Research Psychologist
Center for Behavioral Health Epidemiology, Economics, and Treatment Research (BeHEEst)
RTI International

Kathy Batts is a research psychologist in RTI’s Center for Behavioral Health Epidemiology, Economics, and Treatment Research (BeHEEst)with more than 30 years of experience in conducting behavioral health research. Dr. Batts has earned a doctorate in community psychology at North Carolina State University and a master’s in psychiatric epidemiology from the Washington University School of Medicine. She is currently serving as Project Director for a study for the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development on prenatal and childhood mechanisms of health disparities, and a study director for a clinical validation study of substance use disorders for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Her project experience includes several large national surveys on health care, substance abuse, and mental health, including the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) Mental Health Surveillance study, the National Study of Americans’ Reactions to September 11th, and the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study. She is a co-author of several psychiatric assessment interviews, including the Diagnostic Interview Schedule—Version IV (DIS-IV), and the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents (DICA) interviews for adolescents (aged 13 to 17) and parents of young children (aged 3 to 7). Dr. Batts has co-authored several articles for peer-reviewed publications, including the Journal of the American Medical Association. Dr. Batts’ research interests include looking at correlates and outcomes of trauma, substance use, substance use, and substance use disorders across gender and racial/ethnic groups.