Ben Balderson, PhD
Research Associate
Group Health Psychologist
206-287-2803
balderson.b@ghc.org
Recent publications
Curriculum vitae (CV)
Research interests and experience
- Behavior change: self-management support; treatment adherence; health behavior change; motivational interviewing; problem-solving therapy; CBT
- Chronic illness management: HIV management; chronic pain; insomnia; treatment adherence; self-management support
- Alternative approaches to healing: chronic pain
Ben Balderson is a clinical psychologist with specialties in adult behavior medicine/health psychology and pediatric/child psychology. He has expertise in behavioral and cognitive-behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and treatment adherence for chronic diseases—especially for HIV and chronic pain.
Dr. Balderson is interested in an overarching principle of improving self management for chronic health conditions and how they intersect with psychological health. His research has largely focused on developing and testing interventions to improve self management for chronic pain and HIV. He has a strong interest in marginalized or difficult-to-reach populations, including prisoners and people older than 50 who are living with HIV. He is also interested in telehealth and the use of technology to facilitate care—such as telephone counseling, electronic health records, and secure messaging.
A practicing psychologist at Group Health, Dr. Balderson provides care for adult patients—specializing in behavioral medicine and treatment of anxiety disorders. Thus, he has a strong interest in translation work, bringing empirically supported treatments to the frontlines of clinical care. He has extensive experience in provider training—particularly in ways clinicians can interact with patients to increase behavior change.
Dr. Balderson serves as a peer reviewer for several journals in the areas of pain and HIV and is an avid participant in Group Health committees and initiatives related to improving behavioral health care. His many professional memberships include the American Psychological Association, the Society of Behavioral Medicine, and the International Association of Providers for AIDS Care.
Recent publications
Balderson BH, Grothaus L, Harrison RG, McCoy K, Mahoney C, Catz S. Chronic illness burden and quality of life in an aging HIV population. AIDS Care. 2012 Aug 15. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Von Korff M, Vitiello MV, McCurry SM, Balderson BH, Moore AL, Baker LD, Yarbro P, Saunders K, Keefe FJ, Rybarczyk BD. Group interventions for co-morbid insomnia and osteoarthritis pain in primary care: the lifestyles cluster randomized trial design. Contemp Clin Trials. 2012 Jul;33(4):759-68. Epub 2012 Mar 30.
Catz SL, Thibodeau L, Bluespruce J, Yard SS, Seal DW, Amico KR, Bogart LM, Mahoney C, Balderson BH, Sosman JM. Prevention needs of HIV-positive men and women awaiting release from prison. AIDS Behav. 2012 Jan;16(1):108-20. PubMed
McCurry SM, Von Korff M, Vitiello MV, Saunders K, Balderson BH, Moore AL, Rybarczyk BD. Frequency of comorbid insomnia, pain, and depression in older adults with osteoarthritis: predictors of enrollment in a randomized treatment trial. J Psychosom Res. 2011;71(5):296-9. Epub 2011 Jul 1. PubMed
Levine MD, Ross TR, Balderson BH, Phelan EA. Implementing group medical visits for older adults at Group Health Cooperative. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2010 Jan;58(1):168-72. Epub 2009 Dec 9. PubMed
Phelan EA, Balderson B, Levine M, Erro JH, Jordan L, Grothaus L, Sandhu N, Perrault PJ, Logerfo JP, Wagner EH. Delivering effective primary care to older adults: a randomized, controlled trial of the senior resource team at Group Health Cooperative. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2007;55(11):1748-56. PubMed
Levine M, Phelan EA, Balderson BHK, Wagner EH. Collaborative treatment planning for older patients in primary care. Generations. 2006;30(3):83-5.
Von Korff M, Balderson BH, Saunders K, Miglioretti DL, Lin EH, Berry S, Moore JE, Turner JA. A trial of an activating intervention for chronic back pain in primary care and physical therapy settings. Pain. 2005;113(3):323-30. PubMed
Balderson, BHK, Lin EHB, Von Korff M. The management of pain-related fear in primary care. In: Understanding and Treating Fear of Pain. Vlaeyen GWS, Asmundson G, Crombez G (Eds). Oxford Press, 2004.
Mullins LL, Hartman VL, Chaney JM, Balderson BH, Hoff AL. Training experiences and theoretical orientations of pediatric psychologists. J Pediatr Psychol. 2003;28(2):115-22. PubMed
To view more publications, please see Dr. Balderson''s CV.