Research Interests:

I am a fifth year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program. My primary research interest is in suicidal behavior and its correlates. I am particularly interested in utilizing a public health perspective to explore how suicide is viewed by the general population (including exploration of how these views may lead to stigma) and to devise prevention/intervention strategies that reach suicidal individuals who do not avail themselves of mental health treatment. For example, 68% of people who die by suicide were not seen by a mental health professional in the 12 months prior to their death (Luoma, Martin, & Pearson, 2002); this indicates that greater attention needs to be paid to reaching these individuals.

 

Publications (in reverse chronological order):

Peer Reviewed Journals Articles

Witte, T.K., Timmons, K.A., Fink, E., Smith, A.R., & Joiner, T.E. (in press). Do major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder confer differential risk for suicide? Journal of Affective Disorders. .

Smith, A.R., Witte, T.K., Teale, N.E., King, S.L., Bender, T.W., & Joiner, T.E., Jr. (in press). Revisiting impulsivity in suicide: Implications for civil liability of third parties. Behavioral Sciences and the Law.

Van Orden, K.A., Witte, T.K., James, L.M., Castro, Y., Gordon, K.H., Braithwaite, S.R., Hollar, D.L., & Joiner, T.E., Jr. (2008). Suicidal ideation in college students varies across semesters: The mediating role of belongingness. Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior, 38, 427-436 .

Witte, T.K., Merrill, K.A., Stellrecht, N., Bernert, R., Hollar, D., Schatschneider, C., & Joiner, T.E. (2008). “Impulsive” youth suicide attempters are not necessarily all that impulsive. Journal of Affective Disorders , 107, 107-116.

Holm-Denoma, J.M., Witte, T.K ., Gordon, K.H., Herzog, D., Franko, D.L., Fichter, M., Quadfleig, N., & Joiner, T.E., Jr. (2008). Deaths by suicide among individuals with anorexia as arbiters between competing explanations of the anorexia-suicide link. Journal of Affective Disorders.

Van Orden, K.A., Witte, T.K., Gordon, K.H., Bender, T.W., & Joiner, T.E. (2008). Suicidal desire and the capability for suicide: Tests of the interpersonal-psychological theory of suicidal behavior among adults. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 76, 72-83.

Pfaff, J.J., Almeida, O.P, Witte, T.K., Waesche, M.C., & Joiner, Jr., T.E. (2007). Relationship between quantity and frequency of alcohol use and indices of suicidal behavior in an elderly Australian sample. Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior, 37, 616-626 .

Pfaff, J.J., Bernert, R.A., Hollar, D.L., Witte, T.K., Merrill, K.A., Pettit, J.W., Almeida, O.P., & Joiner, Jr., T.E. (2006). Birth Month and Depressive and Suicidal Symptoms in an Elderly Australian Sample Born in the Southern or Northern Hemisphere . Psychiatry Research, 144, 217-219.

Witte, T.K., Joiner, Jr., T.E., Brown, G.K., Beck, A.T., Beckman, A., Duberstein, P., & Conwell, Y. (2006). Factors of suicide ideation and their relation to clinical and other indicators in older adults. Journal of Affective Disorders , 94, 165-172.

Mandrusiak, M., Rudd, M.D., Joiner, T.E., Berman, L., Van Orden, K., & Witte, T.K. (2006). Warning signs for suicide on the internet: A descriptive study. Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior , 36, 263-271.

Witte, T.K ., Fitzpatrick, K.K., Warren , K.L, Schatschneider, C., & Schmidt, N.B. (2006) Naturalistic Evaluation of Suicidal Ideation: Variability and Relation to Attempt Status. Behaviour Research and Therapy , 44, 1029-1040.

Rudd, M.D., Berman, L., Joiner, T.E., Nock, M.K., Silverman, M.M., Mandrusiak, M., Van Orden, K., & Witte, T.K. (2006). Warning signs for suicide: Theory, research, and clinical applications. Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior, 36, 255-262.

Stellrecht, N.E., Gordon, K.H., Van Orden, K., Witte, T.K., Wingate, L.R., Cukrowicz, K.C., Butler , M., Schmidt, N.B., Fitzpatrick, K.K., & Joiner, T.E. (2006). Clinical applications of the interpersonal-psychological theory of attempted and completed Suicide. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 62, 211-222.

Witte, T.K., Fitzpatrick, K.K., Joiner, Jr., T.E., & Schmidt, N.B. (2005). Variability in suicidal ideation: A better predictor for past attempt than intensity and duration of ideation? Journal of Affective Disorders , 88, 131-136.

Fitzpatrick, K.K., Witte, T.K ., & Schmidt, N.B. (2005). Randomized controlled trial of a brief problem-orientation intervention for suicidal ideation. Behavior Therapy , 36, 323-333.

Joiner, Jr., T.E., Conwell, Y., Fitzpatrick, K.K., Witte, T.K ., Schmidt, N.B., Berlim, M.T., Fleck, M.P.A., Rudd, M.D. (2005). Four Studies on How Past and Current Suicidality Relate Even When “Everything but the Kitchen Sink” is Covaried. Journal of Abnormal Psychology , 114, 291-303.

Authored Books

Joiner, T.E., Jr., Witte, T.K., Van Orden, K.A., & Rudd, M.D. (in press). Clinical Work with Suicidal Patients: The Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicidality as a Guide. Washington , D.C. : American Psychological Association.

Invited Articles/Chapters In Edited Books

Rudd, M.D., Berman, L., Joiner, T.E., Nock, M.K., Silverman, M., Mandrusiak, M., Van Orden, K., & Witte, T.K. (in press). Warning signs for suicide: Theory, Research, and Clinical Application. In A. Shrivastava (Ed.). International Handbook of Suicidal Behavior. London : Gaskell Books.

Duberstein, P. & Witte, T.K. . (in press). Suicide Risk in Personality Disorders: A Public Health Perspective. In P.M. Kleespies (ed.). Evaluating and Managing Behavioral Emergencies: An Evidence-Based Resource for Mental Health Practitioners. Washington , DC : American Psychological Association.

Van Orden, K.A., Witte, T.K., Selby, E.A., Bender, T., & Joiner, T.E. (2008). Suicidal behavior in youth. In J.R.A. Abela & B.L. Hankin (Eds.). Depression in Children and Adolescents: Causes, Treatment, and Prevention . New York : Guilford .

Witte, T.K., Van Orden, K.A., & Joiner, Jr., T.E. (2006). Theory-based suicide risk assessment. Clinician's Research Digest.

Grants and Fellowships

2006-2009	Studies on the Acquired Ability for Suicide
	1 F31 MH077386-01   NIMH
	Witte (PI)   Priority Score: 142
	Percentile: 3rd   Total Costs: $105,456.24
	Sponsor: Thomas E. Joiner, Jr., Ph.D.
	Description:  This is a training grant that includes research projects and interaction with other scientists in the field of suicide research, with the goal of testing Joiner's interpersonal psychological theory of attempted and completed suicide.
2006	Travel Grant to attend Summer Suicide Research Institute on Suicide Prevention, University of Rochester Medical Center, ~$1500.
2005	Travel Grant to attend Workshop on Multilevel Modeling in Mplus, Johns Hopkins University, $500.
	Society for Public Health Education and Centers for Disease Control Violence Prevention Fellowship, $1500.
2004	Presidential University Research Fellowship, Florida State University, $20,000.

Click here for complete Curriculum Vita .