Nicholas R. Eaton, Ph.D. | Department of Psychology

University of Minnesota (2012)

Director of Clinical Training
Associate Professor
Department of Psychology (Primary)
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health (Joint)
Department of Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies (Associated Faculty)
Center for the Study of Inequalities, Social Justice, and Policy (Faculty Affiliate)
Stony Brook LEND Center, School of Social Welfare (Supporting Faculty)

Pronouns: He/Him/His
DSM Externalizing Disorders Review Committee
Executive Board, Academy of Psychological Clinical Science
Executive Board, Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP)

Dr. Eaton will not be admitting a graduate student to begin in Fall 2024.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Conceptualization, classification, assessment, and structure of psychopathology; comorbidity; mental health disparities; minority stress; marginalized identities (including those defined by sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, and their intersections); quantitative methods and psychometrics; normal-range and pathological personality; individual differences; sexual behavior

CURRENT RESEARCH

Dr. Eaton’s primary research interests involve the conceptualization and classification of psychopathology. This work focuses on quantitative modeling to investigate the structure of mental disorders. The way mental disorders are currently defined is largely a reflection of expert opinion, rather than systematic empirical study. When clinicians diagnose patients, they attempt to fit the patients into a predetermined set of disorders, enshrined in classification systems like the DSM-5. Unfortunately, there is often a significant mismatch between the observed data (patients’ symptoms) and the organizing model (the diagnoses). Dr. Eaton’s research takes the alternative approach: Starting with information about patients’ symptoms, he uses these data to create new psychopathology constructs. The goal is to produce an accurate characterization of mental disorders as they actually occur in nature by letting the data, rather than expert opinion, tell the story. As part of the effort to disseminate the findings from empirical nosology research, Dr. Eaton serves on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders‘s Externalizing Disorders Review Committee. The six members of this committee consider possible revisions to all of DSM‘s classifications of the substance use, personality, impulsivity, and conduct disorders as well as the paraphilias.

Toward these ends, Dr. Eaton applies quantitative methods that allow for the direct testing of alternative hypotheses about mental disorder structure. For instance, are mental disorders best defined as categories (yes/no diagnoses), dimensions (symptom levels ranging from very low to very high), or category-dimension hybrids? These investigations utilize such approaches as exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, latent class analysis, exploratory factor mixture modeling, item response theory (IRT), and model-based cluster analysis. He is on the Executive Board of the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology Consortium (HiTOP) and acts as the co-Chair of the Utility Work Group. He has a strong interest in psychometrics as well, including the reliable and valid assessment of psychopathology and personality.

Dr. Eaton is also very interested in individual and group differences. In terms of individual differences, his research addresses the intersections between normal-range personality, pathological personality, and mental disorders. Regarding group differences, Dr. Eaton is particularly interested in mental health disparities between groups, as defined by age cohorts, gender, nationality/culture, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and so on. From where do these disparities emerge? Can a more accurate characterization of psychopathology help us understand these questions better?

Finally, one area of particular interest to Dr. Eaton is research on human sexuality, sexual orientation, and gender identity. How can we conceptualize and classify the diversity of sexual attractions, behaviors, and identities? What is the best way to define and assess sexual orientation? Some of Dr. Eaton’s research in this area concerns what underpins the higher rates of mental disorders observed in LGBTQ+ individuals. For instance, what role do discrimination and harassment play in the development of mental disorders in sexual minorities? In addition, he wishes to pursue questions relating to understudied gender and sexual minorities, including transgender, bisexual, and asexual individuals.

REPRESENTATIVE PUBLICATIONS

* denotes a current or former undergraduate, graduate student, or postdoctoral fellow for whom Dr. Eaton served as primary advisor
† denotes a current or former departmental graduate student or postdoctoral fellow
^ denotes joint first-author position
# denotes joint senior-author position for Dr. Eaton (when otherwise unclear)

For a full list of Dr. Eaton’s publications, please see his Google Scholar profile.

Classification, Psychopathology, and Personality

Eaton, N. R., Bringmann, L. F., Elmer, T., Fried, E. I., Forbes, M. K., Greene, A. L.*, … & Waszczuk, M. A. (in press). A review of approaches and models in psychopathology conceptualization research. Nature Reviews Psychology.

Zhang, Y.*, Silver, J. I.†, Perlman, G., Kotov, R., Klein, D. N., & Eaton, N. R. (in press). Longitudinal stability and interrelations of tonic and phasic irritability in adolescent girls. Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology.

Greene, A. L.*, Watts, A., L., Forbes, M. K., Kotov, R., Krueger, R. F., & Eaton, N. R. (in press). Misbegotten methodologies and forgotten lessons from Tom Swift’s Electric Factor Analysis Machine: a demonstration with competing structural models of psychopathology. Psychological Methods.

Wang, M.†, & Eaton, N. R. (in press). Linking non-suicidal self-injury to psychopathology: the utility of transdiagnostic and DSM-based models. Journal of Affective Disorders.

Lin, S.-Y.*, Schleider, J. L., Nelson, B. D., Richmond, L. L., & Eaton, N. R. (in press). Gender and racial/ethnic disparities in undergraduate and graduate students’ mental health and treatment use amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research.

McDanal, R.*, Schleider, J. L., Fox, K. R., & Eaton, N. R. (in press). Loneliness in gender- and sexual orientation-diverse adolescents: measurement invariance analyses and between-group comparisons. Assessment.

Kotov, R., Cicero, D. C., Conway, C. C., DeYoung, C. G., Dombrovski, A., Eaton, N. R., … & Wright, A. G. C. (in press). Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) in psychiatric practice and research. Psychological Medicine.

Watson, D., Levin-Aspenson, H. F., Waszczuk, M. A., Conway, C. C., Dalgleish, T., Dretsch, M. N., Eaton, N. R., et al. (2022). Validity and utility of Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP): III. Emotional dysfunction superspectrum. World Psychiatry, 21(1), 26-54.

Eaton, N. R., Rodriguez-Seijas, C.*, & Pachankis, J. E. (2021). Transdiagnostic approaches to sexual and gender minority mental health. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 30(6), 510-518.

Kim, H.*, Turiano, N. A., Forbes, M. K., Kotov, R., Krueger, R. F., & Eaton, N. R.#, and the HiTOP Utility Work Group. (2021). Internalizing psychopathology and all-cause mortality: a comparison of transdiagnostic vs. diagnosis-based risk prediction. World Psychiatry, 20(2), 276-282.

Fried, E. I., Greene, A. L.*, & Eaton, N. R. (2021). The p factor is the sum of its parts, for now. World Psychiatry, 20(1), 69-70.

Lin, S. Y.*, Schleider, J. L., & Eaton, N. R. (2021). Family processes and child psychopathology: a between- and within-family/child analysis. Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, 49(3), 283-295.

Forbes, M. K., Greene, A. L.*, Levin-Aspenson, H. F., Watts, A. L., Hallquist, M., Lahey, B. B., … Eaton, N. R.,# & Krueger, R. F.# (2021). Three recommendations based on a comparison of the reliability and validity of the predominant models used in research on the empirical structure of psychopathology. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 130(3), 297-317.

Krueger, R. F., Hobbs, K. A., Conway, C. C., Dick, D. M., Dretsch, M. N., Eaton, N. R., et al. (2021). Validity and utility of Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP): Externalizing superspectrum. World Psychiatry, 20(2), 171-193.

Kotov, R., Krueger, R. F., Watson, D., Cicero, D. C., Conway, C. C., DeYoung, C. G., Eaton, N. R., … & Wright, A. G. C. (2021). The Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP): a quantitative nosology based on consensus of evidence. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 17, 19.1-19.26.

Eaton, N. R. (2020). Measurement and mental health disparities: psychopathology classification and identity assessment. Personality and Mental Health, 14, 76-87

Rodriguez-Seijas, C.*, Gadow, K. D., Rosen, T. E.†, Kim, H.*, Lerner, M. D., & Eaton, N. R. (2020). A transdiagnostic model of psychiatric symptom co-occurrence and autism spectrum disorder. Autism Research, 13(4), 579-590.

Lin, S.-Y.*, Eaton, N. R., & Schleider, J. L. (2020) Unpacking associations between mood symptoms and screen time in preadolescents: a network analysis. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 48(12), 1635-1647.

Kotov, R., Jonas, K. G., Carpenter, W. T., Dretsch, M. N., Eaton, N. R., Forbes, M. K., … & HiTOP Utility Workgroup. (2020). Validity and utility of Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP): I. Psychosis superspectrum. World Psychiatry, 19(2), 151-172.

Goldstein, B. L., Perlman, G., Eaton, N. R., Kotov, R., Klein, D. N. (2020). Testing explanatory models of interplay between depression, neuroticism, and stressful life events: a dynamic trait-stress generation approach. Psychological Medicine, 50(16), 2780-2789.

Lin, S.-Y.*, Fried, E. I., & Eaton, N. R. (2020). The association of life stress with substance use symptoms: a network analysis and replication. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 129(2), 204-214.

Waszczuk, M. A., Eaton, N. R., Krueger, R. F., Shackman, A. J., Waldman, I. D., Zald, D. H., … & Kotov, R. (2020) Redefining phenotypes to advance psychiatric genetics: Implications from the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 129(2), 143-161.

Greene, A. L.*, Eaton, N. R., Li, K., Forbes, M. K., Krueger, R. F., Markon, K. E., … & Kotov, R. (2019). Are fit indices used to test psychopathology structure biased? A simulation study. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 128(7), 740-764.

Kim, H.*, Keifer, C. M.†, Rodriguez-Seijas, C.*, Eaton, N. R., Lerner, M. D., & Gadow, K. D. (2019). Quantifying the optimal structure of the autism phenotype: a comprehensive comparison of dimensional, categorical, and hybrid models. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 58(9), 876-886.

Rodriguez-Seijas, C.*, Eaton, N. R., & Pachankis, J. E. (2019). Prevalence of psychiatric disorders at the intersection of race and sexual orientation: results from the National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions-III. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 87(4), 321-331.

Rodriguez-Seijas, C.*, Ruggero, C., Eaton, N. R., & Krueger, R. F. (2019). The DSM-5 Alternative Model for Personality Disorders and clinical treatment: a review. Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry, 6(4), 284-298.

Kim, H.*^, Greene, A.*^, Eaton, N. R., Lerner, M. D., & Gadow, K. D. (2019). Mr. Kim et al. reply: Is there a general factor of the autism symptom phenotype? Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 58(10), 1021.

Conway, C. C., Forbes, M. K., Forbush, K. T., Fried, E. I., Hallquist, M. N., Kotov, R., … & Eaton, N. R. (2019). A hierarchical taxonomy of psychopathology can transform mental health research. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 14(3), 419-436.

Kim, H.*, Keifer, C. M.†, Rodriguez-Seijas, C.*, Eaton, N. R., Lerner, M. D., & Gadow, K. D. (2018). Structural hierarchy of autism spectrum disorder symptoms: an integrative framework. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 59(1), 30-38.

Eaton, N. R. (2017). The broad importance of integration: psychopathology research and hierarchy as construct. European Journal of Personality, 31, 539-540.

Kim, H.*, & Eaton, N. R. (2017). A hierarchical integration of person-centered comorbidity models: structure, stability, and transition over time. Clinical Psychological Science, 5(4), 595-612.

Eaton, N. R., Rodriguez-Seijas, C.*, Krueger, R. F., Campbell, W. K., Grant, B. F., & Hasin, D. S. (2017). Narcissistic personality disorder and the structure of common mental disorders. Journal of Personality Disorders, 31(4), 449-461.

Greene, A. L.*, & Eaton, N. R. (2017). The temporal stability of the bifactor model of comorbidity: an examination of moderated continuity pathways. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 72, 74-82.

Kim, H.*, & Eaton, N. R. (2015). The hierarchical structure of common mental disorders: connecting multiple levels of analysis, bifactor models, and predictive validity. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 124(4), 1064-1078.

Rodriguez-Seijas, C.*, Stohl, M., Hasin, D. S., & Eaton, N. R. (2015). Transdiagnostic factors and mediation of the relationship between perceived racial discrimination and mental disorders. JAMA Psychiatry, 72, 706-713.

Eaton, N. R. (2015). Latent variable and network models of comorbidity: toward an empirically derived nosology. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 50(6), 845-849

DEIJ and Anti-racism: Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Minority Stress, and Health Disparities

Rodriguez-Seijas, C.*, Li, J. J., Balling, C., Brandes, C., Bernat, E., Boness, C., Forbes, M. K., Forbush, K. T., … & Eaton, N. R. (in press). Diversity and the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP). Nature Reviews Psychology.

Shen, J.*, Schleider, J., Nelson, B. D., Richmond, L. L., London, B., & Eaton, N. R. (in press). Disparities in COVID-19-related trauma and internalizing symptoms across sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, and their intersection during the pandemic. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity.

Rajesh, A., Zhang, K. E., Kelly, C., Silvan, Y. A., Diehl, C. K., Obee, A. F., … & Eaton, N. R. (in press). Diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and anti-racism statements by clinical psychological science programs: a mixed methods analysis of public commitments. Training and Education in Professional Psychology.

Eaton, N. R., Rodriguez-Seijas, C.*, & Pachankis, J. E. (2021). Transdiagnostic approaches to sexual and gender minority mental health. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 30(6), 510-518.

Eaton, N. R. (2020). Measurement and mental health disparities: psychopathology classification and identity assessment. Personality and Mental Health, 14, 76-87

Achille, C., Taggart, T.*, Eaton, N., Osipoff, J., Tafuri, K., Lane, A., Wilson, T. A. (2020). Longitudinal impact of gender-affirming endocrine intervention on the mental health and well-being of transgender youths: preliminary results. International Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology, 8.

Taggart, T. C.*, Rodriguez-Seijas, C.*, Dyar, C.†, Elliott, J. C., Thompson, R. G., Jr., Hasin, D. S., & Eaton, N. R. (2019). Sexual orientation and sex-related substance use: the unexplored role of bisexuality. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 115, 55-63.

Dyar, C.†, Taggart, T. C.*, Rodriguez-Seijas, C.*, Thompson, R. G., Jr., Elliott, J. C., Hasin, D. S., & Eaton, N. R. (in press). Physical health disparities across dimensions of sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, and sex: evidence for increased risk among bisexual adults. Archives of Sexual Behavior.

Dyar, C.†, Feinstein, B. A.†, Eaton, N. R., & London, B. (2018). The mediating roles of rejection sensitivity and proximal stress in the association between discrimination and internalizing symptoms among sexual minority women. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 47, 205-218.

Feinstein, B. A.†, Latack, J. A.†, Bhatia, V.†, Davila, J., & Eaton, N. R. (2016). Romantic relationship involvement as a minority stress buffer in gay/lesbian versus bisexual individuals. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Mental Health, 20, 237-257.

Dyar, C.†, Feinstein, B. A.†, Eaton, N. R., & London, B. (2016). Development and initial validation of the Sexual Minority Women Rejection Sensitivity Scale. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 40, 120-137.

Eaton, N. R., Thompson, R. G., Jr., & Hasin, D. S. (2015). Toward a broader understanding of LGBT sex-related substance use. American Journal of Public Health, 105(12), e1-e2.

Olson, K. R., Key, A. C., & Eaton, N. R. (2015). Gender cognition in transgender children. Psychological Science, 26, 467-474.

Gulamhussein, Q.*, & Eaton, N. R. (2015). Hijab, religiosity, and psychological wellbeing of Muslim women in the United States. Journal of Muslim Mental Health, 9(2), 25-40.

Feinstein, B. A.†, Meuwly, N., Davila, J., Eaton, N. R., & Yoneda, A. (2015). Sexual orientation prototypicality and well-being among heterosexual and sexual minority individuals. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 44(5), 1415-1422.

Eaton, N. R. (2014). Trans-diagnostic psychopathology factors and sexual minority mental health: evidence of disparities and associations with minority stressors. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 1(3), 244-254.

Sexual Behavior

Solano, I.†, Eaton, N. R., & O’Leary, K. D. (2020). Pornography consumption, modality, and function in a large Internet sample. Journal of Sex Research.

Rodriguez-Seijas, C.*, Arfer, K. B.†, Thompson, R. G., Jr., Hasin, D. S., & Eaton, N. R. (2017). Sex-related substance use and the externalizing spectrum. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 174, 39-46.

Forbes, M. K., Eaton, N. R., Krueger, R. F. (2017). Sexual quality of life and aging: a prospective study of a nationally representative sample. Journal of Sex Research, 54(2), 137-148.

Thompson, R. G., Jr., Eaton, N. R., Hu, M.-C., & Hasin, D. S. (2017). Borderline personality disorder and regularly drinking alcohol before sex. Drug and Alcohol Review, 36(4), 540-545.

Eaton, N. R., Thompson, R. G., Jr., Hu, M.-C., Goldstein, R. B., Saha, T. D., Hasin, D. S. (2015). Regularly drinking alcohol prior to sexual activity in a nationally representative sample: prevalence, sociodemographics, and associations with psychiatric and substance use disorders. American Journal of Public Health, 105(7), 1387-1393.

Latack, J. A.†, Rodriguez-Seijas, C.*, Stohl, M., Blanco, C., Hasin, D. S., & Eaton, N. R. (2015). Transdiagnostic psychopathology mediates the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections in adulthood. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 62, 71-79.

Thompson, R. G. Jr., Eaton, N. R., Hu, M.-C., Grant, B. F., & Hasin, D. S. (2014). Regularly drinking alcohol before sex in the United States: Effects of relationship status and alcohol use disorders. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 141, 167-170.

SELECTED RECENT LAB ACHIEVEMENTS

2022 Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Doctoral Fellowship (SSHRC): Jenny Shen*

2022 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship: Riley McDanal*

2022 National LGBTQ Health Conference Scholarship: Jenny Shen*

2020 LifeData Award for Free Usage: Riley McDanal*

2020 Samuel M. Turner Early Career Award for Distinguished Contributions to Diversity (Awarded annually by the Society of Clinical Psychology, American Psychological Association Division 12 to one early career researcher): Nicholas R. Eaton

2019 Martin Mayman Award (for the year’s best theoretical contribution to the Journal of Personality Assessment), Society for Personality Assessment: Nicholas R. Eaton (for Widiger et al., [2019]).

2019 Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) Best Poster Award for Clinical Research Methods and Statistics Special Interest Group: Sin-Ying Lin*

2019 Society for Research in Psychopathology Smadar Levin Best Poster Award: Qimin Liu

2019 Society for Research in Psychopathology President’s Award and Dissertation Grant: Craig Rodriguez-Seijas*

2019 APA Division 44 Malyon-Smith Scholarship Award: Tenille Taggart*

2019 President’s Award to Distinguished Doctoral Students: Craig Rodriguez-Seijas*

2019 Provost’s Award for Academic Excellence: Bernie Chen*

2018 Society for Research in Psychopathology President’s Award and Dissertation Grant: Craig Rodriguez-Seijas*

2018 Hugo G. Beigel Award (for the year’s best contribution to the Journal of Sex Research), Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality: Miriam K. Forbes, Nicholas R. Eaton, & Robert F. Krueger.

2018 Stony Brook University Distinguished Travel Award: Hyunsik Kim*

2018 Promotion to Associate Professor with Tenure: Nicholas R. Eaton

2017 Robins/Guze Early Career Award, American Psychopathological Association (Awarded annually by the American Psychopathological Association to one early career researcher): Nicholas R. Eaton

2017 Department of Psychology 2nd-year Research Award: Hyunsik Kim*

2017 Department of Psychology Excellent in Teaching Award: Ashley Greene*

2016 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship: Tenille Taggart*

2015 Martin Mayman Award (for the year’s best theoretical contribution to the Journal of Personality Assessment), Society for Personality Assessment: Craig Rodriguez-Seijas*, Nicholas R. Eaton, & Robert F. Krueger

Leave a Reply Cancel reply