I’m Jocelyn Mueller
Hi!
A Little About Me
I am a master’s-level researcher with interests in exploring romantic relationships, substance use, and sexual health using a variety of methods (e.g., experimental, qualitative, longitudinal, ecological momentary assessment). I’m also interested in using observational methods and physiological measures to examine dyadic interactions within romantic relationships.
What I’ve Been Doing
Currently, I’m a Research Coordinator on a NIDA-funded longitudinal study examining adolescent-onset substance use disorder progression at the University of California - San Diego. I’m also a volunteer research assistant on other NIH-funded studies – see my current and past projects below!
My Current & Past Projects
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Adult Progression of Adolescent Onset Substance Use Disorder in a High-Risk Sample
Research Assistant, 2023 – present
Conducted under Dr. Tamara Wall at the University of California, San Diego
This NIAAA-funded study aims to develop and test a technology-based intervention to reduce alcohol and sexual risk in young women with a history of sexual victimization.
Methods: This multi-phase study focused on incorporating methods from user-centered design (e.g., double diamond, design thinking) into intervention development by working alongside the target population to gather feedback on the program’s content, design, and delivery. Currently, a large-scale randomized controlled trial is being conducted to compare the developed intervention to a control group in terms of alcohol and sexual risk outcomes over time.
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Young Adult Education on Alcohol and Health (YEAH)
Research Assistant, 2023 – present
Conducted under Dr. Jessica Blayney at the University of Washington
This NIAAA-funded study aims to develop and test a technology-based intervention to reduce alcohol and sexual risk in young women with a history of sexual victimization.
Methods: This multi-phase study focused on incorporating methods from user-centered design (e.g., double diamond, design thinking) into intervention development by working alongside the target population to gather feedback on the program’s content, design, and delivery. Currently, a large-scale randomized controlled trial is being conducted to compare the developed intervention to a control group in terms of alcohol and sexual risk outcomes over time.
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Health Education for Youth (HEY)
Research Assistant, 2023 - present
Conducted under Dr. Jessica Blayney at the University of Washington
This NIMH-funded study aims to understand how female adolescents navigate sexual situations and their barriers to safer sex behaviors to develop a technology-based intervention to reduce STI/HIV risk.
Methods: This study involves developing a sex-positive program for high school women by gathering feedback on its content and design. Participants complete a user feedback interview and a short survey that assesses alcohol use, mental health, and sexual experiences, while intervention materials focus on emotions, sexual communication, consent, boundaries, and sexual health.
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Understanding Women’s Cannabis Use
Research Assistant, 2021 - present
Conducted under Dr. Karina Villalba at the University of Central Florida
This internally funded pilot study aims to understand the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral outcomes of cannabis use in cisgender women.
Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited women aged 18 and older with lifetime cannabis use. Participants completed surveys assessing adverse childhood experiences, substance use patterns, physical health, prescription medication use, and measures of anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Additionally, semi-structured interviews explored cannabis knowledge, reasons for use, barriers, and facilitators.
What I’ve Been Working On
My research is women-centered and explores the intersections between psychological well-being and substance use. Below are selected manuscripts currently under review or in preparation, focusing on psychiatric comorbidities across development, cannabis substitution for alcohol and medications, and sexual risk reduction interventions for women with trauma histories. Many of these projects have been presented at national conferences, including the Research Society on Alcohol and the Cannabis Clinical Outcomes Research Conference.
Browse below for findings!
Publications
Under review-
Cannabis Substitution for Anxiety and Depression Medications in Adult Women (2024)
Authors: Jocelyn Mueller, Jennifer Attonito, Jamia Sapp, & Karina Villalba.Main Findings: Older women who substitute cannabis for prescription anti-anxiety or anti-depressant medications tend to have higher levels of depression and anxiety, with sleep difficulties and concurrent alcohol use as key predictors of substitution behavior, suggesting that cannabis is an alternative symptom management strategy despite potentially worsening mental health outcomes.
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Predictors of Replacing Alcohol for Marijuana Among Young and Adult Women (2024)
Authors: Jennifer Attonito, Jocelyn Mueller, & Karina VillalbaMain Findings: Older women were less likely than younger women to substitute cannabis for alcohol, but among those who did, higher PTSD symptoms and sleep problems were key predictors of cannabis use, suggesting that older women may have specific therapeutic needs rather than general harm reduction.
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In the Heat-of-the-Moment: Incorporating Eroticized Assessment into Sexual Risk Reduction for Women with Sexual Victimization Histories (2025)
Authors: Jessica Blayney, Sharon Wang, Jocelyn Mueller, Kelly Cue Davis, William George, Michele Bedard-Gilligan & Phirom Yim.Main Findings: Using design thinking - a method from user centered design - to develop a specialized technology-based alcohol and sexual risk intervention revealed that integrating women’s experiences and feedback early in development improved intervention relevance and satisfaction by fostering insight, reducing judgment, and encouraging change, resulting in intervention content that better meets participants “where they are at.”
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In preparation-
A Longitudinal Sibling Study of Alcohol Use and Psychiatric Symptoms in a High-Risk Clinical Cohort. (2025)
Authors: Jocelyn Muller, Jesse Hinckley, Connor McCabe, Christian Hopfer, Tamara Wall & Jarrod Ellingson
Main Findings: Among adolescents with substance use and antisocial behavior, baseline heavy drinking and alcohol use disorder (AUD) symptoms were linked to greater anxiety and depression, with important sex differences - AUD predicted increasing depression over time primarily in males, while heavy drinking predicted increasing anxiety symptoms primarily in females, highlighting the need for tailored early interventions that address co-occurring psychiatric symptoms.
Link: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/TXUMG・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
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The Association of Cannabis Use and Mental Health Outcomes Among Young, Middle-aged, and Older Women (2025)
Authors: Jamia Sapp, Jocelyn Mueller, Karina Villalba, Christa Cook
Main Findings: In women who reported lifetime cannabis use, younger women (ages 18–49) exhibited significantly higher levels of PTSD, anxiety, depression, alcohol use, and adverse childhood experiences compared to older women, suggesting that age is associated with patterns of cannabis use, with younger women experiencing greater psychological distress and heavier substance use compared to older women.
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Using the Double Diamond to Enhance Alcohol and Sexual Risk Reduction for Women with Sexual Victimization Histories. Manuscript in preparation (2025)
Authors: Jessica Blayney, Jocelyn Mueller, Shayma Al-Arab, Michele Bedard-Gilligan, Kelly Cue David, William George & Phirom Yim
Main Findings: Using the double diamond - a method from user centered design - to develop a specialized technology-based alcohol and sexual risk intervention revealed that integrating young women’s feedback early in development can improve intervention engagement by incorporating tailored content, interactive skill-building, and positive messaging focused on the target population's wants and needs.
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CV Highlights
EducationB.A.
I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Behavioral Healthcare from the University of South Florida. During my undergraduate studies, I developed a foundational understanding of psychological science, with specialized coursework in women and gender studies and social psychology.
After graduation, I began working in population health research at the University of Central Florida, with a focus on cannabis use among older women, and continue to support this work as a volunteer research assistant. Using a mixed methods approach, we identified perceived benefits, substitution behaviors, and facilitators of cannabis use. This experience deepened my interest in research and inspired me to pursue graduate training.
M.A.
I graduated from the University of New Orleans with a Master of Science in Applied Psychology. What excited me most during my early graduate training was the opportunity to learn more about developmental processes and statistical analyses. I found it especially insightful to apply these approaches through independent studies, where I explored stress, substance use, and family dynamics.
Now
I’m currently volunteering at the University of Washington on the Young Adult Education on Alcohol and Health (YEAH) and Health Education for Youth (HEY) studies, which develop and test technology-based interventions to reduce substance use and sexual risk in adolescents and young women who have experienced sexual victimization. My involvement in this lab has taught me methods from user-centered design, which prioritizes the needs of the target population, ultimately improving intervention outcomes. Throughout the many aspects of these projects, what resonated with me most was identifying where teens and young adults learn about relationships and sex, and recognizing the disconnect between the current sex education system and the knowledge they need to build healthy relationships and sexual well-being.
