About

David Huh is a quantitative and clinical psychologist whose research focuses on advancing quantitative methodology in behavioral health intervention. His areas of research include alcohol use, chronic illness, suicide prevention, and culturally informed intervention with American Indian and Alaska Native communities and other underserved populations. An overarching goal of Dr. Huh’s research is making cutting-edge statistical methodology capable of more accurately evaluating health and social behavioral data more accessible to substantive researchers and non-statisticians. Dr. Huh is presently the Director of the Methods Division at the University of Washington (UW) Indigenous Wellness Research Institute and a Licensed Psychologist in the State of Washington. He received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the UW in 2012 and completed his psychology residency at the UW School of Medicine and his postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors. His recent research has focused on developing more accessible statistical tools for evaluating health-related outcomes, as well as identifying the features of effective interventions for reducing problem alcohol and substance use, particularly approaches appropriate for resource-limited settings. Towards that end, he is currently developing new statistical approaches for more powerfully evaluating treatment effects in clinical trials, including meta-analysis using individual participant data that can evaluate treatment effectiveness and pathways of change with greater accuracy and precision than traditional meta-analysis. A key emphasis of Dr. Huh’s program of research is increasing the accessibility of statistical approaches that can more powerfully and accurately assess behavioral health interventions and test theoretical models of health for both specific groups and broad populations.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Psychology
• Clinical psychology
• Psychiatry
• Statistics

Selected publications

• Individual and structural benefits, challenges, and strategies for integrating medication assistance treatment and antiretroviral services for persons living with HIV who use drugs in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

  Research Square · 2026-02-18

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• User-Reported Mechanisms of Change on a Suicide Prevention Website: Single-Arm Pragmatic Trial (Preprint)

  2025-01-16

  preprintOpen access

  <sec> <title>BACKGROUND</title> Digital platforms can serve as effective interventions for individuals in crisis, those with limited access to mental health resources, or those who prefer web-based support over in-person care. NowMattersNow.org, a web-based platform grounded in dialectical behavior therapy, has been shown to reduce suicidal thoughts and negative emotions. However, little is known about the specific mechanisms that drive these improvements. Identifying the active ingredients that contribute to its effectiveness will help optimize its impact. </sec> <sec> <title>OBJECTIVE</title> This study examined the reasons users reported behind reductions in suicidal thoughts and negative emotions after visiting NowMattersNow.org. Specifically, this study sought to determine which reported reasons were associated with greater versus lesser improvements and whether these changes differed across specific subgroups. </sec> <sec> <title>METHODS</title> In this single-arm pragmatic trial, data were collected from 3185 respondents who completed a 6-item retrospective survey while visiting NowMattersNow.org. The survey assessed changes in suicidal ideation and emotional distress (ie, intensity upon entering the site vs at the time of survey completion), reasons the website was helpful, and basic nonexclusive demographic information. Cross-tabulations were used to examine the most commonly endorsed reasons for finding the website helpful, while longitudinal regression analyses assessed the statistical significance of changes in suicidal ideation and emotional distress. </sec> <sec> <title>RESULTS</title> The majority of participants reported experiencing suicidal thoughts (n=2309, 72.5%) and negative emotions (n=2745, 86.2%) upon arriving at the website, with 52.4% (n=1211) and 55.6% (n=1527) of these individuals, respectively, experiencing reductions in suicidal thoughts and negative emotions after engaging with the site. Regarding the primary aims of the study, the most frequently cited reason for finding NowMattersNow.org helpful was “I learned something” (n=668, 21%), followed by “It distracted me” (n=544, 17.1%) and “I felt less alone” (n=414, 13%). These were also the top 3 reasons reported by LGBTQI individuals, those endorsing alcohol or opioid problems, and those experiencing unusual experiences, though the order varied across groups. Among participants who experienced the largest reduction in suicidal ideation (a 4-point decrease), the most common reasons cited were “It distracted me” (n=5, 29.4%), “I felt less alone” (n=3, 17.6%), and “I felt cared for” (n=3, 17.6%). Similarly, for those with the largest reduction in negative emotions (a 4-point decrease), the most frequently endorsed reasons were “It distracted me” (n=3, 23.1%), “I felt less alone” (n=3, 23.1%), and “I felt cared for” (n=2, 15.4%). </sec> <sec> <title>CONCLUSIONS</title> The findings suggest that NowMattersNow.org is an accessible, scalable digital intervention that shows promise for reducing suicidal ideation and emotional distress, particularly in vulnerable populations. Key elements, such as fostering social connectedness, distraction, and educational content, appear to be critical components of its effectiveness, indicating that web-based self-help tools like NowMattersNow.org can provide short-term management of suicidal thoughts and negative emotions. </sec>

  PublisherDOI

• Correction to: A Randomized Comparison Trial Testing Two Culturally Adapted HIV Prevention Approaches for Native Americans Reducing Trauma Symptoms Versus Substance Misuse

  AIDS and Behavior · 2025-08-11

  erratumOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• User-Reported Mechanisms of Change on a Suicide Prevention Website: Single-Arm Pragmatic Trial

  JMIR Formative Research · 2025-08-19

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Digital platforms can serve as effective interventions for individuals in crisis, those with limited access to mental health resources, or those who prefer web-based support over in-person care. NowMattersNow.org, a web-based platform grounded in dialectical behavior therapy, has been shown to reduce suicidal thoughts and negative emotions. However, little is known about the specific mechanisms that drive these improvements. Identifying the active ingredients that contribute to its effectiveness will help optimize its impact. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the reasons users reported behind reductions in suicidal thoughts and negative emotions after visiting NowMattersNow.org. Specifically, this study sought to determine which reported reasons were associated with greater versus lesser improvements and whether these changes differed across specific subgroups. METHODS: In this single-arm pragmatic trial, data were collected from 3185 respondents who completed a 6-item retrospective survey while visiting NowMattersNow.org. The survey assessed changes in suicidal ideation and emotional distress (ie, intensity upon entering the site vs at the time of survey completion), reasons the website was helpful, and basic nonexclusive demographic information. Cross-tabulations were used to examine the most commonly endorsed reasons for finding the website helpful, while longitudinal regression analyses assessed the statistical significance of changes in suicidal ideation and emotional distress. RESULTS: The majority of participants reported experiencing suicidal thoughts (n=2309, 72.5%) and negative emotions (n=2745, 86.2%) upon arriving at the website, with 52.4% (n=1211) and 55.6% (n=1527) of these individuals, respectively, experiencing reductions in suicidal thoughts and negative emotions after engaging with the site. Regarding the primary aims of the study, the most frequently cited reason for finding NowMattersNow.org helpful was "I learned something" (n=668, 21%), followed by "It distracted me" (n=544, 17.1%) and "I felt less alone" (n=414, 13%). These were also the top 3 reasons reported by LGBTQI individuals, those endorsing alcohol or opioid problems, and those experiencing unusual experiences, though the order varied across groups. Among participants who experienced the largest reduction in suicidal ideation (a 4-point decrease), the most common reasons cited were "It distracted me" (n=5, 29.4%), "I felt less alone" (n=3, 17.6%), and "I felt cared for" (n=3, 17.6%). Similarly, for those with the largest reduction in negative emotions (a 4-point decrease), the most frequently endorsed reasons were "It distracted me" (n=3, 23.1%), "I felt less alone" (n=3, 23.1%), and "I felt cared for" (n=2, 15.4%). CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that NowMattersNow.org is an accessible, scalable digital intervention that shows promise for reducing suicidal ideation and emotional distress, particularly in vulnerable populations. Key elements, such as fostering social connectedness, distraction, and educational content, appear to be critical components of its effectiveness, indicating that web-based self-help tools like NowMattersNow.org can provide short-term management of suicidal thoughts and negative emotions.

  PublisherDOI

• A Randomized Comparison Trial Testing Two Culturally Adapted HIV Prevention Approaches for Native Americans Reducing Trauma Symptoms Versus Substance Misuse

  AIDS and Behavior · 2025-06-16

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Bridging Gaps in Grandparenting: Kinship Navigator Programs Mitigate Sociodemographic Disparities in Caregiving Challenges of Informal Kinship Placement– A Latent Class Analysis

  Journal of Gerontological Social Work · 2025-08-06

  articleOpen access

  Informal kinship caregivers of maltreated children face complex challenges. Using the Andersen Model of Service Utilization and latent class analysis of 689 caregivers, we identified three challenge patterns: Financial Challenge, Child's Behavioral and Emotional Health, and Intergenerational Family Dynamics. Patterns varied by caregivers' age, race, and sex. Kinship Navigator Program (KNP) engagement mitigated age and sex disparities in the Financial Challenge Group, and racial and sex disparities in the Intergenerational Group. However, KNP did not buffer BIPOC caregivers' financial challenges or older caregivers' intergenerational challenges. Findings inform targeted, equity-focused approaches to prevention-related support for informal kinship caregivers.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A mediation analysis evaluating change in self-stigma on diabetes outcomes among people with depression in urban India: A secondary analysis from the INDEPENDENT trial of the collaborative care model

  PLOS Global Public Health · 2024-09-04 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Self-stigma-the internalization of negative community attitudes and beliefs about a disease or condition-represents an important barrier to improving patient care outcomes for people living with common mental disorders and diabetes. Integrated behavioral healthcare interventions are recognized as evidence-based approaches to improve access to behavioral healthcare and for improving patient outcomes, including for those with comorbid diabetes, yet their impact on addressing self-stigma remains unclear. Using secondary data from the Integrating Depression and Diabetes Treatment (INDEPENDENT) study-a trial that aimed to improve diabetes outcomes for people with undertreated and comorbid depression in four urban Indian cities via the Collaborative Care Model-we longitudinally analyzed self-stigma scores and evaluated whether change in total self-stigma scores on diabetes outcomes is mediated by depressive symptom severity. Self-stigma scores did not differ longitudinally comparing Collaborative Care Model participants to enhanced standard-of-care participants (mean monthly rate of change in Self-Stigma Scale for Chronic Illness-4 Item scores; B = 0.0087; 95% CI: -0.0018, 0.019, P = .10). Decreases in total self-stigma scores over 12 months predicted diabetes outcomes at 12 months (HbA1c, total effect; B = 0.070 95%CI: 0.0032, 0.14; P < .05), however depressive symptoms did not mediate this relationship (average direct effect; B = 0.064; 95% CI: -0.0043, 0.13, P = .069). Considering the local and plural notions of stigma in India, further research is needed on culturally grounded approaches to measure and address stigma in India, and on the role of integrated care delivery models alongside multi-level stigma reduction interventions. Trial registration : ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02022111. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02022111.

  PublisherDOI

• A simulation study of the performance of statistical models for count outcomes with excessive zeros

  Statistics in Medicine · 2024-08-28 · 11 citations

  articleOpen access

  Background : Outcome measures that are count variables with excessive zeros are common in health behaviors research. Examples include the number of standard drinks consumed or alcohol‐related problems experienced over time. There is a lack of empirical data about the relative performance of prevailing statistical models for assessing the efficacy of interventions when outcomes are zero‐inflated, particularly compared with recently developed marginalized count regression approaches for such data. Methods : The current simulation study examined five commonly used approaches for analyzing count outcomes, including two linear models (with outcomes on raw and log‐transformed scales, respectively) and three prevailing count distribution‐based models (ie, Poisson, negative binomial, and zero‐inflated Poisson (ZIP) models). We also considered the marginalized zero‐inflated Poisson (MZIP) model, a novel alternative that estimates the overall effects on the population mean while adjusting for zero‐inflation. Motivated by alcohol misuse prevention trials, extensive simulations were conducted to evaluate and compare the statistical power and Type I error rate of the statistical models and approaches across data conditions that varied in sample size ( to 500), zero rate (0.2 to 0.8), and intervention effect sizes. Results : Under zero‐inflation, the Poisson model failed to control the Type I error rate, resulting in higher than expected false positive results. When the intervention effects on the zero (vs. non‐zero) and count parts were in the same direction, the MZIP model had the highest statistical power, followed by the linear model with outcomes on the raw scale, negative binomial model, and ZIP model. The performance of the linear model with a log‐transformed outcome variable was unsatisfactory. Conclusions : The MZIP model demonstrated better statistical properties in detecting true intervention effects and controlling false positive results for zero‐inflated count outcomes. This MZIP model may serve as an appealing analytical approach to evaluating overall intervention effects in studies with count outcomes marked by excessive zeros.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Experiential suicide prevention training for substance use treatment intensive outpatient program counselors: Stepped wedge cluster-randomized training study

  Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment · 2024-05-13 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Nā Kānaka Maoli ma nā ‘Āina ‘Ē: Exploring Place of Residency as a Native Hawaiian Health Predictor During the COVID-19 Pandemic

  Hawai‘i Journal of Health &amp Social Welfare · 2024-08-01

  articleOpen access

  < .05). Residency in the continental US had no observed effect on the odds that participants engaged cultural activities or cultural coping strategies. These results support the role of place of residency as an important Native Hawaiian health predictor during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Eun‐Young Mun

  University of North Texas

  36 shared

• Zhengyang Zhou

  University of North Texas

  29 shared

• Jane M. Simoni

  University of Washington

  23 shared

• Cynthia Pearson

  University of Washington

  16 shared

• Scott T. Walters

  13 shared

• Mary E. Larimer

  University of Washington

  12 shared

• Michele P. Andrasik

  12 shared

• David C. Atkins

  11 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Psychology

  University of Washington

  2012

• M.S., Psychology

  University of Washington

  2008

• B.S., College of Arts & Sciences

  University of Oregon

  2003