Assistant Professor of Biomedical Data Science and Psychiatry, Center for Technology and Behavioral Health, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College
Research Interests:
Digital Phenotyping; Digital Mental Health; Anxiety and Depression
Dr. Nicholas C. Jacobson is an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Data Science and Psychiatry at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. He received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the Pennsylvania State University and completed his clinical fellowship and post-doctoral fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School. Dr. Jacobson researches the use of technology to enhance both the assessment and treatment of anxiety and depression. His work has focused on (1) enhancing precision assessment of anxiety and depression using intensive longitudinal data, (2) conducting multimethod assessment utilizing passive sensor data from smartphones and wearable devices, and (3) providing scalable, personalized technology-based treatments utilizing smartphones. He has a strong interest in creating personalized just-in-time adaptive interventions and the quantitative tools that make this work possible. To date, Dr. Jacobson’s smartphone applications which assess and treat anxiety and depression have been downloaded and installed by more than 50,000 people in over 100 countries.
Additionally, Dr. Jacobson has a strong quantitative background in analyzing intensive longitudinal data. In his work, he employs many different types of analyses including structural equation modeling, multilevel modeling, time-series techniques, dynamical systems modeling, and machine learning. He created a novel modeling technique, entitled the Differential Time-Varying Effect Model (DTVEM), which allows researchers to discover and model optimal lag times in intensive longitudinal data.
Dr. Jacobson enjoys singing karaoke, hiking, biking, and skiing. He is a vegan and is always on the lookout for a great bite.
Dr. Jacobson is actively recruiting members to join his team, including research assistants, a lab manager, graduate students, a programmer, and a post-doc. You can learn more about opportunities here (http://nicholasjacobson.com/#join). Please contact him at Nicholas.C.Jacobson@dartmouth.edu if you’re interested.
Selected Publications
Wilhelm, S., Weingarden, H., Ladis, I. Braddick, V., Shin, J. & Jacobson, N. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in the Digital Age: Presidential Address. Behavior Therapy. doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2019.08.001
Jacobson, N.C. & O’Cleirigh, C.M. (2019, in press). Objective Digital Phenotypes of Worry Severity, Pain Severity, and Pain Chronicity in Persons Living with HIV. The British Journal of Psychiatry. doi: 10.1192/bjp.2019.168
Jacobson, N.C., Weingarden, H., & Wilhelm, S. (2019, in press). Using Digital Phenotyping to Accurately Detect Depression Severity. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease.
Jacobson, N.C., Weingarden, H., & Wilhelm, S. (2019). Digital Biomarkers of Mood Disorders and Symptom Change. Nature Partner Journal (npj): Digital Medicine, 2, 1-2. doi: 10.1038/s41746-019-0078-0
Newman, M. G., Jacobson, N. C., Zainal, N. H., Shin, K. E., Szkodny, L. E., Sliwinski, M. J. (2019, In press). The effects of worry in daily life: An ecological momentary assessment study supporting the tenets of the Contrast Avoidance Model. Clinical Psychological Science. doi: 10.1177/2167702619827019
Jacobson, N. C., Chow, S. M., & Newman, M.G. (2019). The Differential Time-Varying Effect Model (DTVEM): A tool for diagnosing optimal measurement and modeling intervals in intensive longitudinal data. Behavior Research Methods, 51, 295-315. doi:10.3758/s13428-018-1101-0
Jacobson, N. C. & Roche, M. J. (2018). Current evolutionary adaptiveness of anxiety: Extreme phenotypes of anxiety predict increased fertility across multiple generations. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 106, 82-90. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2018.10.002
Roche, M. J, Jacobson, N. C., & Phillips. J. (2018). Expanding the validity of the Level of Personality Functioning Scale Observer-Report and Self-Report versions across psychodynamic and interpersonal paradigms. Journal of Personality Assessment, 100, 571-580. doi:10.1080/00223891.2018.1475394
Ji, L., Chow, S. M., Schermerhorn, A. C., Jacobson, N. C. & Cummings, M. (2018). Handling missing data in the modeling of intensive longitudinal data. Structural Equation Modeling, 25, 715-736. doi:10.1080/10705511.2017.1417046
Roche, M. J. & Jacobson, N. C. (2018). Elections have consequences for student mental health: An accidental daily diary study. Psychological Reports. 122, 451–464. doi:10.1177/0033294118767365
Newman, M. G., LaFreniere, L. S., & Jacobson, N. C. (2018). Relaxation-induced anxiety: Effects of peak and trajectories of change on treatment outcome for generalized anxiety disorder. Psychotherapy Research, 68, 616-629. doi:10.1080/10503307.2016.1253891
Jacobson, N. C. & Newman. M. G. (2017). Anxiety and depression as bidirectional risk factors for one another: A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Psychological Bulletin, 143, 1155-1200. doi:10.1037/bul0000111
Frank, B., Jacobson, N. C., Hurley, L. & McKay, D (2017). A theoretical and empirical modeling of anxiety integrated with RDoC and temporal dynamics. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 51, 39-46. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2017.09.002
Jacobson, N. C., Lord, K. A., & Newman, M. G. (2017). Perceived emotional social support in bereaved spouses mediates the relationship between anxiety and depression. Journal of Affective Disorders, 211, 83-91. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2017.01.011
Jacobson, N. C. (2016). Current evolutionary adaptiveness of psychiatric disorders: Fertility rates, parent−child relationship quality, and psychiatric disorders across the lifespan. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 125, 824-839. doi:10.1037/abn0000185.
Newman, M. G., Jacobson, N. C., Erickson, T. M., & Fisher, A. J. (2016). Interpersonal problems predict differential response to cognitive versus behavioral treatment in a randomized controlled trial. Behavior Therapy, 48, 56-68. doi:10.1016/j.beth.2016.05.005
Roche, M. J., Jacobson, N. C., & Pincus, A. L. (2016). Using repeated daily assessments to uncover oscillating patterns and temporally-dynamic triggers in structures of psychopathology: Applications to the DSM–5 alternative model of personality disorders. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 125, 1090-1102. doi:10.1037/abn0000177
Jacobson, N. C., Newman, M. G., & Goldfried, M. R. (2016). Clinical feedback about empirically supported treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Behavior Therapy, 47, 75-90. doi:10.1016/j.beth.2015.09.003
Jacobson, N. C. & Newman, M.G. (2016). Perceptions of close and group relationships mediate the relationship between anxiety and depression over a decade later. Depression and Anxiety, 33, 66-74. doi:10.1002/da.22402
Newman, M. G., Castonguay, L.G., Jacobson, N.C. & Moore, G. (2015). Adult attachment as a moderator of treatment outcome for GAD: Comparison between CBT plus supportive listening and CBT plus interpersonal and emotional processing therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 83, 915-925. doi:10.1037/a0039359
Jacobson, N. C., & Newman, M. G. (2014). Avoidance mediates the relationship between anxiety and depression over a decade later. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 28, 437-445. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2014.03.007