Michele Easter | Scholars@Duke

Michele Easter
Assistant Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

At the Services Effectiveness Research Program, I am a co-investigator, analyst, and manager for projects on mental health/substance use services and policy research. Our group conducts longitudinal studies of criminal justice outcomes and crisis-driven service utilization to assess the effects of policies (e.g., mental health-based firearms disqualification) and services (e.g., medication-assisted treatment for substance dependence). As the Behavioral Health Core of the Wilson Center for Science & Justice at Duke School of Law, our research agenda focuses on reducing criminal justice contact among people with mental illness and substance use disorders. We also collaborate with community partners to study and promote the use of psychiatric advance directives. Currently, my research interests center on people with mental illness, substance use, and/or unmet social needs who are stuck in a 'revolving door' of incarceration, crisis care, and detox; I hope this work will make a positive difference in the lives of people in Durham and beyond. I am also interested in the conceptualization of illness and recovery by people with behavioral disorders, specifically the extent to which they endorse and identify with biologically-based explanatory models. My dissertation was on how women with eating disorders understand and interpret the idea that genes play a role in eating disorders.

Current Appointments & Affiliations

Assistant Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Psychiatry, Child & Family Mental Health & Community Psychiatry, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences 2021

Contact Information

6th Floor Box #11 DUMC Box 102505, Durham, NC 27705
DUMC 102505, Durham, NC 27705
michele.easter@duke.edu (919) 385-0862

Background
Education, Training, & Certifications
- Ph.D., University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill 2010
Previous Appointments & Affiliations
- Assistant Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Clinical Science Departments 2018 - 2020
Recognition
In the News
- JAN 26, 2023 School of Law
  
  Duke Study Finds Promising Results in Pre-Arrest Diversion Program for People Who Use Drugs
Research
Selected Grants
Publications & Artistic Works
Selected Publications
- Academic Articles
  - Swanson, Jeffrey W., Guangyu Tong, Michele M. Easter, Josie Caves Sivaraman, Elizabeth J. Gifford, Brett O. Gardner, Ellen A. Donnelly, et al. “Gun violence among young adults with a juvenile crime record in North Carolina: Implications for firearm restrictions based on age and risk.” Prev Med 165, no. Pt A (December 2022): 107279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.107279.
    Full Text Link to Item
  - Zeoli, April M., Shannon Frattaroli, Leslie Barnard, Andrew Bowen, Annette Christy, Michele Easter, Reena Kapoor, et al. “Extreme risk protection orders in response to threats of multiple victim/mass shooting in six U.S. states: A descriptive study.” Prev Med 165, no. Pt A (December 2022): 107304. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.107304.
    Full Text Link to Item
  - Belden, Charles M., Allison R. Gilbert, Michele M. Easter, Marvin S. Swartz, and Jeffrey W. Swanson. “Appropriateness of psychiatric advance directives facilitated by peer support specialists and clinicians on Assertive Community Treatment teams.” Journal of Mental Health (Abingdon, England) 31, no. 2 (April 2022): 239–45. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638237.2021.1952946.
    Full Text
  - Swanson, Jeffrey W., Josie J. Caves Sivaraman, and Michele M. Easter. “Evaluating Extreme Risk Protection Order Laws: When Is It Premature to Expect Population-Level Effects?” Jama Netw Open 5, no. 4 (April 1, 2022): e224909. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.4909.
    Full Text Link to Item
  - Copeland, William E., Guangyu Tong, Elizabeth J. Gifford, Michele M. Easter, Lilly Shanahan, Marvin S. Swartz, and Jeffrey W. Swanson. “Adult criminal outcomes of juvenile justice involvement.” Psychol Med, March 10, 2022, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291722000393.
    Full Text Link to Item
  - Easter, Michele M., Jeffrey W. Swanson, William E. Crozier, Allison G. Robertson, Brandon L. Garrett, Karima Modjadidi, and Marvin S. Swartz. “North Carolina Specialty Courts, Treatment Access, and the Substance Use Crisis: A Promising but Underfunded Model.” Psychiatr Serv 72, no. 12 (December 1, 2021): 1471–74. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.202000868.
    Full Text Link to Item
  - Easter, Michele M., Jeffrey W. Swanson, Allison G. Robertson, Lorna L. Moser, and Marvin S. Swartz. “Impact of psychiatric advance directive facilitation on mental health consumers: empowerment, treatment attitudes and the role of peer support specialists.” J Ment Health 30, no. 5 (October 2021): 585–93. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638237.2020.1714008.
    Full Text Link to Item
  - Copeland, William E., Guangyu Tong, Elizabeth J. Gifford, Michele M. Easter, Lilly Shanahan, Marvin S. Swartz, and Jeffrey W. Swanson. “Childhood Gun Access, Adult Suicidality, and Crime.” Pediatrics 148, no. 2 (August 2021). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2020-042291.
    Full Text Link to Item
  - Swartz, Marvin S., Jeffrey W. Swanson, Michele M. Easter, and Allison G. Robertson. “Implementing Psychiatric Advance Directives: The Transmitter and Receiver Problem and the Neglected Right to Be Deemed Incapable.” Psychiatr Serv 72, no. 2 (February 1, 2021): 219–21. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.202000659.
    Full Text Open Access Copy Link to Item
  - Robertson, Allison G., Michele M. Easter, Hsiu-Ju Lin, Dalia Khoury, Joshua Pierce, Jeffrey Swanson, and Marvin Swartz. “Gender-specific participation and outcomes among jail diversion clients with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders.” Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 115 (August 2020): 108035. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2020.108035.
    Full Text
  - Swanson, Jeffrey W., Michele M. Easter, Kelly Alanis-Hirsch, Charles M. Belden, Michael A. Norko, Allison G. Robertson, Linda K. Frisman, Hsiu-Ju Lin, Marvin S. Swartz, and George F. Parker. “Criminal Justice and Suicide Outcomes with Indiana's Risk-Based Gun Seizure Law.” J Am Acad Psychiatry Law 47, no. 2 (June 2019): 188–97. https://doi.org/10.29158/JAAPL.003835-19.
    Full Text Link to Item
  - Robertson, Allison G., Michele M. Easter, HsiuJu Lin, Linda K. Frisman, Jeffrey W. Swanson, and Marvin S. Swartz. “Medication-Assisted Treatment for Alcohol-Dependent Adults With Serious Mental Illness and Criminal Justice Involvement: Effects on Treatment Utilization and Outcomes.” Am J Psychiatry 175, no. 7 (July 1, 2018): 665–73. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2018.17060688.
    Full Text Link to Item
  - Swanson, Jeffrey, Michele Easter, Mira Brancu, Mira VA Mid-Atlantic MIRECC Workgroup, and John A. Fairbank. “Informing Federal Policy on Firearm Restrictions for Veterans with Fiduciaries: Risk Indicators in the Post-Deployment Mental Health Study.” Adm Policy Ment Health 45, no. 4 (July 2018): 673–83. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-018-0881-y.
    Full Text Link to Item
  - Robertson, Allison G., Michele M. Easter, Hsiu-Ju Lin, Linda K. Frisman, Jeffrey W. Swanson, and Marvin S. Swartz. “Associations between pharmacotherapy for opioid dependence and clinical and criminal justice outcomes among adults with co-occurring serious mental illness.” J Subst Abuse Treat 86 (March 2018): 17–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2017.12.003.
    Full Text Link to Item
  - Easter, Michele M., Jeffrey W. Swanson, Allison G. Robertson, Lorna L. Moser, and Marvin S. Swartz. “Facilitation of Psychiatric Advance Directives by Peers and Clinicians on Assertive Community Treatment Teams.” Psychiatr Serv 68, no. 7 (July 1, 2017): 717–23. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201600423.
    Full Text Open Access Copy Link to Item
  - Swanson, J. W., M. A. Norko, H. J. Lin, K. Alanis-Hirsch, L. K. Frisman, M. V. Baranoski, M. M. Easter, A. G. Robertson, M. S. Swartz, and R. J. Bonnie. “Implementation and effectiveness of connecticut's risk-based gun removal law: Does it prevent suicides?” Law and Contemporary Problems 80, no. 2 (January 1, 2017): 179–208.
  - Swanson, Jeffrey W., Michele M. Easter, Allison G. Robertson, Marvin S. Swartz, Kelly Alanis-Hirsch, Daniel Moseley, Charles Dion, and John Petrila. “Gun Violence, Mental Illness, And Laws That Prohibit Gun Possession: Evidence From Two Florida Counties.” Health Aff (Millwood) 35, no. 6 (June 1, 2016): 1067–75. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2016.0017.
    Full Text Link to Item
  - Robertson, Allison G., Jeffrey W. Swanson, Hsiuju Lin, Michele M. Easter, Linda K. Frisman, and Marvin S. Swartz. “Influence of Criminal Justice Involvement and Psychiatric Diagnoses on Treatment Costs Among Adults With Serious Mental Illness.” Psychiatr Serv 66, no. 9 (September 2015): 907–9. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201500134.
    Full Text Link to Item
  - Easter, Michele. “Interpreting genetics in the context of eating disorders: evidence of disease, not diversity.” Sociol Health Illn 36, no. 6 (July 2014): 840–55. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.12108.
    Full Text Link to Item
  - Easter, Michele M. “"Not all my fault": genetics, stigma, and personal responsibility for women with eating disorders.” Soc Sci Med 75, no. 8 (October 2012): 1408–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.05.042.
    Full Text Link to Item
  - Cadigan, R Jean, Michele M. Easter, Allison W. Dobson, Arlene M. Davis, Barbra B. Rothschild, Catherine Zimmer, Rene Sterling, and Gail Henderson. “"That's a good question": university researchers' views on ownership and retention of human genetic specimens.” Genet Med 13, no. 6 (June 2011): 569–75. https://doi.org/10.1097/GIM.0b013e318211a9c2.
    Full Text Link to Item
  - Henderson, Gail E., Larry R. Churchill, Arlene M. Davis, Michele M. Easter, Christine Grady, Steven Joffe, Nancy Kass, et al. “Clinical trials and medical care: defining the therapeutic misconception.” Plos Med 4, no. 11 (November 27, 2007): e324. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0040324.
    Full Text Link to Item
  - Easter, Michele M., Laura A. Linnan, Margaret E. Bentley, Brenda M. DeVellis, Andrea Meier, Pamela Y. Frasier, Kristine S. Kelsey, and Marci K. Campbell. “"Una mujer trabaja doble aqui": Vignette-based focus groups on stress and work for Latina blue-collar women in eastern North Carolina.” Health Promot Pract 8, no. 1 (January 2007): 41–49. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524839905278916.
    Full Text Link to Item
  - Easter, Michele M., Gail E. Henderson, Arlene M. Davis, Larry R. Churchill, and Nancy M. P. King. “The many meanings of care in clinical research.” Sociol Health Illn 28, no. 6 (September 2006): 695–712. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9566.2006.00537.x.
    Full Text Link to Item
  - Henderson, Gail E., Michele M. Easter, Catherine Zimmer, Nancy M. P. King, Arlene M. Davis, Barbra Bluestone Rothschild, Larry R. Churchill, Benjamin S. Wilfond, and Daniel K. Nelson. “Therapeutic misconception in early phase gene transfer trials.” Soc Sci Med 62, no. 1 (January 2006): 239–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.05.022.
    Full Text Link to Item
  - King, Nancy M. P., Gail E. Henderson, Larry R. Churchill, Arlene M. Davis, Sara Chandros Hull, Daniel K. Nelson, P Christy Parham-Vetter, Barbara Bluestone Rothschild, Michele M. Easter, and Benjamin S. Wilfond. “Consent forms and the therapeutic misconception: the example of gene transfer research.” Irb 27, no. 1 (2005): 1–8.
    Link to Item
  - Henderson, Gail E., Arlene M. Davis, Nancy M. P. King, Michele M. Easter, Catherine R. Zimmer, Barbra Bluestone Rothschild, Benjamin S. Wilfond, Daniel K. Nelson, and Larry R. Churchill. “Uncertain benefit: investigators' views and communications in early phase gene transfer trials.” Mol Ther 10, no. 2 (August 2004): 225–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymthe.2004.05.013.
    Full Text Link to Item
  - Easter, Michele M., Arlene M. Davis, and Gail E. Henderson. “Confidentiality: more than a linkage file and a locked drawer.” Irb 26, no. 2 (2004): 13–17.
    Link to Item
  - Easter, M. “Freedom in speech: Freedom and liberty in U.S. presidential campaign discourse.” Poetics 36, no. 4 (n.d.): 265–86.
Scholarly, Clinical, & Service Activities
Presentations & Appearances
Outreach & Engaged Scholarship
- Consultant, co-instructor Bass Connections. 2020 - 2021 2020 - 2021
- Consultant, co-instructor . Data+. 2019 - 2021 2019 - 2021
- Member, Durham County Stepping Up Initiative Data Committee. 2019 - 2021 2019 - 2021
- Durham Joins Together Data Committee Co-chair. 2018 - 2019 2018 - 2019
- Member, Psychiatric Advance Directives Collaborative. 2018 - 2021 2018 - 2021
Service to the Profession
- Participant. Faculty Curriculum on Anti-Racism. Duke Office of Faculty Advancement. January 11, 2021 - January 14, 2021 2021

Some information on this profile has been compiled automatically from Duke databases and external sources. (Our About page explains how this works.) If you see a problem with the information, please write to Scholars@Duke and let us know. We will reply promptly.

Education, Training, & Certifications

Previous Appointments & Affiliations

In the News

Selected Grants

Selected Publications

Academic Articles

Presentations & Appearances

Outreach & Engaged Scholarship

Service to the Profession