Research

My research is driven by a passion to provide evidence-informed interventions and policy recommendations to improve the lives of vulnerable populations given their disproportionate burden of substance use disorder and health disparities. Specifically, my work aims to address high-risk polysubstance use. The use of two or more substances in regular intervals or simultaneously increases the risk of overdose. My work on this topic focuses on (1) measurement of polysubstance use, (2) understanding patterns and correlates of polysubstance use patterns, and (3) interventions targeted to polysubstance use populations. See a full list of publications or view my CV.

Current Projects

Development of Novel Polysubstance Assessment Tool

My K01 aims to develop and test the psychometric properties of a novel assessment tool to measure polysubstance use for high-risk vulnerable populations. The development of the novel assessment tool will consist of four phases. Phase one included formative qualitative research with a small group of key informants to inform the content and language of the tool. In phase two, the tool was developed, and an expert panel of researchers will assess content validity. After further edits, phase three piloted the tool through cognitive interviews with a PSU population. A research- and self-administered version were created and the fourth phase tested the acceptability, reliability, and validity of the novel tool in a large, independent sample (n=250). The tool will eventually have a risk scoring system, which will be informed by data gathered in phase four and additional studies.

Geographic Variation in Polysubstance Use Study (KY GAPS)

This project pilots an early version of the novel polysubstance assessment tool in an R01 longitudinal cohort (R01DA048876, PI: Oser) of persons recently released from prison in Kentucky. This project is embedded within my K01, with the goal to (1) understand rural-urban differences in polysubstance use and (2) further refine the polysubstance use tool’s risk scoring.

Adaption of the STAIR-NT Trauma Intervention for Polysubstance Populations

This innovative pilot will use three aims to adapt an existing evidence-based PTSD intervention, Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation with Narrative Therapy (STAIR-NT), via a massed treatment model (i.e., condensed treatment schedule) for patients in MMT who are engaged in illicit opioid-stimulant polysubstance use. The following are the study aims: (1) to adapt the evidence-based intervention STAIR-NT for polysubstance use populations informed by the ADAPT-ITT framework, (2) to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the provisionally adapted STAIR-NT via an open pilot (n=10) to inform further adaptations, and (3) to conduct a small-scale randomized control pilot using the adapted intervention to examine implementation (i.e., feasibility and acceptability) and short-term polysubstance use and PTSD symptomology outcomes among MMT patients who are engaged in illicit opioid-stimulant polysubstance use. This project is a collaborative partnership with myself (MPI), Tanya Renn (FSU, MPI), and START Treatment & Recovery (Site PI, Ana Ventuneac).

Nutrition in Opioid Recovery (NOIR) Study

For individuals with opioid use disorder, there is preliminary research to support a proposed pathway whereby poor nutrition leads to an increase in craving and a relatedly increase in opioid use behaviors. With the long-term goal to inform nutritional interventions to improve treatment retention among persons receiving medications for opioid use disorder, the current research will provide foundational insights into the dietary habits, unmet nutritional needs, food environment limitations, and micronutrient deficiencies of persons currently receiving methadone treatment. This collaborative partnership includes myself (MPI), Kimberly Dong (Tufts, MPI), and Khary Rigg (UCF, Co-I). We are conducting a survey of individuals enrolled in methadone in Florida and New York City. A subsample will be invited to a qualitative interview and a subsample will complete self-administered micronutrient testing.

Peer Reviewed Publications

For the most current information, please visit my Google Scholar.

Bunting, Amanda M., Kathryn Nowotny,David Farabee, Jennifer McNeely, and Curt G. Beckwith. “Characteristics of Substance Use Screening at Intake in a Sample of U.S. Jails.” Accepted at The Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved.

Bunting, Amanda M., Robert Schwartz, Li-Tzy Wu, Aimee Wahle, Margaret Kline, Geetha Subramaniam, and Jennifer McNeely. “A Brief Screening and Assessment Tool for Opioid Use in Adults: Results from a Validation Study of The Tobacco, Alcohol, Prescription Medication, and Other Substances (TAPS) Tool.” Accepted at Journal of Addiction Medicine.

Bommersbach, Tanner, Marissa Justen, Amanda M. Bunting, Melissa Funaro, Erin Winstanley, and Paul J. Joudrey. “Multidimension Assessment of Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Across Urban and Rural Communities: A Scoping Review.” Accepted at International Journal of Drug Policy.

Frank, David, Noa Krawczyk, Joshua Arshonsky, Marie A. Bragg, Sam R. Friedman, and Amanda M. Bunting. 2022. “My Guy Usually Just Has Heroin but His Options Got Slim During Quarantine”: How Covid-19-Related Changes to Drug-Selling Networks Affected People Who Use Illegal Opioids.” Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. Online ahead of print.

Simran Arya, Suhas Nagappala, Noa Krawczyk, Yuanqi Gi, Meredith C. Meacham, and Amanda M. Bunting. 2022. “Fentanyl in Pressed Oxycodone Pills: A Qualitative Analysis of Online Community Experiences with an Emerging Drug Trend.” Substance Use & Misuse, 57(13):1940-1945.

Bunting, Amanda M., Noa Krawczyk, Tse-Hwei Choo, Martina Pavlicova, Jennifer McNeely, Babak Tofighi, John Rotrosen, Edward Nunes, and Joshua D. Lee. 2022. “Polysubstance Use Before and During Treatment with Medication for Opioid Use Disorder: Prevalence and Association with Treatment Outcomes.” Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment.

Townsend, Tarlie and Kline, David (joint first author), Ariadne Rivera-Aguirre, Amanda M. Bunting, Pia Mauro, Silvia Martins, Brandon Marshall, Magdalena Cerdá. 2022. “Racial/Ethnic and Geographic Trends in Combined Stimulant/Opioid Overdoses, 2007-2019.” The American Journal of Epidemiology 191(4):599-612.

Bunting Amanda M., Megan F. Dickson and Michele Staton. 2022. “Polysubstance Use and Re-incarceration in the 12-months after Release from Jail: A Latent Transition Analysis of Rural Appalachian Women.” The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse.

Arshonsky, Joshua, Noa Krawczyk, Amanda M. Bunting, David Frank, Samuel Friedman, and Marie Bragg. 2022. “Informal Coping Strategies among People who use Opioids During COVID-19: A Content Analysis of Reddit Forums.” JMIR Formative Research 6(3).

McNeely, Jennifer, Medha Mazumdar, Noa Appleton, Amanda M. Bunting, Antonia Polyn, Steven Floyd, Akarsh Sharma, Donna Shelley, Charles Cleland. 2022. “Leveraging Technology to Address Unhealthy Drug Use in Primary Care: Effectiveness of the Substance Use Screening and Intervention Tool (SUSIT) for Increasing Delivery of Brief Intervention During Routine Medical Encounters.” Substance Abuse 43(1):564-572.

Bunting, Amanda M., David Frank, Joshua Arshonsky, Marie Bragg, Samuel Friedman, and Noa Krawczyk. 2021. “Socially-Supportive Norms and Mutual Aid of People Who Use Opioids: An Analysis of Reddit During the Initial COVID-19 Pandemic.” Drug and Alcohol Dependence 222(1).

Bunting, Amanda M., Carrie B. Oser, Michele Staton, and Hannah K. Knudsen. 2021. “Pre-incarceration Polysubstance Use Involving Opioids: A Unique Risk Factor of Post-Release Return to Substance Use.” Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 127.

Krawczyk, Noa, Amanda M. Bunting, David Frank, Joshua Arshonsky, Yuanqi Gu, Samuel Friedman, and Marie Bragg. 2021. ““How Will I Get My Next Week’s Script?” Reactions of Reddit Opioid Forum Users to Changes in Treatment Access in the Early Months of the Coronavirus Pandemic.” International Journal of Drug Policy 92.

Staton, Michele, Amanda M. Bunting, Erika Pike, and Danelle Stevens-Watkins. 2021. “A Latent Class Analysis of Rural Women Who Use Drugs and Commit Crimes.” Journal of Rural Social Sciences 36(1): 1-21.

Bunting, Amanda M., Carrie B. Oser, Michele Staton, and Hannah Knudsen. 2020. “Polysubstance Use Patterns among Justice-Involved Individuals Who Use Opioids.” Substance Use & Misuse 55(13): 2165-2174.

Mark, Kristen, Laura Vowels, and Amanda M. Bunting. 2020.“The Impact of Bisexual Identity on Sexual and Relationship Satisfaction of Mixed Sex Couples.” Journal of Bisexuality. Advance on-line publicaction: doi-org./ 10.1080/15299716.2020.1734137

Harp, Kathi L.H. and Amanda M. Bunting. 2019. “The Racialized Nature of Child Welfare Policies and the Social Control of Black Bodies.” Social Politics, Advance on-line publication: https://doi.org/10.1093/sp/jxz039

Bunting, Amanda M., Grant Victor, Erika Pike, Michele Staton, Erin Winston, and Kevin Pangburn, 2019. “Heroin and Nonmedical Prescription Opioid Use among an Incarcerated Population in Kentucky, 2008-2016.” Criminal Justice Policy Review 31(5).

Bunting, Amanda M. and Janet Stamatel. 2019. “Exploring Geospatial Characteristics of Hashtag Activism in Ferguson, Missouri: An Application of Social Disorganization Theory.” Geoforum 104:55-62.

Smith, Kirsten E., Amanda M. Bunting, Robert Walker, Martin Hall, Oliver Grundmann, and Olivia Castillo. 2019. “Non-prescribed Buprenorphine Use Mediates the Relationship Between Recent Heroin Use and Kratom Use Among a Sample of Polysubstance-Users.” Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 51(4):311-322..

Smith, Kirsten E., Amanda M. Bunting, Seana Golder, Martin T. Hall, George Higgins, and TK Logan. 2019. “Prevalence and Correlates of Disability Among a Sample of Women with a History of Victimization on Probation and Parole.” Journal of Correctional Health Care 25(2):143-161.

Oser, Carrie, Kathi L.H. Harp, Erin Pullen, Amanda M. Bunting, Danelle Stevens-Watkins, and Michele Staton. 2019. “African American Women’s Tobacco and Marijuana Use: The Effects of Social Context, Substance Use Beliefs, and Risk Perceptions.” Substance Use & Misuse 54(6).

Bunting, Amanda M., Michele Staton, Erin Winston, and Kevin Pangburn. 2019. "Beyond the Employment Dichotomy: An Examination of Recidivism and Days Remaining in the Community by Post-Release Employment Status." International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology 63(5):712-733.

Bunting, Amanda M., Carrie B. Oser, Michele Staton, Katherine S. Eddens, and Hannah Knudsen. 2018. “Clinician Identified Barriers to Treatment for Individuals in Appalachia with Opioid Use Disorder Following Release from Prison: A Social Ecological Approach.” Addiction Science & Clinical Practice 13(23).

Love, Tony, Mairead Moloney, and Amanda M. Bunting. 2018. "Analyzing Virtual Manhood: Qualitative Analysis of Fappening-related Twitter Data." SAGE Research Methods Cases. doi: 10.4135/9781526429797

Smith, Kirsten, Amanda M. Bunting, Sara Shalash, Michele Staton-Tindall, Robert Walker, Erin Winston, and Kevin Pangburn. 2017. "Examination of synthetic cannabinoid and cathinone use among a drug-using offender sample 2013-2015." Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 49(5):436-445.

Oser, Carrie, Amanda M. Bunting, Erin Pullen, and Danelle Stevens-Watkins. 2016. "African American Female Offender's Use of Alternative and Traditional Health Services After Re-Entry: Examining the Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations." Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved 27(2):120-148.

Bunting, Amanda M. 2012. "A Sociological Study of Graffiti in Seville, Spain." Journal of Student Research 1(2): 51-54.