Nicole K. Eberhart

@NicoleKEberhart on Twitter

Senior Behavioral Scientist

Santa Monica Office

Education

Ph.D. in clinical psychology, University of California, Los Angeles; M.A. in clinical psychology, University of California, Los Angeles; B.A. in psychology, University of Pennsylvania

One Page Bio

Media Resources

This researcher is available for interviews.

To arrange an interview, contact the RAND Office of Media Relations at (310) 451-6913, or email media@rand.org.

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Overview

Nicole Eberhart (she/her) is a senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation and a clinical psychologist. Her research focuses primarily on mental health and wellbeing. More specifically, her work focuses on evaluation of behavioral health programs, programs that integrate primary and behavioral health care, and innovative models of service delivery; military and veteran mental health; prevention and early intervention; and adverse childhood experiences. Eberhart received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Research Focus

Recent Projects

Changing the Mental Health Landscape in America: Opportunities and Challenges for System Transformation
Evaluation of California's Statewide Mental Health Prevention and Early Intervention Initiative
Evaluation of Primary Care-Behavioral Health Integration in the Military Health System
Evaluation of the Implementation of Screening for Childhood Trauma
Evaluating the impact of the Mental Health Services Act in LA County

Recent Media Appearances

Interviews: KCRW-FM Online; The Modern Therapist's Survival Guide

Publications

Journal Article
CalAIM and Specialty Behavioral Health Care: Lessons from Other States on Value-Based Payment
This report examines the experience of state Medicaid agencies with implementation of value-based payment models for behavioral health care and the implications of that experience for future payment reform in California.
May 5, 2023
Testimony
Solving the Mental Health Crisis: Tackling Psychiatric Bed Shortages in California
Testimony presented before the California State Assembly Committee on Budget, Subcommittee No. 1 on Health and Human Services on May 1, 2023.
May 1, 2023
Report
Evaluation of Los Angeles County's 2022 WeRise Mental Health Events
This evaluation indicates that the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health WeRise events and outreach successfully reached county residents, mobilized them around mental health, and may have boosted awareness of mental health resources.
Nov 30, 2022
Report
Evaluation of Los Angeles County's L.A. Dodgers 2022 Mental Health Campaign
This evaluation indicates that the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health–Dodgers partnership to expand the reach of the WhyWeRise program successfully reached county residents and raised awareness of county mental health resources.
Nov 30, 2022
Journal Article
Mental Health Emergency Hotlines in the United States: A Scoping Review (2012–2021)
This scoping review describes the current literature on mental health emergency hotlines in the United States, and also identifies gaps in the literature and presents recommendations.
Oct 24, 2022
Report
Psychiatric and Substance Use Disorder Bed Capacity, Need, and Shortage Estimates in California: Merced, San Joaquin, and Stanislaus Counties
In California, Merced, San Joaquin, and Stanislaus Counties sought to understand the gap between capacity and need for behavioral health beds. This report estimates bed shortages by triangulating estimates through multiple modeling methodologies.
Aug 26, 2022
Draft
Preparedness for 988 Throughout the United States: The New Mental Health Emergency Hotline
A mixed methods study on preparedness for the launch of the new three-digit mental health emergency hotline (988) indicates that many agencies are not prepared to meet an increased need, and officials will need to ramp up quickly.
Jun 21, 2022
Tool
Mental Health Emergency Hotlines in the United States: An Evidence Inventory (2012–2021)
This tool provides summary information to policymakers and agency administrators regarding studies on mental health emergency hotlines in the United States.
Jun 2, 2022
Report
Psychiatric and Substance Use Disorder Bed Capacity, Need, and Shortage Estimates in Sacramento County, California
Using an array of data sets and findings from the literature, as well as a survey of treatment facilities, the authors estimated psychiatric and SUD treatment bed capacity and need in Sacramento County for adults and children/adolescents.
May 17, 2022
Report
Evaluation of Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health's 2020–2021 L.A. Dodgers Mental Health Campaign
This report presents an evaluation of a Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health campaign with the Los Angeles Dodgers that focuses on early intervention for mental health challenges—an effort specifically aimed at the team's diverse fan base.
Apr 6, 2022
Report
Evaluation of Los Angeles County's 2021 WhyWeRise Mental Health Campaign
RAND researchers describe a survey conducted to evaluate the reach and impact of a 2021 Los Angeles County social marketing campaign promoting awareness of county mental health resources and communicating messages of resilience, support, and hope.
Mar 23, 2022
Report
Evaluation of Los Angeles County's Fall 2020 WhyWeRise Mental Health Campaign and WeRise 2021
This campaign focuses on prevention of and early intervention for mental health challenges. Surveys suggest that the fall 2020 and spring 2021 efforts reached a diverse group of county residents and boosted awareness of mental health resources.
Mar 10, 2022
Report
Carve-In Models for Specialty Behavioral Health Services in Medicaid: Lessons for the State of California
To inform California's consideration of a policy to carve Medicaid financing of specialty behavioral health care into the state's Medicaid managed care system, the authors examine other states' experiences with this approach.
Feb 11, 2022
Report
Adult Psychiatric Bed Capacity, Need, and Shortage Estimates in California—2021
California, much like many parts of the United States, is confronting a shortage of psychiatric beds. This report presents an evaluation of California's adult psychiatric bed need for 2021 and the coming years.
Jan 18, 2022
Report
A Process Evaluation of Primary Care Behavioral Health Integration in the Military Health System
Research suggests that primary care–behavioral health (PCBH) integration can improve behavioral health outcomes. The authors conducted a process evaluation of the PCBH program in the military health system to inform quality improvement.
Sep 8, 2021
Report
Evaluation of Los Angeles County's COVID-19 Mental Health Campaign
RAND evaluators found that a Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health campaign promoting awareness of county resources successfully reached residents, fostered a feeling of support among those it reached, and conveyed how to seek help.
May 4, 2021
Report
How to Transform the U.S. Mental Health System: Evidence-Based Recommendations
The United States is at a time of promise for historic transformation in mental health care. This report provides recommendations for mental health system change to improve the lives of the millions of Americans in need of care.
Jan 11, 2021
Tool
Mental Health Systems Solutions Explorer
This tool is designed by RAND researchers to help connect mental health systems, policy leaders, and decisionmakers with resources and evidence-based solutions that could help transform the complex mental health landscape in the United States.
Jan 11, 2021
Research Brief
Transforming Mental Health Care in the United States
A RAND team identified three goals for transforming the U.S. mental health care system and pinpointed 15 opportunities to drive systemic improvements in access, use, and quality that would help tens of millions of Americans.
Jan 11, 2021
Report
Evaluation of Los Angeles County's 2019 "Spark the True You" Mental Health Campaign
Los Angeles County, in partnership with the Los Angeles Sparks basketball team, conducted a mental health campaign aimed at women veterans. It did not reach large numbers but provided new information about mental health among those it did reach.
Jun 25, 2020
Report
2019 Evaluation of Los Angeles County's WhyWeRise Mental Health Campaign
Interviews and a survey indicate that WhyWeRise, a community engagement mental health campaign, reached at least 30 percent of Los Angeles County youth and mobilized them to improve societal support for those experiencing mental health challenges.
Apr 1, 2020
Report
Evaluation of Los Angeles County's 2019 Moral Injury Conference
RAND evaluated the reach and impact of a moral injury conference and its goals to deepen knowledge about moral injury and effective recovery strategies and to strengthen collaborative connections.
Mar 4, 2020
Testimony
Proposition 63 and the Future of Mental Health Funding in California: Understanding Successes and Challenges: Prevention and Early Intervention
Testimony presented before an informational hearing of the California State Assembly Committee on Budget on December 9, 2019.
Dec 12, 2019
Research Brief
Evaluating Los Angeles County's Mental Health Community Engagement Campaign
In order to evaluate how well a Los Angeles County mental health campaign met its goals, RAND conducted an in-person survey of event attendees, a social media analysis, and a web-based survey of a broader population of Los Angeles youth.
Nov 14, 2018
Report
Evaluation of Los Angeles County's Mental Health Community Engagement Campaign
To evaluate how well a Los Angeles County mental health campaign met its goals, RAND conducted an in-person survey of event attendees, a social media analysis, and a web-based survey of a broader population of Los Angeles youth.
Nov 14, 2018
Report
Evaluating Cost Savings Associated with Los Angeles County's Mental Health Full Service Partnerships
This report estimates government spending and cost savings associated with outcomes targeted by Full Service Partnership programs in Los Angeles County: homelessness, criminal justice detention, health care (inpatient and outpatient), and employment.
Oct 29, 2018
Research Brief
Los Angeles County's Mental Health Full Service Partnerships Yield Cost Savings
RAND estimated government spending and cost savings associated with outcomes targeted by Full Service Partnership programs in Los Angeles County: homelessness, criminal justice detention, health care (inpatient and outpatient), and employment.
Oct 29, 2018
Report
Monitoring Californians' Mental Health: Population Surveillance Reveals Gender, Racial/Ethnic, Age, and Regional Disparities
Data from the California Health Interview Survey can facilitate the state, regional, and county tracking of key mental health indicators, including mental health services, service use, unmet need for services, and mental health-related functioning.
May 1, 2018
Report
Evaluation of the Mental Health Services Act in Los Angeles County: Implementation and Outcomes for Key Programs
This report examines the reach of mental health programs in Los Angeles County and what the impact of those programs has been.
Mar 13, 2018
Research Brief
The Mental Health Services Act in Los Angeles County: Evaluating Program Reach and Outcomes
RAND researchers examined the geographic and demographic reach of Mental Health Services Act-funded activities in Los Angeles County and assessed their impact on clients.
Mar 13, 2018
Report
Evaluation Approaches for Mental Health Prevention and Early Intervention Programs
This handbook provides guidance to practitioners and organizations interested in evaluating mental health prevention and early intervention programs.
Jun 13, 2017
Research Brief
A Collaborative Approach to Behavioral Health Care for Veterans and Their Families
RAND evaluated the Unified Behavioral Health Center for Military Veterans and Their Families, a new model of behavioral health care that provides colocated and coordinated care for veterans and their families.
Oct 26, 2016
Report
The Unified Behavioral Health Center for Military Veterans and Their Families: Documenting Structure, Process, and Outcomes of Care
This report presents an evaluation of the Unified Behavioral Health Center for Military Veterans and Their Families, a new model of behavioral health care that provides colocated and coordinated care for veterans and their families.
Oct 26, 2016
Journal Article
General Medical Outcomes from the Primary and Behavioral Health Care Integration Grant Program
Rigorous integration of primary and preventive medical services into behavioral health settings may help improve medical outcomes for people with serious mental illness.
Aug 29, 2016
Journal Article
Factors Affecting Mental Health Service Utilization Among California Public College and University Students
Significant need for mental health services exists among college students in California, especially where services are not offered on campus.
Apr 21, 2016
Report
Investment in Social Marketing Campaign to Reduce Stigma and Discrimination Associated with Mental Illness Yields Positive Economic Benefits to California
This report examines the potential impact of the California Mental Health Services Authority's stigma and discrimination reduction social marketing campaign on the use of adult behavioral health services, and it estimates the benefit-cost ratios.
Apr 14, 2016
Research Brief
Campus Climate Matters: Changing the Mental Health Climate on College Campuses Improves Student Outcomes and Benefits Society
Reports results of a survey to assess the impact of state investments in mental health programs at California public colleges and the return on investment in terms of student use of treatment, graduation rates, and lifetime earnings.
Apr 1, 2016
Research Brief
California's Statewide Mental Health Prevention and Early Intervention Initiatives Show Promising Early Results, But Sustained Investment Is Needed
Summarizes findings from an evaluation of a set of California initiatives to help reduce mental health stigma and discrimination, prevent suicide, and improve student mental health.
Sep 16, 2015
Report
Public-Private Partnerships for Providing Behavioral Health Care to Veterans and Their Families: What Do We Know, What Do We Need to Learn, and What Do We Need to Do?
This report will help policymakers in the Department of Veterans Affairs and other federal agencies develop and foster public-private partnerships to address the behavioral health care needs of veterans and their families.
May 18, 2015
Report
Adults Newly Exposed to "Know the Signs" Campaign Report Greater Gains in Confidence to Intervene with Those Who Might Be at Risk for Suicide Than Those Unexposed to the Campaign
Presents results of a one-year follow-up to a survey on Know the Signs, a California mass media suicide prevention campaign, and examines the effect of campaign exposure on respondents' confidence to intervene with someone at risk for suicide.
May 18, 2015
Journal Article
Understanding Asthma-Specific Quality of Life: Moving Beyond Asthma Symptoms and Severity
This study identifies the unique contributions of asthma severity, symptoms, control and generic measures of quality of life (QoL) to asthma-specific QoL, as measured by the 12-item RAND Negative Impact of Asthma on Quality of Life scale (RAND-IAQL-12).
Apr 28, 2015
Report
Evaluation of California's Statewide Mental Health Prevention and Early Intervention Programs: Summary of Key Year 2 Findings
This report summarizes key findings from the second year of an evaluation of the California Mental Health Services Authority's statewide prevention and early intervention programs.
Feb 3, 2015
Report
Developing a Research Strategy for Suicide Prevention in the Department of Defense: Status of Current Research, Prioritizing Areas of Need, and Recommendations for Moving Forward
To support U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) efforts to create a strategic plan for suicide prevention research, a RAND study examined the current research, DoD's strategic needs, and ways to narrow the research-practice gap in disseminating findings.
Sep 22, 2014
Report
How Deployments Affect the Capacity and Utilization of Army Treatment Facilities
This study examines how the Army's Force Generation (ARFORGEN) deployment cycle affects capability and soldier health care utilization at Army military treatment facilities and how it affects family health care utilization.
Aug 7, 2014
Report
Recommendations for Sustaining California's Statewide Mental Health Prevention and Early Intervention Programs
Provides preliminary advice about which of the California Mental Health Services Authority's Prevention and Early Intervention activities seem most valuable to sustain or, in some cases, enhance.
Aug 5, 2014
Research Brief
What Has the CalMHSA Statewide Mental Health Prevention and Early Intervention Implementation Program Done So Far? Key Results from the Baseline RAND General Population Survey
This fact sheet summarizes findings from a baseline statewide survey of Californians regarding their knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes regarding the mental health issues that are the focus of the state' prevention and early intervention program.
Jul 11, 2014
Report
Evaluation of the California Mental Health Services Authority's Prevention and Early Intervention Initiatives: Progress and Preliminary Findings
Evaluates the progress of the California Mental Health Services Authority's statewide Prevention and Early Intervention initiatives.
Jul 3, 2014
Research Brief
Improving the Physical Health of Adults with Serious Mental Illness
RAND's evaluation of the Primary and Behavioral Health Care Integration grants program found that programs improved access to integrated primary and behavioral health care for people with serious mental illness but had mixed success improving health.
May 28, 2014
Report
Evaluation of the SAMHSA Primary and Behavioral Health Care Integration (PBHCI) Grant Program: Final Report (Task 13)
Describes the results of RAND's evaluation of Primary and Behavioral Health Care Integration (PBHCI), one of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's service grant programs.
Apr 21, 2014
Journal Article
Development of a Measure of Asthma-Specific Quality of Life Among Adults
Items covering a broad range of content were developed that can serve as a valid gauge of individuals' perceptions of the effects of asthma and its treatment on their lives.
Apr 1, 2014
Research Brief
What Has the CalMHSA Statewide Mental Health Prevention and Early Intervention Implementation Program Done So Far? Summary and Commentary for Year 1 Evaluation
This fact sheet assesses the progress that partners in California's Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) Program have made so far in developing capacities and reaching Californians in accordance with the statewide strategic PEI plan.
Mar 4, 2014
Report
Evaluation of the California Mental Health Services Authority's Prevention and Early Intervention Initiatives: Executive Summary and Commentary
Provides a summary and commentary on a RAND interim evaluation of the California Mental Health Services Authority statewide prevention and early intervention program.
Feb 11, 2014
Journal Article
Assessing the Validity of the RAND Negative Impact of Asthma on Quality of Life Short Forms
In response to recommendations from the 2010 National Institutes of Health Asthma Outcomes Workshop, we developed a system for measuring the negative impact of asthma on quality of life (QoL), which was referred to as the RAND Negative Impact of Asthma on Quality of Life (RAND-IAQL) item bank.
2014
Journal Article
Correspondence Between the RAND-negative Impact of Asthma on Quality of Life Item Bank and the Marks Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire
The objective of this article was to provide an example of how to transform scores across disparate measures by using an item response theory (IRT)-based linking method.
2014
Journal Article
Development and Validation of the RAND Asthma Control Measure
The RAND-ACM, a five-item self-reported asthma control survey measure, performs well in a large ethnically-diverse sample of US adults with asthma and provides a cost-free alternative to other asthma control measures currently available.
2014
Journal Article
Developing an Item Bank and Short Forms That Assess the Impact of Asthma on Quality of Life
The present work describes the process of developing an item bank and short forms that measure the impact of asthma on quality of life (QoL) that avoids confounding QoL with asthma symptomatology and functional impairment.
2014
Journal Article
Integrating Primary Care Into Community Behavioral Health Settings: Programs and Early Implementation Experiences
Describes the experiences of community behavioral health agencies that received PBHCI grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to integrate primary care into programs for adults with serious mental illness.
2013
Report
Interventions to Improve Student Mental Health: A Literature Review to Guide Evaluation of California's Mental Health Prevention and Early Intervention Initiative
The authors review data on the prevalence of youth mental health disorders and schools' use of student mental health (SMH) programs and describe schools' role in addressing SMH concerns and outline a conceptual model for guiding program evaluation.
Dec 27, 2012
Report
Interventions to Prevent Suicide: A Literature Review to Guide Evaluation of California's Mental Health Prevention and Early Intervention Initiative
Prevention and early intervention initiatives aim to reduce the incidence of suicide and other mental health problems, and the authors evaluate these initiatives by reviewing suicide prevention (SP) literature to learn about SP program effectiveness and methodologies.
Dec 27, 2012
Report
Interventions to Reduce Mental Health Stigma and Discrimination: A Literature Review to Guide Evaluation of California's Mental Health Prevention and Early Intervention Initiative
A number of programs aim to reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness, and they can include a variety of components such as training, education, media campaigns, and contact with people with mental illness.
Dec 27, 2012
Journal Article
Cognitive Vulnerability, Stress Generation, and Anxiety: Symptoms Clusters and Gender Differences
The aim of the present study was to examine whether low perceived control, a cognitive vulnerability factor, contributes to stress generation.
Mar 1, 2012
Journal Article
Stressful Life Events Predict Delayed Functional Recovery Following Treatment for Mania in Bipolar Disorder
The current study examined the role of stressful life events as potential obstacles to recovery of functioning in various roles.
Apr 1, 2011
Journal Article
Depressive Disorders and Panic Attacks in Women with Bladder Pain Syndrome/Interstitial Cystitis: A Population-Based Sample
Clinicians should be alert to complaints of bladder pain in patients seeking treatment for depressive or anxiety disorders and to complaints of emotional or personal problems in patients seeking treatment for painful bladder symptoms.
Mar 1, 2011
Journal Article
Maladaptive Schemas and Depression: Tests of Stress Generation and Diathesis-Stress Models
There is strong evidence that life stress is associated with vulnerability to depression; however, the specific mechanism of this effect is unclear.
2011
Research Brief
Sexual Orientation and U.S. Personnel Policy Revisited
Summarizes results of a RAND Corporation study on sexual orientation and U.S. military policy requested by the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Secretary of Defense in order to weigh repeal of the law known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
Dec 23, 2010
Journal Article
Specificity of Stress Generation: A Comparison of Adolescents with Depressive, Anxiety, and Comorbid Diagnoses
Results suggest that while stress generation may be more strongly associated with depression than anxiety in adolescence, it is not unique to depression.
Dec 1, 2010
Report
Sexual Orientation and U.S. Military Personnel Policy: An Update of RAND's 1993 Study
Shares results of a study on sexual orientation and U.S. military policy, requested by the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Secretary of Defense in order to weigh the repeal of the law known as ''Don't Ask, Don't Tell.''
Nov 18, 2010
Journal Article
fMRI Activation in the Amygdala and the Orbitofrontal Cortex in Unmedicated Subjects with Major Depressive Disorder
Although amygdala and frontal lobe functional abnormalities have been reported in patients with mood disorders, the literature regarding major depressive disorder (MDD) is inconsistent.
Sep 1, 2010
Journal Article
Cognitive Vulnerability to Depression in Canadian and Chinese Adolescents
There may be culturally-relevant differences in the etiology of depression in Canadian and Chinese adolescents.
2010
Journal Article
Depressive Symptoms and Social Functioning in Peer Relationships as Predictors of Eating Pathology in the Transition to Adulthood
During the transition from adolescents to adulthood, women with higher levels of depression were more likely than other women to develop eating pathologies when romantic attachments failed.
2010
Journal Article
Gender Differences in the Associations Between Interpersonal Behaviors and Stress Generation
Young women who describe themselves as too caring are more likely than young men to experience stress.
2010
Journal Article
Interpersonal Style, Stress, and Depression: An Examination of Transactional and Diathesis-Stress Models
Among a group of college age women, interpersonal style was a strong indicator of stress arising from romantic conflict and of depression.
2010
Journal Article
Chronic and Acute Stress and the Prediction of Major Depression in Women
This study explored the relatively neglected role of chronic stress in major depression.
Aug 1, 2009
Journal Article
Interpersonal Predictors of Stress Generation
This study examines aspects of individuals' interpersonal style, operationalized as attachment, dependency, and reassurance seeking, as predictors of conflict stress generation within romantic relationships.
May 1, 2009
Journal Article
Understanding the Impact of Prior Depression on Stress Generation: Examining the Roles of Current Depressive Symptoms and Interpersonal Behaviours
Stress generation is a process in which individuals contribute to stressful life events.
Aug 1, 2008
Journal Article
Understanding the Sex Difference in Vulnerability to Adolescent Depression: An Examination of Child and Parent Characteristics
This study examined sex differences in risk factors associated with adolescent depression in a large sample of boys and girls.
Aug 1, 2006
Journal Article
Interpersonal Predictors of Onset of Depression During the Transition to Adulthood
There is evidence that depression during adolescence and early adulthood is marked by deficits in interpersonal functioning.
Jun 1, 2006
Journal Article
Differential Exposure and Reactivity to Interpersonal Stress Predict Sex Differences in Adolescent Depression
This study tested the hypothesis that higher rates of depression in adolescent girls are explained by their greater exposure and reactivity to stress in the interpersonal domain in a large sample of 15-year-olds.
2006
Journal Article
Free Associations to "Food": The Effects of Gender, Generation, and Culture
When it comes to free association patterns with the word "food," generation and culture are good predictors of free association content and valence, with gender a less powerful predictor.
Oct 1, 2002
Journal Article
Response to Cognitive Therapy in Depression: The Role of Maladaptive Beliefs and Personality Disorders
This study examined whether personality disorder status and beliefs that characterize personality disorders affect response to cognitive therapy.
Jun 1, 2001