Peter L. Phalen, PsyD

Dr. Peter Phalen is a faculty member in the Division of Psychiatric Services Research at the University of Maryland. His work is focused on improving community mental health, both by developing effective clinical services and by addressing critical public mental health challenges like gun violence and stigma. Methodologically, he is especially passionate about research that combines lived experience with reliable and reproducible statistical methods to better understand clinical issues.

Dr. Phalen currently leads an NIMH-funded Randomized Controlled Trial of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for people experiencing psychosis and at high risk for suicide, and also collaborates on research to provide trauma care to victims of gun violence, improve early psychosis care, and to prevent suicide, homicide, and opioid-related harm.

In addition to his research, Dr. Phalen is a practicing Licensed Psychologist. His clinical work is often focused on helping people move through and reduce emotional pain, suicidal thoughts, or psychosis-like symptoms (e.g. voice-hearing, paranoia). He frequently delivers clinical trainings in DBT and other therapeutic approaches to suicidality. 

Community mental health, psychosis, suicidality

Phalen, P., Lucksted, A., Fox, K., Yusuf, A., Hochheiser, J., Jones, N., Fetisova, A., Hackman, A., and Bennett, M. (in press). Pilot of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills Training for People with Psychosis Spectrum Conditions and High Risk of Suicide. Psychosis. 

Phalen, P., Kimhy, D., Jobes, D., & Bennett., M. (2024). Emotional distress and dysregulation as treatment targets to reduce suicide in psychosis: a scoping review. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience.

Phalen, P., Grossmann, J., Bruder, T., Jeong, J., Calmes, C., Mcgrath, K., Malouf, E., James, A., Romero, E., and Bennett, M. (2022). Description of a Dialectical Behavior Therapy Program in a Veterans Affairs Health Care System. Evaluation and Program Planning, 92, 102098.

Phalen, P., Millman, Z., Rakhshan Rouhakhtar, P., Andorko, N., Reeves, G., & Schiffman, J. (2021). Categorical Versus Dimensional Models of Early Psychosis. Early Intervention in Psychiatry, 16(1):42-50.

Jones, N., Atterbury, K., Byrne, L., Carras, M., Hansen, M., & Phalen, P. (2021). Lived Experience, Research Leadership, and the Transformation of Mental Health Services: Building a Researcher Pipeline. Psychiatric Services, 72(5), 591-593. 

Phalen, P., Bridgeford, E., Gant, L., Kivisto, A., Ray, B., & Fitzgerald, S. (2020). Baltimore Ceasefire 365: Estimated impact of a recurring community-led ceasefire on gun violence. American Journal of Public Health, 110(4), 554-559. 

Phalen, P. L., Warman, D., Martin, J., & Lysaker, P. (2018). The stigma of voice-hearing experiences: Religiousness and voice-hearing contents matter. Stigma and Health, 3(1), 77-84. 

Phalen, P. L. (September, 2013), Psychiatrists and African Traditional Healers Ally on Mental Health. Humanosphere.