Alan R. Teo, M.D., M.S. (he/him)

  • Professor of Psychiatry, School of Medicine
  • Staff Psychiatrist, VA Portland Health Care System
  • Core Investigator, Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care (CIVIC), VA Portland Health Care System
  • Director, VA Advanced Fellowship in Health Systems Research, Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care (CIVIC)
  • Director of Education, Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care (CIVIC)
  • Biomedical Informatics Graduate Program, School of Medicine

Biography

Alan Teo, MD, MS, is Director of Education at the Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care (CIVIC) and Professor of Psychiatry at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). He is also Director of CIVIC’s Postdoctoral Fellowship in Health Systems Research and a staff psychiatrist at the VA Portland Health Care System.

Dr. Teo studies the role of social connection in our mental health, with a focus on loneliness, suicide prevention, social media and military veterans. He has published over 210 peer-reviewed journal articles, conference abstracts, and reports. An Investigator with the VA Suicide Prevention Research Impact Network, Dr. Teo has led studies evaluating highly scalable suicide prevention interventions, such the “VA S.A.V.E.” suicide prevention training, a Caring Contacts intervention called the “Buddy Check Postcard Project,” and a VA firearm safety campaign called “Keep It Secure.”

Fluent in Japanese and President of the Society for the Study of Psychiatry and Culture, Dr. Teo (pronounced “Tee-oh”) is an internationally recognized expert on hikikomori, collaborates extensively with researchers in Japan and globally, and has served as the Secretary General of the Pacific Rim College of Psychiatrists. He has served as a subject matter expert to national organizations and program offices, including the VA Office of Research and Development, VA Office of Connected Care and National Committee for Quality Assurance. His work has been featured in national and international media outlets, including the New York Times, CNN, NPR, and the Wall Street Journal.

Dr. Teo completed his training at Stanford University, the University of California, San Francisco, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program at the University of Michigan. In his personal time, he enjoys dispersed camping with his family and running ultramarathons.

Education and training

  • Degrees

    • B.A., 2001, Stanford University
    • M.D., 2007, University of California
    • M.S., 2012, University of Michigan

  • Residency

    • Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 2011

  • Fellowship

    • Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 2013

  • Certifications

    • Diplomate, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
    • Japanese Language Proficiency Test, Level 1 (highest level)

Memberships and associations:

  • Affiliate, Center for Japanese Studies, University of Michigan
  • Member, Board of Directors, Pacific Rim College of Psychiatrists
  • Member, Executive Committee, Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care, VA Portland Health Care System
  • President, Society for the Study of Psychiatry and Culture
  • Member, VA Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, S.A.V.E. Suicide Prevention Training Curriculum Workgroup

Areas of interest

  • Impact of Social Connection on Depression and Suicide Risk
  • Interventions for Suicide Prevention in Military Veterans
  • Hikikomori and Cultural Aspects of Social Withdrawal
  • Applications of Social Media to Health Services Research

Additional information

Publications

Elsevier pure profile

Publications

  • Adolescents and young adults with social withdrawal in France

    International Journal of Social Psychiatry
    1. Xavier Benarous
    2. Marie Jeanne Guedj
    3. Filomena Lomelo
    4. Faizla Mohamed
    5. Alan Robert Teo
    6. Hugues Pellerin

  • Effect of telehealth yoga on loneliness and social isolation among rural older adults

    Aging and Mental Health
    1. Alan R. Teo
    2. Mary C. Benton
    3. Elizabeth R. Hooker
    4. Belle Zaccari
    5. Nina J. Hidalgo
    6. Summer Newell
    7. Anaïs Tuepker
    8. David W. Greaves
    9. Francesca M. Nicosia

  • Analysis of the hikikomori phenomenon – an international infodemiology study of Twitter data in Portuguese

    BMC public health
    1. Francisca Correia Lopes
    2. Mariana Pinto da Costa
    3. Cesar I. Fernandez-Lazaro
    4. Francisco J. Lara-Abelenda
    5. Victor Pereira-Sanchez
    6. Alan R. Teo
    7. Miguel Angel Alvarez-Mon

  • An approach to evaluation of digital data in public health campaigns

    Digital Health
    1. Alan R. Teo
    2. Sean P.M. Rice
    3. Elizabeth Meyer
    4. Elizabeth Karras-Pilato
    5. Susan Strickland
    6. Steven K. Dobscha

  • Brief video training for suicide prevention in veterans

    Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior
    1. Alan R. Teo
    2. Elizabeth R. Hooker
    3. Aaron A. Call
    4. Steven K. Dobscha
    5. Stephanie Gamble
    6. Wendi F. Cross
    7. Carie Rodgers

  • Feasibility and perceptions of a benzodiazepine deprescribing quality improvement initiative for primary care providers in Japan

    BMC Primary Care
    1. Masahiro Nishimura
    2. Alan R. Teo
    3. Takahiro Mochizuki
    4. Naoki Fujiwara
    5. Masakazu Nakamura
    6. Daisuke Yamashita

  • Risk of Suicide-Related Outcomes After SARS-COV-2 Infection

    Journal of general internal medicine
    1. Denise M. Hynes
    2. Meike Niederhausen
    3. Jason I. Chen
    4. Troy A. Shahoumian
    5. Mazhgan Rowneki
    6. Alex Hickok
    7. Megan Shepherd-Banigan
    8. Eric J. Hawkins
    9. Jennifer Naylor
    10. Alan Teo
    11. Diana J. Govier
    12. Kristin Berry
    13. Holly McCready
    14. Thomas F. Osborne
    15. Edwin Wong
    16. Paul L. Hebert
    17. Valerie A. Smith
    18. C. Barrett Bowling
    19. Edward J. Boyko
    20. George N. Ioannou
    21. Theodore J. Iwashyna
    22. Matthew L. Maciejewski
    23. Ann M. O’Hare
    24. Elizabeth M. Viglianti
    25. Amy S.B. Bohnert

  • Sequenced treatment effectiveness for posttraumatic stress (STEPS) trial

    Contemporary Clinical Trials
    1. John C. Fortney
    2. Debra L. Kaysen
    3. Charles C. Engel
    4. Joseph M. Cerimele
    5. John P. Nolan
    6. Erin Chase
    7. Brittany E. Blanchard
    8. Stephanie Hauge
    9. Jared Bechtel
    10. Danna L. Moore
    11. Ashley Taylor
    12. Ron Acierno
    13. Nancy Nagel
    14. Rebecca K. Sripada
    15. Jacob T. Painter
    16. Bryann B. DeBeer
    17. Ellen Bluett
    18. Alan R. Teo
    19. Leslie A. Morland
    20. Patrick J. Heagerty

  • Validation of the German version of the 25-item hikikomori questionnaire 25

    International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research
    1. André Hajek
    2. Alan R. Teo
    3. Larissa Zwar
    4. Hans Helmut König

  • A Qualitative Study of VA Entrants’ Experiences Discussing Community Care With Veterans

    SAGE Open
    1. Sara E. Golden
    2. Megan Lafferty
    3. Anna Tyzik
    4. Diana Govier
    5. Jennifer Barton
    6. Alan R. Teo
    7. Samuel T. Edwards
    8. Sarah S. Ono
    9. Denise M. Hynes
    10. Christopher G. Slatore

  • Content and User Engagement of Health-Related Behavior Tweets Posted by Mass Media Outlets From Spain and the United States Early in the COVID-19 Pandemic

    JMIR Infodemiology
    1. Miguel Angel Alvarez-Mon
    2. Victor Pereira-Sanchez
    3. Elizabeth R. Hooker
    4. Facundo Sanchez
    5. Melchor Alvarez-Mon
    6. Alan R. Teo

  • Hikikomori

    Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences
    1. Hong Cai
    2. Sha Sha
    3. Qinge Zhang
    4. Tong Leong Si
    5. Yu Fei Liu
    6. Wan Ying Zheng
    7. Zhaohui Su
    8. Teris Cheung
    9. Gabor S. Ungvari
    10. Alan R. Teo
    11. Takahiro A. Kato
    12. Chee H. Ng
    13. Yu Tao Xiang

  • The Effects of Suicide Exposure on Mental Health Outcomes Among Post-9/11 Veterans

    JMIR Research Protocols
    1. Nina A. Sayer
    2. David B. Nelson
    3. Jaimie L. Gradus
    4. Rebecca K. Sripada
    5. Maureen Murdoch
    6. Alan R. Teo
    7. Robert J. Orazem
    8. Julie Cerel

  • Using Nudges to Reduce Missed Appointments in Primary Care and Mental Health

    Journal of general internal medicine
    1. Alan R. Teo
    2. Meike Niederhausen
    3. Robert Handley
    4. Emily E. Metcalf
    5. Aaron A. Call
    6. R. Lorie Jacob
    7. Brian J. Zikmund-Fisher
    8. Steven K. Dobscha
    9. Peter J. Kaboli

  • ВАЛИДИЗАЦИЯ И ОПЫТ ПРИМЕНЕНИЯ РУССКОЯЗЫЧНОЙ ВЕРСИИ ОПРОСНИКА ХИКИКОМОРИ (HQ-25)

    Psychology, Journal of the Higher School of Economics
    1. Ya S. Lyakina
    2. A. A. Fedorov
    3. A. R. Teo

  • Applying user-centered design in the development of nudges for a pragmatic trial to reduce no-shows among veterans

    Patient Education and Counseling
    1. Brian J. Zikmund-Fisher
    2. Anaïs Tuepker
    3. Emily E. Metcalf
    4. Wynn Strange
    5. Alan R. Teo

  • Examining Tweet Content and Engagement of Users With Tweets About Hikikomori in Japanese

    Journal of medical Internet research
    1. Victor Pereira-Sanchez
    2. Miguel Angel Alvarez-Mon
    3. Toru Horinouchi
    4. Ryo Kawagishi
    5. Marcus P.J. Tan
    6. Elizabeth R. Hooker
    7. Melchor Alvarez-Mon
    8. Alan R. Teo

  • Feasibility of recruitment and retention in a remote trial of gatekeeper training for close supports of military veterans

    Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications
    1. Alan R. Teo
    2. Aaron A. Call
    3. Elizabeth R. Hooker
    4. Clarissa Fong
    5. Elizabeth Karras
    6. Steven K. Dobscha

  • Patient Sense of Belonging in the Veterans Health Administration

    Medical care
    1. Megan Lafferty
    2. Wynn Strange
    3. Peter Kaboli
    4. Anaïs Tuepker
    5. Alan R. Teo

  • Psychometric Properties of the Italian Version of the 25-Item Hikikomori Questionnaire

    International journal of environmental research and public health
    1. Simone Amendola
    2. Fabio Presaghi
    3. Alan R. Teo
    4. Rita Cerutti

  • Psychometric Properties of the Italian Version of the 25-Item Hikikomori Questionnaire for Adolescents

    International journal of environmental research and public health
    1. Simone Amendola
    2. Fabio Presaghi
    3. Alan Robert Teo
    4. Rita Cerutti

  • Social relationship quality, depression and inflammation

    International Journal of Social Psychiatry
    1. Benjamin Kaveladze
    2. Allison Diamond Altman
    3. Meike Niederhausen
    4. Jennifer M. Loftis
    5. Alan R. Teo

  • Hikikomori, problematic internet use and psychopathology

    Giornale Italiano di Psicopatologia
    1. Simone Amendola
    2. Rita Cerutti
    3. Fabio Presaghi
    4. Valentina Spensieri
    5. Chiara Lucidi
    6. Elisa Silvestri
    7. Vassilij Di Giorgio
    8. Fabio Conti
    9. Alessandro Martorelli
    10. Gaia Izzi
    11. Alan Teo

  • Mutuality between military veterans with depression and their close supports; a qualitative study

    American Journal of Psychiatric Rehabilitation
    1. Sarah Yang
    2. Sarah Ono
    3. Wynn Strange
    4. Alan Teo