About

Dr. Frank Dillon joined the faculty of the School of Counseling and Counseling Psychology at Arizona State University in 2017. His research is scientifically driven and supports interdisciplinary efforts to eliminate health disparities in the United States. Specifically, his work has examined cultural and psychosocial determinants of health, including psychological distress, substance use, and HIV, and has advanced initiatives promoting health equity. Since 2002, Dr. Dillon has published extensively on these topics in leading journals such as the Journal of Counseling Psychology, The Counseling Psychologist, Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, and Psychology of Addictive Behaviors. His research has been supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Institute for Mental Health Research. Dr. Dillon is a licensed psychologist in Arizona and a Fellow of Division 17 (Society of Counseling Psychology) of the American Psychological Association. He has contributed to the field through editorial board service for several journals including Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, Journal of Counseling Psychology, Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, and The Counseling Psychologist. Over the past eight years, he has taught a variety of courses at ASU, covering topics such as substance use disorders, assessment and diagnosis, prevention and consultation, social bases of behavior, addictions, research methods, advanced counseling theories, and internship in counseling. He has also successfully mentored and chaired the dissertation projects of eight doctoral students in ASU’s Counseling Psychology PhD program to date. Dr. Dillon earned his PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2002, his MA in Mental Health Counseling from Boston College in 1998, and his BS in Psychology from Hofstra University in 1995. His research interests focus on studying psychological, cultural, and social determinants of health and promoting efforts to achieve health equity.

Research topics

• Psychology
• Clinical psychology
• Psychiatry
• Sociology
• Social psychology
• Dentistry
• Biomedical engineering
• Medicine
• Developmental psychology
• Physical medicine and rehabilitation
• Orthodontics

Selected publications

• Determinants of psychological distress among Latina young adults during initial years in the United States

  Ethnicity and Health · 2026-04-09

  article1st authorCorresponding

  OBJECTIVES: This longitudinal study investigated how theorized cultural-, interpersonal/familial-, and individual-level experiences during initial years after immigrating to the United States may relate to changes in psychological distress over time among young adult Latina women in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States (U.S.). METHODS: = 9.94) at baseline assessment. Trajectories of distress were measured over a three-year time period. We investigated whether cultural- (immersion to dominant society/assimilation, immersion to ethnic society/enculturation, acculturative stress, marianismo), interpersonal/familial- (trust and communication with parents, peers, partner), and individual- (immigration authorization status, education level, relationship status) level determinants experienced soon after immigration predicted changes in participants' distress over a subsequent two-year time period. RESULTS: = .002). CONCLUSIONS: Findings inform theoretical and empirical knowledge bases concerning determinants of psychological distress during initial years after immigration among foreign-born young Latina women in the U.S. The study provides a longitudinal examination of psychological distress during the rarely studied time period of initial years in the U.S. Results elucidate the substantive influence of acculturative stress and interpersonal/familial relationship dynamics soon after immigration. Mental health interventions should attend to these modifiable factors during young Latina women's early years in the U.S. to reduce psychological distress and promote well-being soon after immigration and subsequent years.

  PublisherDOI

• LGBTQ + Affirmative CBT: a hierarchical linear model of longitudinal outcomes and mechanisms of change

  BMC Psychology · 2025-09-08 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Sexual and gender diverse adolescents and young adults (SGDAYA) experience mental health disparities, yet few empirical investigations into the long-term impact of affirmative treatments on their well-being exist. METHODS: This study explored the longitudinal effects of a brief affirmative cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) group intervention (AFFIRM) on the depression and anxiety of SGDAYA (N = 202), as well as how pre-treatment and mid-intervention change mechanisms contributed to their improved mental health. Participants' age ranged from 14 to 29 years old at baseline (M = 22.12, SD = 4.60). Data were collected at four time points (pre-test, post-test, 6 months, 1 year) and analyzed using hierarchical linear models. RESULTS: Participants reported significant improvements in anxiety and depression from baseline to 1-year follow-up as well as increased engagement coping, social support, hope, and improved stress appraisal. SGDAYA, who appraised stress as a threat and had less ability to envision a hopeful future (hope pathway) at baseline, reported greater improvements in depression and anxiety; additionally, those who used more disengagement coping strategies prior to AFFIRM reported more reduction in depression. Participants with the most significant long-term improvement in depression reported (a) greater increases in their resources to deal with stress, (b) more uptake of engagement coping, and (c) improved hope pathway. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that an affirmative cognitive-behavioural group intervention designed for SGDAYA can have a long-term impact on their depression and anxiety and highlights the important role of engagement coping, social support, hope and cognitive appraisals on youth mental health. TRIAL REGISTRATION: AFFIRM was retrospectively registered as a clinical trial on March 24th, 2020 (identifier: NCT04318769).

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Identity Development, Attraction, and Behavior of Heterosexual-Identified Men Who Have Sex with Men: A Scoping Review

  Sexuality Research and Social Policy · 2025-07-14 · 3 citations

  reviewOpen access

  Abstract Introduction Heterosexual-identified men who have sex with men (H-MSM) experience sexual identity and behavior discordance. H-MSM may comprise 0.5–3.5% of adult heterosexual men. Understanding and accepting H-MSM as they self-identify may be necessary to implement effective public health and psychosocial interventions. This scoping review synthesizes research on H-MSM’s identity development, attraction, and behavior. Methods Thirteen databases were searched and, using Covidence software, two independent reviewers screened 3617 titles and abstracts and 269 full texts to arrive at 124 articles meeting entry criteria. Ten independent reviewers then conducted thematic content analysis. Results H-MSM either expressed sexual identity uncertainty or justified maintaining heterosexual identity, due to fear of discrimination and little or no social support. H-MSM compartmentalized sexual behaviors as isolated events unrepresentative of their sexual identity. H-MSM further minimized same-sex behaviors to infrequent, recreational/sport, or economic coincidences with little partner communication regarding HIV and sexual health. Many H-MSM depersonalized male sex partners, denied same-sex attraction, and avoided gay-identified venues. Reviewed articles further reported H-MSM had negative emotional responses to sex with men (e.g., guilt, shame, disgust). Conclusions H-MSM are unlike other heterosexual men and other MSM and require unique considerations for social policy and approaches for care. Policy Implications Findings suggest H-MSM are mislabeled as “behaviorally bisexual” in sexual health screening, which may cause inaccurate epidemiology of sexually transmitted and blood borne infections.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Increasing Assimilation Associated With Slower Reductions in Alcohol Use Among Latina Young Adults Soon After Immigration

  Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs · 2025-04-15

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  OBJECTIVE: We investigated how rates of change in acculturation processes correlated with changes in alcohol use frequency and quantity among young adult Latina women after they immigrated to the United States. METHOD: Using univariate and parallel process latent growth modeling, we examined 3-year trajectories of alcohol frequency and quantity and two types of acculturation processes among 530 foreign-born, young adult Latina women (ages 18-23) during their initial years in the United States. The acculturation processes were enculturation (the retention or adoption of Latinx cultural beliefs, values, and behaviors) and assimilation (the adoption of mainstream U.S. cultural beliefs, values, and behaviors). RESULTS: We observed significant increases in assimilation and enculturation and significant declines in alcohol use frequency and quantity over the 3-year period. A significant longitudinal bivariate association was found between slope estimates of assimilation and alcohol use quantity over time when accounting for months in the United States and immigration status. Women who exhibited higher increases in assimilation levels also exhibited less of a decline in alcohol use quantity than their peers over the 3-year period. In addition, women who resided longer in the United States at the first assessment than their peers indicated greater declines in alcohol use over the 3-year period. CONCLUSIONS: Findings support a social norms model that posits that increased alcohol use among young adult Latina women is attributable to assimilation into the more permissive U.S. drinking culture after immigration. Prevention interventions are encouraged to address this relationship during young Latina women's initial years in the United States.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Development of the Sexual Minority Affirmative Practice Scale

  Journal of LGBTQ Issues in Counseling · 2024-10-01

  articleSenior author

  Literature on the practice of affirmative psychotherapy with sexual minority (SM) clients has steadily increased over the past two decades in recognition of the unique experiences and mental health needs of this marginalized population. SM-affirmative psychotherapy is an approach to psychotherapy that is culturally-responsive, actively affirms the validity of SM identities and experiences, and promotes the resilience of SM clients in the face of stigma. To date, much of the extant research on SM-affirmative psychotherapy has focused on therapist factors and perspectives. Further, most previous research on SM clients’ experiences in therapy has been qualitative, due in part to the lack of self-report measures to assess these clients’ perspectives in group designs.

  PublisherDOI

• Development and Initial Validation of the Autism and Neurodiversity Attitudes Scale

  Autism in Adulthood · 2024-01-31 · 10 citations

  article

  Background: Drawn from aspects of the autistic self-advocacy movement, the neurodiversity movement is a conceptual framework and sociopolitical movement that views neurological differences and disabilities (e.g., autism) as natural human variations that can form a central component of one's identity. This study presents the development and validation of a scale to assess endorsement of neurodiversity beliefs with respect to autism among both autistic and nonautistic adults. Methods: = 259) factor analyses, resulting in a 17-item second-order three-factor model that demonstrated adequate evidence of reliability and validity. Results: . Additional analyses of measurement validity revealed that endorsement of the neurodiversity framework is positively correlated with sociopolitical engagement, and that endorsement of the neurodiversity framework is negatively correlated with negative attitudes toward people with disabilities. Self-identified autistic adults endorsed the neurodiversity framework to a greater extent than nonautistic adults. Conclusion: The validity results are congruent with the historical roots of the neurodiversity movement and the attitudes endorsed by many autistic adults. Given the factor structure and reliability results, researchers can use this scale to assess neurodiversity-affirming attitudes as a unitary construct or can use the anti-stigma subscale to assess stigma-related attitudes toward autism. This scale has utility for researchers that seek to understand and promote well-being in autistic adults, as well as research related to potential support systems in the lives of autistic adults. It can also be used to increase self-understanding among autistic individuals and allies, as this scale can be used for both autistic and nonautistic adults.

  PublisherDOI

• Sexual Identity Development and Social Ecological Facilitators and Barriers of PrEP Uptake and Adherence Among Latinx Men Who Have Sex with Men

  Archives of Sexual Behavior · 2024-01-11 · 10 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Traditional machismo, caballerismo, and sexual identity development among Latino sexual minority men.

  Journal of Latinx Psychology · 2024-04-18 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  ) on sexual identity development of Latino sexual minority men (LSMM) is an expanding area of inquiry in Latinx psychology. The purpose of this cross-sectional study is to determine whether endorsement of traditional machismo and caballerismo among LSMM vary based on their (a) sexual identity development status and (b) self-labeled sexual identity. We surveyed 499 LSMM (aged 18-57 years) across the United States via an online study. Based on correlational analyses and a multivariate analysis of variance, we describe how traditional machismo and caballerismo are related to (a) different levels of theorized sexual identity development statuses (uncertainty, exploration, commitment, synthesis/integration) as well as (b) participants' use of sexual identity labels (exclusively heterosexual/straight, mostly heterosexual/straight, bisexual, mostly homosexual/gay, exclusively homosexual/gay). Mixed results were found regarding hypothesized differences in participants' traditional machismo and caballerismo endorsement across the four sexual identity development statuses. Findings support the hypotheses that LSMM who indicate more traditional machismo and caballerismo tend to self-identify with heterosexual/straight labels compared to respondents who identify with bisexual or homosexual/gay labels. Implications for psychological research and clinical practice are discussed concerning the promotion of healthy and culturally congruent sexual identity development of LSMM.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Identity development, attraction, and behaviour of heterosexually-identified men who have sex with men: A scoping review

  Research Square · 2023-09-08 · 1 citations

  reviewOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Neighborhood Collective Efficacy: A Longitudinal Social Determinant of Access to Medical Care Among Recently Immigrated Latina Young Adults

  Hispanic Health Care International · 2023-07-16

  articleOpen accessCorresponding

  The present longitudinal study examined changes in perceived access to health care among a recently immigrated cohort of Latina young adults who were assessed annually during their first 3 years in the United States. A parallel process growth model of perceived access to health care and neighborhood collective efficacy was examined, accounting for socioeconomic indicators and immigration status. Five hundred thirty Latina young adults (ages 18-23) participated at baseline assessment, and approximately 95% were retained over three annual assessment time points. Participants' mean level of perceived access to health care increased during their initial 3 years in the United States. Women who reported more of an increase in perceived access to health care tended to also indicate increased neighborhood collective efficacy relative to their peers during their first 3 years in the United States. Findings offer important information about the individual- and community-level factors that influence recently immigrated Latinas' health care access.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• Community Partnership/Engagement Core

  NIH · $22.1M · 2019

Frequent coauthors

• Mario De La Rosa

  51 shared

• Melissa M. Ertl

  University of Minnesota

  35 shared

• Ryan C. Ebersole

  23 shared

• Patria Rojas

  22 shared

• Michael G. Verile

  VA Western New York Healthcare System

  15 shared

• Mary Jo Trepka

  Florida International University

  13 shared

• Jessica L. Martin

  SUNY Upstate Medical University

  13 shared

• Roger L. Worthington

  Office of Diversity and Inclusion

  13 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Counseling Psychology

  University of Missouri-Columbia

  2002

• M.A., Mental Health Counseling

  Boston College

  1998

• B.S., Psychology

  Hofstra University, NY

  1995

Awards & honors

• Fellow of Division 17 (Society of Counseling Psychology) of…