Shaddy K. Saba
Assistant Professor
PhD, LCSW
Areas of Expertise: The development and treatment of physical pain, mental health, and substance use disorders; Traumatic and adverse experiences; Military and veteran behavioral health; Data science and technology for behavioral health; Contemplative (e.g., mindfulness-based) interventions
Biography
Dr. Shaddy Saba is an Assistant Professor at NYU Silver, and a licensed clinical social worker. Dr. Saba studies behavioral health among vulnerable populations, including military veterans and young people who have experienced trauma. Much of his research is focused on the intersections between physical pain and behavioral health problems. Dr. Saba’s work is highly interdisciplinary, and he utilizes both theory-guided and data-driven research methodologies to explore how co-occurring problems develop and impact one another. An overarching goal of Dr. Saba’s research is to inform better targeted and more accessible interventions for vulnerable populations. He also works to advance the use of innovative analytic methods and technology (e.g., data science, digital interventions) in the field of social work.
Dr. Saba’s research is informed by over a decade of clinical practice experience in mental health, substance use, and chronic pain treatment settings. He has published widely on topics including the health effects of traumatic experiences, mindfulness-based and digital health interventions, and biopsychosocial risk factors for pain. His work has been funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the US Department of Veterans Affairs, and the USC Center for Mindfulness Science.
Dr. Saba completed his PhD at the University of Southern California Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work and Center for Artificial Intelligence in Society. Previously, he received a master’s degree in clinical social work from the University of Chicago, and a BA in business economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Publications
Effects of a mobile mindfulness smartphone app on posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and alcohol use problems for veterans: A pilot randomized controlled trial
Davis, J. P., Pedersen, E. R., Borsari, B., Bowen, S., Owen, J. E., Sedano, A., Tran, D. D., Saba, S., Fitzke, R. E., Delacruz, J. & Canning, L., Feb 1 2025,
In : Journal of consulting and clinical psychology. 93, 2, p. 96-109
14 p.
Physical Pain among Urban Native American Emerging Adults: Sociocultural Risk and Protective Factors
Saba, S. K., Rodriguez, A., Dickerson, D. L., Mike, L., Schweigman, K., Arvizu-Sanchez, V., Funmaker, G., Johnson, C. L., Brown, R. A., Malika, N. & D'Amico, E. J., Sep 1 2024,
In : Psychosomatic Medicine. 86, 7, p. 615-624
10 p.
Exploring predictors of substance use disorder treatment engagement with machine learning: The impact of social determinants of health in the therapeutic landscape
Eddie, D., Prindle, J., Somodi, P., Gerstmann, I., Dilkina, B., Saba, S. K., DiGuiseppi, G., Dennis, M. & Davis, J. P., Sep 2024,
In : Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment. 164, 209435.
Barriers and Facilitators to Behavioral Healthcare for Women Veterans: a Mixed-Methods Analysis of the Current Landscape
Fitzke, R. E., Bouskill, K. E., Sedano, A., Tran, D. D., Saba, S. K., Buch, K., Hummer, J. F., Davis, J. P. & Pedersen, E. R., Apr 2024,
In : Journal of Behavioral Health Services and Research. 51, 2, p. 164-184
21 p.
Longitudinal associations between insomnia, cannabis use and stress among US veterans
Davis, J. P., Prindle, J., Saba, S. K., Castro, C. A., Hummer, J., Canning, L. & Pedersen, E. R., Feb 2024,
In : Journal of Sleep Research. 33, 1, e13945.
Bidirectional Associations Between Pain and Perceived Stress Among Veterans: Depressive Disorder as a Predisposing Factor
Saba, S. K., Davis, J. P., Prindle, J. J., Howe, E., Tran, D. D., Bunyi, J., Hummer, J. F., Castro, C. A. & Pedersen, E. R., Jan 1 2024,
In : Psychosomatic Medicine. 86, 1, p. 44-51
8 p.
Military Sexual Trauma, Childhood Trauma, and Combat Trauma: Associations With Longitudinal Posttraumatic Growth Among U.S. Veterans
Canning, L. M., Davis, J. P., Prindle, J. J., Castro, C. A., Pedersen, E. R., Saba, S. K., Bravo, A. J., Fitzke, R. E., Mills, A. H. & Livingston, W. S., 2024,
In : Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy..
Reducing Alcohol Misuse and Promoting Treatment Initiation Among Veterans Through a Brief Internet-Based Intervention: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial
Pedersen, E. R., Davis, J. P., Hummer, J. F., Bouskill, K., Buch, K. D., Shute, I. M., Fitzke, R. E., Tran, D. D., Neighbors, C. & Saba, S., 2024,
In : JMIR Research Protocols. 13, e59993.
The Association Between Childhood Sexual Abuse and Somatic Symptoms at Midlife: The Roles of Depression and Intimate Partner Relationship Quality
Saba, S. K., Lee, J. O., Rousson, A. N., Hong, S. H. & Herrenkohl, T. I., 2024,
In : Journal of Family Violence..
Pain Trajectories among U.S. Veterans During COVID-19
Saba, S. K., Davis, J. P., Bricker, J. B., Christie, N. C. & Pedersen, E. R., Nov 2023,
In : Journal of Pain. 24, 11, p. 2093-2102
10 p.
Associations between childhood maltreatment and physiological dysregulation in adulthood: Methodological decisions and implications
Saba, S. K., Godwin, J., Hong, S. H., Pan, T., Chang, Y., Brindle, E. & Herrenkohl, T. I., Oct 2023,
In : Child Abuse and Neglect. 144, 106369.
Associations between trauma-related guilt, symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, and problematic alcohol use
Davis, J. P., Canning, L., Saba, S. K., Bravo, A. J., Amone-P'Olak, K., Sedano, A., Tran, D., Castro, C. & Pedersen, E. R., Aug 2023,
In : Psychiatry Research. 326, 115350.
Childhood adversity, combat experiences, and military sexual trauma: A test and extension of the stress sensitization hypothesis
Davis, J. P., Prindle, J., Saba, S., Lee, D. S., Leightley, D., Tran, D. D., Sedano, A., Fitzke, R., Castro, C. A. & Pedersen, E. R., Jul 20 2023,
In : Psychological Medicine. 53, 9, p. 4055-4063
9 p.
Development of a mobile mindfulness smartphone app for post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol use problems for veterans: Beta test results and study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial
Davis, J. P., Pedersen, E. R., Borsari, B., Bowen, S., Owen, J., Sedano, A., Fitzke, R., Delacruz, J., Tran, D. D., Buch, K., Saba, S., Canning, L. & Bunyi, J., Jun 2023,
In : Contemporary Clinical Trials. 129, 107181.
Psychometric Assessment of the Applied Mindfulness Process Scale (AMPS) Among a Sample of Women in Treatment for Substance Use Disorder
Saba, S. K. & Black, D. S., Jun 2023,
In : Mindfulness. 14, 6, p. 1406-1418
13 p.
American Veterans in the Era of COVID-19: Reactions to the Pandemic, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and Substance Use Behaviors
Pedersen, E. R., Davis, J. P., Fitzke, R. E., Lee, D. S. & Saba, S., Apr 2023,
In : International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. 21, 2, p. 767-782
16 p.
Changes in perceived stress during the COVID-19 pandemic among American veterans
Davis, J. P., Prindle, J., Saba, S. K., Tran, D. D., Lee, D. S., Sedano, A., Castro, C. A. & Pedersen, E. R., Dec 2022,
In : Stress and Health. 38, 5, p. 1014-1028
15 p.
Influences of poly-victimization on adolescents' pre-treatment cognitive motivations and post-treatment outcomes
Christie, N. C., DiGuiseppi, G., Pakdaman, S., Lee, D. S., Pham, D., Saba, S. K. & Davis, J. P., Nov 2022,
In : Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. 142, 108856.
What's sleep got to do with it? Longitudinal associations between insomnia, PTSD, and alcohol use among U.S. Veterans
Davis, J. P., Prindle, J., Saba, S. K., DiGuiseppi, G. T., Hummer, J., Lee, D. S., Fitzke, R., Sedano, A., Castro, C. A. & Pedersen, E. R., Sep 2022,
In : Addictive Behaviors. 132, 107358.
Toward a dual process model of moral injury and traumatic illness
Barr, N., Atuel, H., Saba, S. & Castro, C. A., Aug 24 2022,
In : Frontiers in Psychiatry. 13, 883338.
Moral injury events and behavioral health outcomes among American veterans
Saba, S. K., Davis, J. P., Lee, D. S., Castro, C. A. & Pedersen, E. R., Aug 2022,
In : Journal of Anxiety Disorders. 90, 102605.
Identifying individual and environmental predictors of opioid and psychostimulant use among adolescents and young adults following outpatient treatment
Davis, J. P., Rao, P., Dilkina, B., Prindle, J., Eddie, D., Christie, N. C., DiGuiseppi, G., Saba, S., Ring, C. & Dennis, M., Apr 1 2022,
In : Drug and alcohol dependence. 233, 109359.
Effects of an integrated mindfulness intervention for veterans with diabetes distress: a randomized controlled trial
DiNardo, M. M., Greco, C., Phares, A. D., Beyer, N. M., Youk, A. O., Obrosky, D. S., Morone, N. E., Owen, J. E., Saba, S. K., Suss, S. J. & Siminerio, L., Mar 1 2022,
In : BMJ open diabetes research & care. 10, 2.
Mental health symptoms among American veterans during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Pedersen, E. R., Davis, J. P., Prindle, J., Fitzke, R. E., Tran, D. D. & Saba, S., Dec 2021,
In : Psychiatry Research. 306, 114292.
Associations between symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, pain, and alcohol use disorder among OEF/OIF/OND veterans
Saba, S. K., Davis, J. P., Prindle, J. J., Castro, C. A. & Pedersen, E. R., Nov 2021,
In : Addictive Behaviors. 122, 107031.
Changes in alcohol use during the COVID-19 pandemic among American veterans
Davis, J. P., Prindle, J., Castro, C. C., Saba, S., Fitzke, R. E. & Pedersen, E. R., Nov 2021,
In : Addictive Behaviors. 122, 107052.
Associations between prospective and retrospective measures of child abuse and self-reported adult health at midlife
Herrenkohl, T. I., Fedina, L., Hong, S. H., Lee, J. O. & Saba, S., Oct 2021,
In : Child Abuse and Neglect. 120, 105203.
Applying Polyvictimization Theory to Veterans: Associations With Substance Use and Mental Health
Davis, J. P., Lee, D. S., Saba, S., Fitzke, R. E., Ring, C., Castro, C. C. & Pedersen, E. R., Sep 16 2021,
In : Psychology of Addictive Behaviors. 36, 2, p. 144-156
13 p.
Sex differences in factors predicting post-treatment opioid use
Davis, J. P., Eddie, D., Prindle, J., Dworkin, E. R., Christie, N. C., Saba, S., DiGuiseppi, G. T., Clapp, J. D. & Kelly, J. F., Aug 2021,
In : Addiction. 116, 8, p. 2116-2126
11 p.
Temporal, Sex-Specific, Social Media-Based Alcohol Influences during the Transition to College
Davis, J. P., Christie, N. C., Lee, D., Saba, S., Ring, C., Boyle, S., Pedersen, E. R. & LaBrie, J., 2021,
In : Substance Use and Misuse. 56, 8, p. 1208-1215
8 p.
Patient predictors and utilization of health services within a medical home for homeless persons
Jones, A. L., Thomas, R., Hedayati, D. O., Saba, S. K., Conley, J. & Gordon, A. J., Jul 3 2018,
In : Substance Abuse. 39, 3, p. 354-360
7 p.
A Mindful Approach to Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support for Veterans
DiNardo, M., Saba, S., Greco, C. M., Broyles, L., Terhorst, L., Chasens, E. R., Bair, B., Charron-Prochownik, D. & Cohen, S., Dec 1 2017,
In : Diabetes Educator. 43, 6, p. 608-620
13 p.
Homeless veterans’ experiences with substance use, recovery, and treatment through photo elicitation
Sestito, S. F., Rodriguez, K. L., Saba, S. K., Conley, J. W., Mitchell, M. A. & Gordon, A. J., Oct 2 2017,
In : Substance Abuse. 38, 4, p. 422-431
10 p.
Left, right, and meeting in the middle: Addressing addiction is something we can agree about
Narayanan, A. K., Harding, J. D., Saba, S. K., Conley, J. & Gordon, A. J., Oct 1 2016,
In : Substance Abuse. 37, 4, p. 495-497
3 p.
Confronting the opioid epidemic through publication, promotion, and dissemination of evidence-based addiction scholarship
Gordon, A. J. & Saba, S. K., Jul 2 2016,
In : Substance Abuse. 37, 3, p. 379-380
2 p.