategy for Gun Violence Prevention

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Michigan State University · 2020 - 2023

Evaluation of the Assisted Outpatient Treatment Grant Program for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by Research Triangle Institute International · 2016 - 2021

IPA - Jeffrey Swanson

ResearchInvestigator · Awarded by Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center · 2019 - 2020

Post-doctural Training Program in Mental Health Services Research

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill · 2014 - 2018

Implementation and Effectiveness of "Dangerous Persons" Gun-Seizure Laws in Connecticut and Indiana

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by New Venture Fund · 2014 - 2018

Policy and interventions for adults with SMI and criminal justice involvement

ResearchMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2014 - 2018

Gender differences in jail diversion for adults with co-occurring disorders

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2014 - 2017

Firearms Laws, Mental Disorder, and Violence

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2011 - 2016

Implementing Psychiatric Advance Directives with Peer Specialist Facilitators

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Department of Health and Human Services · 2015 - 2016

Implementing Psychiatric Advance Directives with Peer Specialist Facilitators

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Department of Education · 2012 - 2016

National Program Methods Core

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Temple University · 2011 - 2015

IPA - Jeffrey Swanson

ResearchInvestigator · Awarded by Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center · 2013 - 2015

Post-doctoral Training Program in Mental Health Services Research

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill · 2012 - 2014

PREMIER Mental Health Interventions Training Program

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2002 - 2010

Psychiatric Treatment and Violence Risk Management

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2004 - 2010

Improving Representative Payeeship for People with Psychiatric Disabilities and their Families

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research · 2007 - 2007

Effectively Implementing Psychiatric Advance Directives

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2002 - 2007

The Effectiveness Of Involuntary Outpatient Commitment

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 1992 - 2003

The Effectiveness Of Involuntary Outpatient Commitment

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 1993 - 1997

External Relationships


  • Consortium for Risk Based Firearms Policy Steering Committee
  • Emory University School of Medicine
  • Georgia Psychiatric Physicians Association
  • Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
  • NASMHPD, Inc.
  • Temple University

This faculty member (or a member of their immediate family) has reported outside activities with the companies, institutions, or organizations listed above. This information is available to institutional leadership and, when appropriate, management plans are in place to address potential conflicts of interest.