I am an Acting Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington. I received my MD, MPH from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and completed my adult residency at the University of Washington where I was chief resident. I then went on to complete a fellowship in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry at the University of Washington. I am currently on faculty at Harborview Medical Center on the inpatient psychiatry unit and inpatient psychiatry consult service. I have a longstanding interest in the intersection between medicine and psychiatry and in working with people who suffer from serious mental illness and treatment-resistant conditions. I have clinical interests in ECT, psychopharmacology, co-morbid medical conditions, and adjunctive psychotherapies. I value caring for the whole person through thorough and accurate diagnosis, treating co-morbid medical conditions, and minimizing medications when possible. I have teaching interests in reducing stigma surrounding serious mental illness and educating residents and medical students about psychiatric care.
I am an adult psychiatrist and palliative medicine physician within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. I am dual board certified within the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and American Board of Internal Medicine. I practice at Harborview Medical Center (HMC) on both palliative care consult and inpatient psychiatry teams. I chair HMC Psychiatry Quality Improvement (QI) committee. My main areas of interest and expertise are in: the care and treatment of patients facing serious mental illness (SMI), particularly those with co-occurring chronic medical illness; complex communication skills with patients and families; the use of person-centered language in medicine; interprofessional teamwork. I provide clinical teaching and QI mentorship to medical trainees such as residents and medical students. I am the former co-director of the interprofessional health-sciences elective “The Healer’s Art.” I am a member of the Northwest Narrative Medicine Collaborative.
Personal Statement
Dr. Cadigan is an Assistant Professor and licensed psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Missouri in 2016 and then completed clinical psychology internship and fellowship at the University of Washington Medical Center.
Her program of research focuses on adolescent and young adult health and wellbeing, with an emphasis on the etiology, prevention, and intervention of substance misuse and co-occurring mental health concerns. This work aims to develop, test, and disseminate innovative prevention and intervention programs to reduce substance misuse and improve mental health among adolescents and young adults. This work has included developing and testing programs for young adults who use substances to cope with negative affect and loneliness. Her work has also examined etiological factors related to co-occurring mental health and substance use, including the effects of loneliness, depression, coping motives, social support, solitary substance use, and factors associated with improving access to mental health care.
Clinically, she works with adolescents presenting with depression and suicidality at Seattle Children’s Hospital in the Behavioral Health Crisis Care Clinic and in the Mood and Anxiety Program.
- Recent Grants:
- We are currently enrolling young adults ages 21-29 in Project MAX: https://sites.uw.edu/projectmax/
- Development of a behavioral economic intervention with personalized resource allocation feedback to reduce young adult alcohol misuse (PI: Cadigan, NIH/NIAAA1R34AA029478)
- Development of an interactive, we-based drinking to cope intervention and tools to assess coping skill utilization (PI: Cadigan, NIH/NIAAA R34AA028074)
My career is dedicated to the field of Emergency Psychiatry and providing excellent clinical care for patients with acute presentations as part of a stellar team of coworkers. I am also active in developing guidelines for competent mental health care in the Emergency setting, including ensuring adequate medical clearance and detailing processes and procedures for a complete mental health evaluation. I am committed to the education our next generations of psychiatrists as they develop into capable, competent, compassionate providers who advocate for their patients and have an eye to equitable utilization of resources.
Personal Statement
I am a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington. I received my MD from New York University and completed my adult residency at the Harvard Massachusetts General Hospital/McLean Hospital program where I was chief resident. I then went on to complete a fellowship in psychosomatic medicine at the University of Washington. I am currently on faculty at Harborview Medical Center on the inpatient psychiatry consult service.
I have a longstanding interest in the intersection between medicine and psychiatry, and am the author of numerous published articles on topics ranging from the neuropsychiatric effects of steroids to managing borderline personality disorder in the primary care setting. I have a particular interest in the use of electroconvulsive therapy, including in the treatment of catatonia. I am currently involved in research projects in conjunction with the division of nephrology and the neurosurgery department. In addition to my clinical and research interests, I am also an associate program director for the UW Adult Psychiatry Residency at Harborview Medical Center.
Personal Statement
I am a board-certified Psychiatrist at Harborview and UW Medicine and a UW Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.
I enjoy acting as a consultant to my patients in helping them achieve their healthcare and life goals.
My clinical interests include medical student and resident education, medical co-morbidities of psychiatric patients and evidenced-based medicine. I practice, teach, and supervise in Harborview’s acute inpatient psychiatric units as an Attending Physician and Medical Director of Inpatient Psychiatry.
