Graham Berlin

Degree in Progress
PhD in Clinical Psychology, Toronto Metropolitan University

Degrees
2021 Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology, Toronto Metropolitan University
2019 Bachelor of Arts (honours) in Psychology, University of Victoria
2014 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance, Concordia University

Research Interests
Graham’s current research examines the sexualized use of methamphetamine among sexual minority men with a focus on identifying psychosocial antecedents of methamphetamine use as well as unique predictors of methamphetamine use problems. Broadly, Graham is interested in the effects of stigma and discrimination on mental health and how relevant sociocultural frameworks can be used to adapt existing evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions to meet the unique needs of minority and marginalized individuals.

Selected Awards
2023 Canadian Psychological Association Student Award for Clinical Excellence
2022 Canadian Psychological Association Certificate of Academic Excellence (for Master’s Thesis)

Research Support
2021 – 2024    SSHRC Canada Graduate Student – Doctoral Award (Joseph-Armand Bombardier Scholarship)
2023                American Psychological Association, Malyon-Smith Research Award

Journal Articles

  1. Hart, T.A., Noor, S.W., Tavangar, F., Berlin, G.W., Skakoon-Sparling, S., Tan, D. H. S., Lambert, G., Grace, D., Jollimore, J., Sang, J. M., Kirschbaum, A.L., Kanji, R., Apelian, H., Cox, J., Moore, D. M., & Lachowsky, N. (2023). Crystal methamphetamine use and bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among gay, bisexual and other sexual minority men in Canada. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 242, 109718. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109718
  2. Berlin, G.W., Fulcher, K., Taylor, K., Nguyen, T., Montiel, A., Moore, D., Hull, M., & Lachowsky, N. J. (2022). Links between childhood abuse, insidious trauma, and methamphetamine use across the lifespan among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men: A qualitative analysis. Journal of Homosexuality, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2022.2089075
  3. Fulcher, K., Berlin, G., Taylor, K., Wells, A., Nguyen, T., Moore, D., Hull, M., & Lachowsky, N. J. (2022). Understanding the service needs and preferences of men who have sex with men who use crystal methamphetamine in British Columbia, Canada: A qualitative study. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-022-00848-4
  4. Hart, T. A., Noor, S. W., Berlin, G. W., Skakoon-Sparling, S., Tavangar, F., Tan, D., Lambert, G., Grace, D., Lachowsky, N. J., Jollimore, J., Sang, J., Parlette, A., Lal, A., Apelian, H., Moore, D., & Cox, J. (2022). Pre-exposure prophylaxis and bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among gay and bisexual men. Sexually Transmitted Infections, sextrans-2021-055381. https://doi.org/10.1136/sextrans-2021-055381
  5. Skakoon‐Sparling, S., Card, K. G., Novick, J. R., Berlin, G.W., Lachowsky, N. J., Adam, B., Brennan, D. J., Sang, J. M., Noor, S. W., Cox, J., Moore, D. M., Grace, D., Grey, C., Daroya, E., & Hart, T. A. (2022). The relevance of communal altruism for sexual minority men in contemporary contexts. Journal of Community Psychology, jcop.22923. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.22923
  6. Card, K. G., McGuire, M., Berlin, G.W., Wells, G. A., Fulcher, K., Nguyen, T., Hart, T. A., Skakoon Sparling, S., & Lachowsky, N. J. (2022). Does treatment readiness shape service-design preferences of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men who use crystal methamphetamine? A cross sectional study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(6), 3458. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063458
  7. Skakoon-Sparling, S., Cox, J., Lachowsky, N. J., Kirshbaum, A. L., Berlin, G. W., Gaspar, M., Adam, B. D., Brennan, D. J., Moore, D. M., Apelian, H., Sang, J. M., Jollimore, J., Grace, D., Grey, C., & Hart, T. A. (2022). Minority stressors and connectedness among urban gay, bisexual, and queer men. Psychology of Men & Masculinities. https://doi.org/10.1037/men0000388
  8. Skakoon-Sparling, S., Berlin, G., Lachowsky, N. J., Moore, D. M., Lambert, G., Cox, J., Grace, D., Apelian, H., Sang, J. M., & Hart, T. A. (2022). Social support and HIV prevention behaviors among urban HIV-negative gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. Health Psychology, 41(1), 65–75. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0001131
  9. Card, K.G., McGuire, M., Bond-Gorr, J., Nguyen, T., Wells, G.A., Fulcher, K., Berlin, G., Pal, N., Hull, M.& Lachowsky, N.J. (2021). Perceived difficulty of accessing substance use treatment programs among sexual and gender minority men who have sex with men (SGMSM) and use methamphetamine. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy.
  10. Lachowsky, N. J., Brennan, D. J., Berlin, G.W., Souleymanov, R., Georgievski, G., & Kesler, M. (2021). A mixed method analysis of differential reasons for condom use and non-use among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 30(1), 65–77. https://doi.org/10.3138/cjhs.2020-0002

Research Reports

  1. Arthur, S., G., Card, K., Carson, A., Goodyear, T., Jollimore, J., Klassen, B., Krell, S., Mniszak, C., Montiel, A., Purdie, A., Knight, R., Lachowsky, N. (2021). Supporting gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and two-spirit (GBT2Q) people who use crystal methamphetamine. Community-Based Research Centre. https://www.cbrc.net/supporting_gbt2q_people_who_use_crystal_meth
  2. McGuire, M., Card, K.G., Fulcher, K., Berlin, G., Wells, A., Nguyen, T., Lachowsky, N.J. (2020). The crystal methamphetamine project: Understanding the need for culturally-safe supports and services addressing crystal methamphetamine use among gay, bi, and queer men. Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research. https://www.cbrc.net/crystal_meth_project

Selected Conference Presentations (* indicates presenter)

  1. Berlin, G.W*., Dermody, S.S., Noor, S.W., Skakoon-Sparling, S., Zahran, A., Card, K.G., Lachowsky, N.J., Cox, J., Moore, D.M., Lambert, G., Gaspar, M., Jollimore, J., Grace, D., & Hart, T.A. (2022, November). Stigma, psychological distress, and cognitive/behavioral factors as unique predictors of methamphetamine use among sexual minority men living with HIV: Implications for harm reduction and support services. [Poster presentation]. Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, 56th Annual Convention, New York, NY, United States.
  2. Berlin, G*., Noor, S., Skakoon-Sparling, S., Zahran, A., Card, K.G., Lachowsky, N.J., Moore, D., Lambert, G., Gaspar, M., Jollimore, J., Grace, D., Parlette, A., Apelian, H., Sang, J., Grey, C., Daroya, E., & Hart, T.A. (2022, May) Effects of discrimination, psychological distress, and coping responses on methamphetamine use among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM) living with HIV and HIV-negative GBM. [Oral presentation] 31st Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research (CAHR 2022). [virtual conference due to COVID-19]
  3. Berlin, G.W*., Noor, S., Skakoon-Sparling, S., Card, K.G., Lachowsky, N.J., Cox, J., Moore, D., Lambert, G., Gaspar, M., Jollimore, J., Grace, D., & Hart, T.A. (2021, November). Examining social and psychological pathways to methamphetamine use in a large multi-site sample of sexual minority men. In Berlin, G.W., & Hart, T.A. (Chairs), Drivers of substance use among populations of sexuality minority men and women: Social determinants of substance use disparities and indications for culturally informed practice. Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, 55th Annual Convention, New Orleans, LA, United States [virtual conference due to COVID-19].
  4. Berlin, G*., Noor, S., Skakoon-Sparling, S., Card, K.G., Lachowsky, N.J., Cox, J., Moore, D., Lambert, G., Gaspar, M., Jollimore, J., Grace, D., & Hart, T.A. (2021, May 3-5). Social determinants of methamphetamine use among gay, bisexual, and queer men living with HIV. [Poster presentation] The 30th Annual Canadian Conference for HIV/AIDS Research [virtual conference due to COVID-19].
  5. Berlin, G*., Noor, S., Skakoon-Sparling, S., Lachowsky, N., Cox, J., Moore, D., Lambert, G., Sang, J., Gaspar, M., Jollimore, J., Grace, D., & Hart, T.A. (2020, November). Psychosocial predictors of crystal methamphetamine use among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM): The importance of depression and cognitive escape. In Hart, T.A. (Chair), Sexual minority stress and health disparities: Indications for intervention development and adaptation to increase treatment access and outcomes for diverse populations of sexual minority individuals. [Symposium] Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, 54th Annual Convention, Philadelphia, PA, United States [virtual conference due to COVID-19].
  6. Berlin, G*., Noor, S., Skakoon-Sparling, S., Lachowsky, N.J., Cox, J., Moore, D., Lambert, G., Gaspar, M., Jollimore, J., Grace, D., & Hart, T.A. (2020, October). Sexualized methamphetamine use among gay, bisexual, and queer men: The need to address symptoms of depression and cognitive escape. [Poster presentation]. Community-Based Research Centre Summit, Vancouver BC, Canada [virtual conference due to COVID-19].
  7. Berlin, G*., Noor, S., Skakoon-Sparling, S., Lachowsky, N., Cox, J., Moore, D., Lambert, G., Sang, J., Gaspar, M., Jollimore, J., Grace, D., & Hart, T.A. (2020, May). Psychosocial predictors of crystal methamphetamine use among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM): The importance of depression and cognitive escape. [Poster presentation] The Annual Canadian Conference for HIV/AIDS Research, Quebec City, QC, Canada [virtual conference due to COVID-19].
  8. Taylor, K., Berlin, G*., Fulcher, K., Card, K.G., Lachowsky, N.J. (2019, October). Managing internalized homonegativity with methamphetamine: Meth phenomenology, pleasure, intimacy, and the loss of inhibition between men who have sex with men. In Fulcher, K. (Chair), Chemsex: Sexualized substance use among gay, bi and queer men. [Symposium]. Annual Canadian Sex Research Forum Conference, Victoria, BC, Canada.
  9. Taylor, K., Berlin, G*., Fulcher, K*., Nguyen, T., Roth, E.A., Moore, D., & Lachowsky, N.J. (2019, May). Impact of historical and contemporary biographical traumas on methamphetamine use: A comparative analysis of HIV+ and HIV- sexual minority men in the chemsex scene. [Paper presentation]. 28th Annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
  10. Taylor, K., Berlin, G*., Fulcher, K*., Nguyen, T., Roth, E.A., Moore, D., & Lachowsky, N.J. (2019, May). Chemsex complications: sexual health knowledge, access, and behaviours for HIV-positive and HIV-negative sexual minority men who use crystal methamphetamine. [poster] 28th Annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.