Research

RESEARCH PrOFILE

I am the Director of the Healthy Eating and Lifestyle (HEAL) Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University.  I have published and presented widely on the topics of eating disorders, obesity, weight loss surgery, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and behavioural addictions.  My current program of research focuses primarily on psychosocial interventions that facilitate behavioural and lifestyle changes, including motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioural therapy, and compassion-focused interventions.  I also investigate health care innovations that increase treatment accessibility, such as telephone-based and web-based interventions.  I am currently a Co-Principal Investigator on two studies funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, including a multisite randomized controlled trial examining the effectiveness of a telephone-based cognitive behavioural therapy intervention for bariatric surgery patients.     

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

BOOKS

Cassin, S. E., Hawa, R., & Sockalingam, S. (2018).  Psychological care in severe obesity: A practical approach.  Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

BOOK CHAPTERS

Sogg, S., Atwood, M. E., & Cassin, S. E.  (2018).  The role of psychosocial interventions to support medical and surgical treatments for severe obesity (pp. 18-41).  In S. E. Cassin, S. Sockalingam, and R. Hawa (Eds.), Psychological care in severe obesity: A practical approach. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

David, L. & Cassin, S. E.  (2018).  Motivational interviewing for behavioural and lifestyle changes in severe obesity (pp. 79-104).  In S. E. Cassin, S. Sockalingam, and R. Hawa (Eds.), Psychological care in severe obesity: A practical approach. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Friedman, A. & Cassin, S. E.  (2018).  Cognitive behavioural therapy for behavioural and lifestyle changes in severe obesity (pp. 133-160).  In S. E. Cassin, S. Sockalingam, and R. Hawa (Eds.), Psychological care in severe obesity: A practical approach. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Cassin, S. E., Mehak, A., & Sockalingam, S.  (2018).  Telephone based psychological interventions in severe obesity (pp. 249-263).  In S. E. Cassin, S. Sockalingam, and R. Hawa (Eds.), Psychological care in severe obesity: A practical approach. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Cassin, S. E., Hawa, R., & Sockalingam, S. (2018).  An integrated psychological approach to obesity care (pp. 299-310). In S. E. Cassin, S. Sockalingam, and R. Hawa (Eds.), Psychological care in severe obesity: A practical approach. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Cassin, S. E., & Atwood, M. E. (2017).  Cognitive behavioural therapy for severe obesity (pp. 245-256).  In S. Sockalingam & R. Hawa (Eds.), Psychiatric care in severe obesity: An interdisciplinary guide to integrated care.  New York, NY: Springer.

Cassin, S. E., & Friedman, A. (2017).  Weight-based stigma and body image in severe obesity (pp. 93-105).  In S. Sockalingam & R. Hawa (Eds.), Psychiatric care in severe obesity: An interdisciplinary guide to integrated care.  New York, NY: Springer.

Taube-Schiff, M., David, L, & Cassin, S. E. (2017).  Motivational interviewing for severe obesity (pp. 221-230).  In S. Sockalingam & R. Hawa (Eds.), Psychiatric care in severe obesity: An interdisciplinary guide to integrated care.  New York, NY: Springer.

Cassin, S. E. & Geller, J. (2015).  Motivational interviewing in the treatment of disordered eating (pp. 344-364).  In H. Arkowitz, W. R. Miller, & S. Rollnick (eds.), Motivational interviewing in the treatment of psychological problems (2nd ed).  New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Killeen, T. T., Cassin, S. E., & Geller, J. (2014).  Motivational interviewing in the treatment of addictions and eating disorders.  In T. D. Brewerton & Baker-Dennis, A. (eds.), Eating disorders, addictions, and substance use disorders: Research, clinical, and treatment perspectives (pp.491-507).  New York, NY: Springer Publishers. 

ARTICLES

Sockalingam, S., Leung, S. E., Clement, M., Hawa, R., Wnuk, S., Jackson, T., Urbach, D., Brown, J., Sandre, D., & Cassin, S. E. (2023). Telephone-based cognitive behavioural therapy for weight loss, disordered eating, and psychological distress after bariatric surgery: A multisite randomized clinical trial. JAMA Open, 6(8), e2327099.

Nightingale, B. A., & Cassin, S. E. (2023). Self-compassion may have benefits for body image among women with a higher body mass index and internalized weight bias. Healthcare, 11(7), 970. 

Santiago, V. A., & Cassin, S. E. (2022). Social and occupational impairment among individuals with ultra-processed food addiction. Current Addiction Reports, 9, 307-317.

Sockalingam, S., Leung, S. E., Ma, C., Hawa, R., Wnuk, S., Dash, S., Jackson, T., & Cassin, S. E. (2022). The impact of telephone-based cognitive behavioural therapy on mental health distress and disordered eating among bariatric surgery patients during COVID-19: Preliminary results from a multi-site randomized controlled trial. Obesity Surgery, 32, 1884-1894.

Santiago, V., A., Cassin, S. E., Wnuk, S., Du, C., Hawa, R., Parikh, S. V., & Sockalingam, S. (2021).  “If you’re offered help, take it”: Bariatric patients’ experience of telephone-based cognitive behavioural therapy. Clinical Obesity, 11(2), e12431. 

Cassin, S. E., Leung, S. E., Hawa, R., Wnuk, S., Jackson, T., & Sockalingam, S.  (2020).  Food addiction is associated with binge eating and psychiatric distress among post-operative bariatric surgery patients and may improve in response to cognitive behavioural therapy.  Nutrients, 12, 2905. 

David, L. A., Sijercic, I., & Cassin, S. E. (2020).  Pre- and post-operative psychosocial interventions for bariatric surgery patients: A systematic review.  Obesity Reviews, 21(4), e12926. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.12926

Cassin, S. E., Sijercic, I., & Montemarano, V. (2020).  Psychosocial interventions for food addiction: A systematic review.  Current Addiction Reports, 7(1), 9-19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40429-020-00295-y

Mehak, A., Friedman, A., & Cassin, S. E. (2018).  Body shame and appearance anxiety mediate the relationships between self-objectification, weight bias internalization and binge eating in young women. Body Image, 24, 111-115.

Atwood, M. E., Friedman, A., Meisner, B. A., & Cassin, S. E. (2018). The exchange of social support on bariatric surgery online discussion forums: A mixed-methods content analysis.  Health Communication, 33, 628-635.

Bar, R. J., Cassin, S. E., & Dionne, M. M. (2017).  The long term impact of an eating disorder prevention program for professional ballet students: A 15-year follow-up study.  Eating Disorders: Journal of Treatment and Prevention, 25, 375-387.  

Sockalingam, S., Cassin, S. E., Wnuk, S., Du, C., Jackson, T., Hawa, R., & Parikh, S. (2017).  A pilot study on telephone cognitive behavioural therapy for patients six months post-bariatric surgery. Obesity Surgery, 27, 670-675.

MacDonald, D. E., & Cassin, S. E. (2017). Nondieting psychological interventions for individuals who are overweight or obese: A systematic review of the evidence.  Psychopathology Review, 4, 290-318. 

Shikatani, B. A., Antony, M. A., Cassin, S. E., & Kuo, J. R. (2016). Perfectionism and intolerance of uncertainty predict postevent processing in social anxiety disorder. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 38, 297-306.

Thiara, G., Yanofsky, R., Abdul-Kader, S., Santiago, V. A., Cassin, S. E., Okrainec, A., Jackson, T., Hawa, R., & Sockalingam, S. (2016).  Toronto Bariatric Interprofessional Psychosocial Assessment Suitability Scale (BIPASS TM): Evaluating a new clinical assessment tool for bariatric surgery candidates.  Psychosomatics, 57, 165-173.

David, L., Sockalingam, S., Wnuk, S., & Cassin, S. E. (2016).  A pilot randomized controlled trial examining the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of adapted motivational interviewing for post-operative bariatric surgery patients.  Eating Behaviors, 22, 87-92.

Cassin, S. E., Sockalingam, S., Du, C., Wnuk, S., Hawa, R., & Parikh, S. (2016).  A pilot randomized controlled trial of telephone-based cognitive behavioural therapy for preoperative bariatric surgery patients.  Behaviour Research and Therapy, 80, 17-22.

Bar, R. J., Cassin, S. E., Dionne, M. M. (2016). Eating disorder prevention initiatives in athletes: A review.European Journal of Sport Science, 16, 325-335.

Shikatani, B. A., Antony, M. A., Kuo, J. R., & Cassin, S. E. (2014).  The impact of cognitive restructuring and mindfulness strategies on postevent processing and affect in social anxiety disorder.  Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 28, 570-579.

Azin, A., Zhou, C., Jackson, T., Cassin, S. E., Sockalingam, S., & Hawa, R. (2014).  Body contouring surgery after bariatric surgery:  A study of cost as a barrier and impact on psychological well-being.  Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 133, 776e-782e.

Lyons, K., Meisner, B. A., Sockalingam, S., & Cassin, S. E. (2014).  Body image after bariatric surgery: A qualitative study.  Bariatric Surgical Practice and Patient Care, 9, 41-49.

Nowakowski, M., McFarlane, T., & Cassin, S. E. (2013).  Alexithymia and eating disorders: A critical review of the literature.  Journal of Eating Disorders, 1, 1-14.

Cassin, S. E., Sockalingam, S., Wnuk, S., Strimas, R., Royal, S., Hawa, R. & Parikh, S. (2013).  Cognitive behavioural therapy for bariatric surgery patients: Preliminary evidence for feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 20, 529-543.

Cassin, S. E., & Rector, N. A. (2011).  Mindfulness and the attenuation of post-event processing in social phobia: An experimental investigation.  Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 40, 267-278.

Rector, N. A., & Cassin, S. E. (2010).  Clinical expertise in cognitive behavioural therapy: Definition and acquisition.  Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 40, 153-161.

Rector, N. A., Cassin, S. E., & Richter, M. A. (2009).  Treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder in patients with comorbid depression: A pilot randomized controlled trial.  Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 54, 874-879.

Cassin, S. E., von Ranson, K. M., Heng, K., Brar, J., & Wojtowicz, A. E. (2008).  Adapted motivational interviewing for women with binge eating disorder: A randomized controlled trial.  Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 22, 417-425.

Cassin, S. E., & von Ranson, K. M. (2007).  Is binge eating experienced as an addiction?  Appetite, 49, 687-690. 

Cassin, S. E., & von Ranson, K. M. (2005).  Personality and eating disorders: A decade in review. Clinical Psychology Review, 25, 895-916.