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Derek Hopko

Research Interests

Treatment outcome research on clinical depression, behavioral activation for depression, treatment of co-existent pathological and medical conditions, behavioral assessment of mood and anxiety disorders, attention processes in individuals with performance-based anxiety disorders, relations among anxious-responding and skill deficits as these relate to substandard performance in social and academic (testing) contexts.

Research statement

In general, my research and clinical interests involve the behavioral assessment and treatment of individuals with mood and anxiety disorders. I conduct treatment outcome research on the relative efficacy of interventions to treat clinical depression, in particular behavioral activation, also addressing co-existent medical conditions (i.e., cancer) that may be involved in the etiology and maintenance of depressive syndromes. Recent research in this area has addressed the practicality of extending a brief behavioral activation approach to depressed cancer patients in medical care settings (Hopko et al., 2005, 2008, in press). In the area of anxiety disorders, primary areas of interests include investigating attention processes of individuals with performance-based anxiety disorders (i.e., social anxiety, test anxiety, math anxiety) and assessing relations among anxious-responding, skill deficits, and motivational differences as these factors relate to substandard performance in social and academic contexts. Finally, I have strong interests in the realm of behavioral assessment. In this area, focus is on: (a) the development of novel methods to assess depression and anxiety, and (b) conducting psychometric work to evaluate the validity and reliability of current methods of assessing depression and anxiety.

Honors

  • University of Tennessee Chancellor’s Award for Professional Promise in Research (2006)

Editorial Boards

  • Behavior Therapy
  • Clinical Case Studies
  • Journal of Anxiety Disorders
  • Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment
  • Clinical Psychology Review

Grants

  1. Behavior Activation for Depressed Breast Cancer Patients: Randomized Trial.
    Principal Investigator: Derek R. Hopko, Ph.D.
    Agency: Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
    Type: Clinical Research Grant
    Period: 05/01/2007 – 05/01/2010
    Total Costs = $300,000
    Role on Project: Principal Investigator

  2. CBATD for Depressed Cancer Patients.
    Principal Investigator: Derek R. Hopko, Ph.D.
    Agency: National Cancer Institute/National Institute of Mental Health
    Type: R03 (Project R03 CA112918-01)
    Period: 01/01/2005 – 12/31/2006
    Total Costs = $141,068
    Role on Project: Principal Investigator

  3. The Behavioral Treatment of Depressed Cancer Patients in Primary Care.
    Principal Investigator: Derek R. Hopko, Ph.D.
    Agency: National Institute of Mental Health
    Type: BSTART (Project R03 MH067569-01)
    Period: 01/01/2003 – 12/31/2003
    Total Costs = $72,750
    Role on Project: Principal Investigator

  4. Assessing predictors of C-PAP Compliance in Sleep Apnea Patients.
    Co-Principal Investigators: Derek R. Hopko, Ph.D., Steve Plenzler, Ph.D., & Michael Eisenstadt, M.D.
    Agency: St. Mary’s Hospital
    Type: Sleep Medicine Research Development Award
    Period: 01/01/2005 – 12/31/2006
    Total Costs = $6,000
    Role on Project: Co-Principal Investigator

  5. Behavioral Activation Treatment for Chronic Smokers
    Principal Investigator: Carl W. Lejuez, Ph.D.
    Agency: National Institute of Mental Health
    Period: 01/2006 - 12/2008.
    Total Costs = $800,000
    Role on Project: Consultant – Behavior Activation Treatment Design and Implementation

  6. Trial of Novel Behavioral Activation for Smoking Cessation
    Principal Investigator: Dr. Laura MacPherson, Ph.D.
    Agency: National Institute of Mental Health (2R01 DA018730)
    Period: 09/2010-08/2014
    Total Costs = $1,327,000
    Role On Project: Consultant

  7. Behavioral Activation for Low Income Depressed Smokers in Drug Treatment
    Principal Investigator: Dr. Laura MacPherson, Ph.D.
    Agency: American Cancer Society (2R01 DA018730)
    Period: 01/2011-12/2014
    Total Costs = $750,000
    Role On Project: Consultant

Selected Publications

Hopko, D. R., Armento, M. E. A., Robertson, S. M. C., Carvalho, J. P., Ryba, M., Johanson, L., Mullane, C., Gawrysiak, M., Bell, J. L., McNulty, J. K., & Lejuez, C. W. (in press) Behavior Activation and Problem-Solving Therapy for Depressed Breast Cancer Patients: Randomized Trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.

Magidson, J. F., Gorka, S. M., MacPherson, L., Hopko, D. R., Blanco, C, Lejuez, C. W., & Daughters, S. B. (in press). Examining the Effect of the Life Enhancement Treatment for Substance Use (LETS ACT) on Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Retention. Addictive Behaviors.

MacPherson, L., Tull, M. T., Matusiewicz, A. K., Rodman, S., Strong, D. R., Kahler, C. W., Hopko, D. R., Zvolensky, M. J., Brown, R. A., & Lejuez, C. W. (2010). Randomized controlled trial of behavioral activation smoking cessation treatment for smokers with elevated depressive symptoms. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 78, 55-61.

Hopko, D. R., & Johanson, L. C. (2010). The Impact of Cognitive Interventions in Treating Depressed Cancer Patients. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 24, 314-328.

Carvalho, J. P., & Hopko, D. R. (2011). Behavioral theory of depression: Reinforcement as a mediating variable between avoidance and depression. Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 42, 154-162.

Carvalho, J., Gawrysiak, M., Hellmuth, J., McNulty, J., Magidson, J., Lejuez, C. W., & Hopko, D. R. (2011). The Reward Probability Index (RPI): Design and Validation of a Scale Measuring Access to Environmental Reward. Behavior Therapy, 42, 249-262.

Carvalho, J. P., Trent, L. R., & Hopko, D. R. (2011). The impact of decreased environmental reward in predicting depression severity: Support for behavioral theories of depression. Psychopathology, 44, 242-252.

Lejuez, C. W., Hopko, D. R., Acierno, R., Daughters, S. B., & Pagoto, S. (2011). Ten Year Revision of the Brief Behavioral Activation Treatment for Depression: Revised Treatment Manual. Behavior Modification, 35, 111-161.

Hopko, D. R., Robertson, S. M. C., & Colman, L. (2009). Behavioral Activation Therapy for Depressed Cancer Patients: Factors Associated with Treatment Outcome and Attrition. The International Journal of Behavioral Consultation and Therapy, 4, 319-327.

Gawrysiak, M., Nicholas, C., & Hopko, D. R. (2009). A Randomized Controlled Trial of Behavior Activation for Depressed Colleges Students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 56, 468-475.

Hopko, D. R., Robertson, S. M. C., & Carvalho, J. (2009). Sudden Gains in Depressed Cancer Patients Treated with Behavioral Activation Therapy. Behavior Therapy, 40, 346-356.

Daughters, S. B., Braun, A. R., Sargeant, M. N., Reynolds, E. K., Hopko, D. R., Blanco, C., Nunes, E., & Lejuez, C. W. (2008). Effectiveness of a brief behavioral treatment for inner-city illicit drug users with elevated depressive symptoms: The Life Enhancement Treatment for Substance Use (LETS ACT!). Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 69, 122-129.

Hopko, D. R., Bell, J. L., Armento, M. E. A., Robertson, S. M. C., Mullane, C., Wolf, N., & Lejuez, C. W. (2008). Cognitive-behavior therapy for depressed cancer patients in a medical care setting. Behavior Therapy, 39, 126-136.

Hopko, D. R., Bell, J., Armento, M. E. A., Robertson, S. M. C., Hunt, M. K., Wolf, N. J., & Mullane, C. (2008). Phenomenology and screening of clinical depression in cancer patients. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, 26, 31-51.

Hopko, D. R., Colman, L., & Carvalho, J. P. (2008). Depression in Cancer Patients: Prevalence, Impact, Assessment, and Intervention. Depression: Mind and Body, 4, 51-62.

Hopko, D. R., & Mullane, C. M. (2008). Exploring the relation of depression and overt behavior using daily diaries. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 46, 1085-1089.

Wolf, N., & Hopko, D. R. (2008). Psychosocial and pharmacological interventions for depressed adults in primary care: A critical review. Clinical Psychology Review, 28, 131-161.

Armento, M. E. A., & Hopko, D. R. (2007). The Environmental Reward Observation Scale (EROS): Development, Validity, and Reliability. Behavior Therapy, 38, 107-119.

Hopko, D. R., & Lejuez, C. W. (2007). A Cancer Patient’s Guide to Overcoming Depression and Anxiety: Getting Through Treatment and Getting Back to Your Life. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications Inc.

Crittendon, J., & Hopko, D. R. (2006). Assessing worry in older and younger adults: Psychometric properties of an Abbreviated Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ-A). Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 20, 1036-1054.

Hopko, D. R., Robertson, S., & Lejuez, C. W. (2006). Behavioral Activation for Anxiety Disorders. The Behavior Analyst Today, 7, 212-232.

Hopko, D. R., Bell, J. L., Armento, M. E. A., Hunt, M. K., & Lejuez, C. W. (2005). Behavior therapy for depressed cancer patients in primary care. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 42, 236-243.

Lejuez, C. W., Hopko, D. R., Levine, S., Gholkar, R., & Collins, L. M. (2005). Therapeutic Alliance in Behavior Therapy. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 42, 456-468.

Derek Hopko

Derek Hopko

Associate Professor
Ph.D., West Virginia University (2000)

Email: dhopko@utk.edu
Web site: http://web.utk.edu/~dhopko
Phone: (865) 974-3368

Key words: Depression, treatment outcome, health psychology, anxiety, skill deficits, performance-based anxiety, attentional processes, cognitive-behavioral therapy.