Dr. Sam Cacace is an Assistant Professor in Epidemiology and Community Health and Core Faculty with the UNC Charlotte Violence Prevention Center. She specializes in stigma from an ecological and psychosocial perspective, as well as advanced analytics and measurement, such as psychometrics, factor analysis, structural equation modeling, latent class and profile analysis, and other latent variable approaches. Dr. Cacace previously served as a postdoctoral research scholar, and then research scholar at NC State University’s Center for Family and Community Engagement, where she forged connections with campus military and veteran services, Team Red White and Blue, the Consortium for Health and Military Performance, NCServes, NC DHHS, and RTI International.
Dr. Cacace’s areas of interest are in health and wellness in vulnerable groups, suicide risk and prevention, measurement and survey design, and latent variable modeling. Currently, Dr. Cacace is examining stigma against military service as a barrier to help-seeking and wellness in the military and veteran community, means for improving cultural competency in health and mental health care workers and clinicians, and suicide prevention interventions and measurement tools using a team science approach.
Education
- Ph.D. – Washington State University, 2018, Experimental Psychology
- M.A. – North Carolina Central University, 2012, General Psychology
- B.A. – North Carolina State University, 2010, Psychology & Sociology
- A.A. – Wake Technical Community College, 2008
Teaching
- Organization Development and Behavior (HSMT 3204)
- Introduction to Health Services Research (HSRD 8201)
- Healthcare Data Analysis (HCIP 6102)
- Evidence-Based Methods in Public Health (HLTH 6211)
- Introduction to Quantitative Methods (HLTH 8201/HSRD 8206)
Research Interests/Areas of Expertise
- Stigma in vulnerable groups
- Survey methodology
- Dyadic research methods
- Measurement invariance
- Latent variable modeling
- Structural equation modeling (SEM)
- Item response theory (IRT)
- Differential item functioning (DIF)
- Latent class analysis
- Multi-level modeling
- Intensive longitudinal analysis
Awards & Honors
- 2019 APA Division 19 Challenge Coin Awardee
Community Involvement
- Stress, Health, and Aging Research Program (SHARP)
Selected Publications
Hill, R. M., Cacace, S.C., Starkey, A., Hendley, T., Bolner, J., Cummings, A., Hayes, A., & Cramer, R. J. (2025). The geographic identification of elevated suicide risk model: Evaluating a method for examining suicide-related behaviors at the neighborhood level in Harris County, Texas. BMC Public Health, 25. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-22490-0
Cacace, S., Smith, E.J., & Benson, J.K. (2024). Item-level psychometric properties of the CMNI-46: An item response theory analysis. Psychology of Men and Masculinities. Online pre-print. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/men0000509
Cramer, R.J., Cacace, S., Coffey, A., Robertson, R.A., Hazlett, E., Kaniuka, A.R., & Peiper, L.J. (2024). Latent profiles and psychosocial correlates of persistent self-injury among Incarcerated Adults. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry. Online pre-print. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101967
Cramer, R.J., Robertson, R.A., Nobles, M.R., Bowling,J., Cacace, S.C., Feinstein, B.A., & Rasmussen, S.A. (2023). Entrapment and Defeat scales: Factor structure assessment and variation by gender and sexual identity among adults in the United Kingdom. Journal of Personality Assessment. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223891.2023.2220400
Cramer, R.J., Cacace, S.C., Sorby, M., Adrian, M.E., Kehn, A., & Wilsey, C.N. (2022). A psychometric investigation of the Hate-Motivated Behavior Checklist. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. Online pre-print. https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605221127196
Cacace, S., Simons-Rudolph, J., & Dubljevic, V. (2022). Morality, impulsivity, and psychopathic tendencies: An empirical study. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.834734
Cacace, S., Smith, E., Cramer, R., Meca, A., & Desmarais, S.L. (2022). Military self-stigma as a mediator of the link between military identity and suicide risk. Military Psychology, 34(2), pp. 237-251. https://doi.org/10.1080/08995605.2021.1994329
Cacace, S., Smith, E., Desmarais, S.L., & Alders, E. (2022). Locale matters: Regional needs of U.S. military service members and veterans. Military Behavioral Health, 10(3), pp. 221-234. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/21635781.2021.1990813
Dubljević, V., Cacace, S., & Desmarais, S.L.(2021). Surveying ethics: A measurement model of preference for precepts implied in moral theory (PPIMT). Review of Philosophy and Psychology, 13, pp. 197-214. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13164-021-00530-z
Cunningham, C., Cramer, R.J., Cacace, S., Franks, M., & Demarais, S.L. (2020). The Coping Self-Efficacy Scale: Psychometric properties in an outpatient sample of active duty military personnel. Military Psychology, 32(3), 261-272. https://doi.org/10.1080/08995605.2020.1730683