About

Daniel Blalock is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University. He is a member of the Duke Cancer Institute and is involved in the Behavioral Medicine & Neurosciences Division. His professional role encompasses research, clinical leadership, and academic responsibilities within the department. Further details about his specific research focus, background, or key contributions are not provided on the page.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Medicine
• Nursing
• Family medicine
• Physical therapy
• Internal medicine

Selected publications

• Differences Among Purging Presentations at Admission to Treatment: Eating Disorder and General Psychopathology Symptoms

  International Journal of Eating Disorders · 2026-04-24

  article

  OBJECTIVE: Few studies have examined differences in eating disorder (ED) and general psychopathology among those who self-induce vomiting only compared to those who misuse laxatives only and those who engage in both types of behaviors. The current study aimed to fill this gap in the literature. METHOD: Participants were 1652 adults receiving treatment for an ED at a large multisite treatment facility in the United States between January 2021 and December 2024. Participants completed measures of ED psychopathology (Eating Disorders Examination-Questionnaire; EDE-Q), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9; PHQ-9), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7; GAD-7), and obsessive-compulsive symptoms (Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised; OCI-R) at admission. RESULTS: Significant differences among groups were found on all EDE-Q subscales and the Global score, with the laxative only group and the group engaging in both behaviors scoring significantly higher than the vomiting only group. A similar pattern of results was found for the PHQ-9, while significant differences on the GAD-7 and OCI-R failed to remain significant after multiple comparison corrections. DISCUSSION: It is possible that those who misuse laxatives, or engage in both laxative misuse and vomiting, may benefit from more intensive treatment than those who engage in self-induced vomiting only. These individuals may also need a different form of treatment if laxative misuse is conceptualized as an addiction.

  PublisherDOI

• Health-related quality of life profiles in adolescents and young adults with chronic conditions

  UNC Libraries · 2026-01-10

  articleOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Urine tests for THC in patients undergoing elective inpatient surgery: a nationwide longitudinal electronic health record study in US veterans

  British Journal of Anaesthesia · 2025-01-31

  letterOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Zinc levels in severe eating disorders

  Journal of Eating Disorders · 2025-02-04 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Severe eating and feeding disorders including Anorexia Nervosa of both restricting (AN-R) and binge-purge (AN-BP) subtypes and Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) lead to multiple macronutrient and micronutrient deficiencies, including zinc, in the setting of inadequate dietary intake. We investigated whether zinc levels correlated with severe malnutrition, with particular subtypes of eating disorders (EDs), and the effect of the refeeding process. This prospective study included 92 adult patients with severe AN or ARFID hospitalized in a medical stabilization unit. Denver Health staff were recruited as controls. Blood samples were drawn within four days of admission and 72 h of discharge. All inferential analyses were performed using general linear models. Admission zinc levels were statistically significantly lower in cases compared to controls. Admission zinc levels were significantly higher for patients with AN-R than patients with AN-BP. Zinc levels decreased significantly during treatment in cases, compared to controls. ED diagnoses and percent ideal body weight (%IBW) did not appear to predict changes in zinc levels during admission. Given zinc’s pervasive roles in metabolism throughout the body as well as common symptoms of deficiency including impaired taste and smell, decreased appetite, and depression, zinc levels could be relevant to the high relapse rate in severe ED. The observed decrease in zinc, which was larger in cases than controls, during refeeding suggests the possibility of a “refeeding hypozincemia” which may present a new therapeutic target. These characteristics make zinc an intriguing focus of future study that could impact the recidivism rate in severe ED. Evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case-control analytic studies. Severe eating disorders lead to multiple nutrient deficiencies, including zinc. Given zinc’s extensive roles in metabolism throughout the body, common symptoms of deficiency including impaired taste and smell, decreased appetite, and depression, zinc may be relevant to the high relapse rate among those suffering from severe ED. This study examines serum zinc levels in a unique group of people with severe malnutrition during the refeeding process undertaken while hospitalized. Zinc levels were lowest in patients diagnosed with AN-BP and fell during hospitalization. The decrease in zinc levels suggests “refeeding hypozincemia” which may present a new role for zinc supplementation to reduce relapse, given zinc’s role in taste, appetite, and quality of life.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A scoping review of naturalistic assessments of self-control

  Personality and Individual Differences · 2025-03-29

  review
  PublisherDOI

• Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire--Reduced 13-Item Version

  PsycTESTS Dataset · 2025-01-01

  datasetSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Treatment outcomes for avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder and anorexia nervosa among children and adolescents in higher levels of care

  Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health · 2025-06-20

  articleSenior author

  Results suggest that the EDY-Q may be assessing symptoms present in both patients with ARFID and patients with AN-R. The study's findings suggest that the EDE-Q is not an appropriate measure for assessing outcomes among patients with ARFID.

  PublisherDOI

• Associations Between Social Risks and Obesity in High-risk Veterans

  Journal of General Internal Medicine · 2025-12-08

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A partner‐informed approach to prioritizing social risks for research in a learning health system

  Learning Health Systems · 2025-04-10 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Objective To prioritize social risks (individual‐level social and economic conditions) that may influence a person's health for inclusion in a national survey of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system patients. Data Sources and Study Setting Quantitative ratings of candidate survey measures were obtained from a national Advisory Group of researchers, clinicians, Veterans, and VA operations leaders; qualitative input was collected from the Advisory Group and Veterans. Study Design We solicited input on social risk prioritization across four phases: (1) candidate social risks were identified through a literature review and existing screening tools, (2) Advisory Group members ( n = 15) individually and anonymously rated social risks on four criteria (impact on health outcomes, impact on patient experience, actionability, and overall prioritization), (3) the Advisory Group discussed collective ratings and provided qualitative feedback about candidate social risks, and 4) Veterans ( n = 29) provided qualitative feedback about the draft survey during four Veteran Engagement Group meetings and in survey pretesting with individuals ( n = 5). Data Collection/Extraction Methods Selection of social risks for survey inclusion was based on an a priori definition of a social risk and relevance to Veterans (phase 1), quantitative and qualitative input from the Advisory Group (phases 2 and 3), and qualitative Veteran input (phase 4). Principal Findings An initial list of 37 social risks was pared down to 18 for inclusion in a national survey: financial strain, health care/medicine access and affordability, food insecurity, homelessness/housing insecurity, transportation barriers, digital access/literacy, utilities insecurity, social support, caregiver responsibilities, discrimination experiences, interpersonal violence, education, employment, health literacy, legal problems or exposure to the justice system, race/ethnicity, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Conclusions Our partner‐informed approach combining quantitative and qualitative input offers a road map for other learning health systems seeking to prioritize social risks for evidence generation.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Internal and External Forms of Blame and Disgust and Their Relationships to Suicidal Ideation Within Vulnerable Populations

  International Journal of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy · 2025-02-26 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Philip S. Mehler

  The Recovery Center

  210 shared

• Renee D. Rienecke

  Center for Anxiety and Depression

  125 shared

• Daniel Le Grange

  University of California, San Francisco

  88 shared

• Alan Duffy

  Center for Anxiety and Depression

  83 shared

• Jamie Manwaring

  Denver Health Medical Center

  73 shared

• Hayden B. Bosworth

  72 shared

• Susan McClanahan

  Pathlight

  55 shared

• Leah L. Zullig

  52 shared