JaNiene Peoples

Dr. Peoples is an Assistant Professor at the College of Social Work. Her research applies a biopsychosocial framework to examine multilevel risk and protective factors that shape mental health and substance use outcomes, with a primary focus on Black emerging adults and college students. She also investigates critical mechanisms underlying substance use behavior and aims to translate these insights into empirically grounded, culturally responsive interventions that reduce substance-related harms, address systemic barriers to care, and promote well-being among populations disproportionately affected by substance misuse.

Download Full Curriculum Vitae

Areas of Focus

• Mental health and substance use disparities
• Risk and resilience in Black emerging adults (ages 18-29)
• College student health
• Health behavior change
• Intervention research
• Digital health
• Ecological momentary assessment

Education

• PhD, 2025, Washing University in St. Louis, Social Work
• MS, 2016, Texas A&m University - College Station, Health Education
• BS, 2012, Uinveristy of Memphis, Health and Human Performance

Selected Publications

Peoples, J.E., Montemayor, B.M., Tuda, D., Baiden, P., Szlyk, H.S., & Butler-Barnes, S.T. (2025). Methodological challenges and insights in research on racial discrimination and substance use among Black college students: A scoping review. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-025-02491-w

Szlyk, H. S., Lew, D., Li, X., Filiatreau, L. M., Peoples, J., Kasson, E., & Cavazos-Rehg, P. (2025). Mental health behaviors and suicide risk among White and Black adults with Opioid Use Disorder. Social science & medicine (1982), 381, 118283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118283

McGuire, F.H., Beccia, A.L., Peoples, J.E., Williams, M.R., Schuler, M.S, & Duncan, A.E. (2024). Depression at the intersection of race/ethnicity, sex/gender, and sexual orientation in a nationally representative sample of US adults: A design-weighted intersectional MAIHDA. American Journal of Epidemiology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwae121

Peoples, J. E., Butler-Barnes, S. T., Stafford, J. D., Williams, S. L., & Smith, I. (2023). Exploring the association between mental health climate and depression: the protective role of positive mental health and sense of belonging among Black college students. Journal of American college health: J of ACH, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2022.2155466

Szlyk, H. S., Gutierrez, Z. M., Peoples, J.E., Baiden, P., Doroshenko, C., Li, X., & Cavazos-Rehg, P. (2023). Factors associated with not ready to stop using substances among adults with an unmet treatment need: Findings from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health 2015-2019. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 49(4), 519–529. https://doi.org/10.1080/00952990.2023.2230611

Baiden, P., Szlyk, H. S., Peoples, J. E., Vázquez, M. M., Harrell, D. R., & Cavazos-Rehg, P. (2023). Association between sexual identity, health risk behaviors, and mental health outcomes among Black adolescents: Findings from a population-based study. Journal of Affective Disorders Reports, 12, 100511, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadr.2023.100511

Selected Grants

Principal Investigator. R36DA059676, Ecological Momentary Assessment of Mechanisms Linking Racial Discrimination and Substance Use in Black College Students. Funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Total award $46,137 for the period of January 2024–December 2026.