Lucas Torres, Ph.D.

Lucas Torres, Ph.D.Marquette University

Cramer Hall, 317B

MilwaukeeWI53201United States of America(414) 288-5439lucas.torres@marquette.edu

Chair and Professor

Psychology

Research Lab: Mental Health Disparities Research Lab

Education

Multicultural Post-doctoral Research Fellowship, Multicultural Research Institute, University of Notre Dame

Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University

Clinical Internship, Center for Multicultural Training in Psychology, Boston University Medical Center

Courses Taught

At the undergraduate level, Dr. Torres teaches Abnormal Psychology and General Psychology. At the graduate level, he teaches Adult Psychopathology and Multicultural Psychology.

Research Interests

My research interests focus on understanding the structural, socio-environmental, and individual factors that influence mental health disparities. With an emphasis on community-based approaches, this research seeks to identify the mechanisms that contribute to mental health problems, namely depression, anxiety, alcohol use, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). One line of research investigates the psychological consequences associated with culturally-specific stressors, such as ethnic discrimination, ethnic microaggression, and acculturative stress, and neighborhood-level factors including exposure to community violence and economic stress. Another avenue of study has been to identify the factors that reduce disparities or protect individuals from negative psychological outcomes. This work focuses on ethnic identity, cultural values, intercultural competence, resilience and thriving, social cohesion as key buffers to mental health outcomes.

Research Projects

Milwaukee Trauma Outcomes Project (MTOP; http://milwaukeetrauma.com ).

Dr. Torres is currently a co-Principal Investigator (co-PI) of MTOP which seeks to advance research and community prevention efforts pertaining to trauma and the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), particularly among racial and ethnic minorities living in Milwaukee. MTOP includes interdisciplinary scholars partnering to further understand the social and biological factors that contribute to PTSD. Projects include:

1.  Study of Trauma and Resilience (STAR) – Longitudinal study that examines the role of social stressors (e.g., exposure to community violence, racial discrimination) and biologic vulnerability (e.g., gene expression, allostatic load) as they contribute to PTSD among recently-injured Black American adults.

2.  Dismantling Racism and InVigorating Equity (DRIVE) Together Study – Uses geospatial analyses with individual data to document risk and protective factors in the context of racial/ethnic discrimination among Black Americans living in Milwaukee

Mental Health Disparities Research Lab

Dr. Torres is the director of the Mental Health Disparities research lab, which seeks to examine the risk and protective factors associated with mental health among marginalized individuals in the community and on the university campus.

1.  College stressors and belonging – Examines the unique stressors experienced by students of color on a predominantly white institution (PWI) in relation to psychological outcomes. This work also investigates the role of belonging as a potential buffer to adversity.

2.  Medical mistrust study– Examines the role of medical mistrust in relation to treatment seeking and mental health among Black adults. 

Latina/o Well-Being Research Initiative (LWRI; https://www.marquette.edu/latino-well-being/ )

Dr. Torres is the co-Director of LWRI, which seeks to develop equitable, mutually beneficial community-academic research partnerships with the goal of conducting innovative and impactful research within the Latinx community in Milwaukee. Our main objective is to make LWRI a major research hub that directly addresses the daily lives of Latinxs in Milwaukee in a way that brings systemic change and promotes healthy lifestyles. Projects include:

1.  Salud Mental Milwaukee- Community needs assessment documenting the mental health of Latinx adults in Milwaukee.

2.  COVID-19 Latinx Study – Examined the impact of COVID-19 on the well-being of Latinx adults living in the Midwest region of the United States.

Selected Publications

Torres, L., Capielo Rosario, C., & Carlos Chavez, F.L. (2025). The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on U.S. Latinx Mental Health: A Validation of the Epidemic-Pandemic Impacts Inventory (EPII) Scale. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 95 (3), 322-333.https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000791

Torres, L., Kohlbeck, S., *Harb, F., *Pachicano, J., Edwards, L.M., Schramm, A.T. (2025). Ethnic Discrimination and Suicidal Ideation among Latinx Women. Journal of Latinx Psychology, 13(2), 185-195. https://doi.org/10.1037/lat0000275

Torres, L., Cerezo, A., Jones, I.I., Carlos Chavez, F.L., & Cadenas, G. (2025). Alcohol Misuse During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Stressors and Intersectionality among Latinx Women. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 31(1), 23-32. https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000594

Torres, L., Geier, T.J., Tomas, C.W., Bird, C.M., Timmer-Murillo, S., Larson, C.L., & deRoon-Cassini, T.A. (2024). Racial discrimination increases risk for non-remitting PTSD symptoms in traumatically injured Black Americans. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 37, 697-709. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.23051

Edwards, L.M., Torres, L., *Loyo, K., & *Lewis, K. (2023). Hope as a Moderator of Intimate Partner Violence and Suicide Risk Behaviors among Latinas. Violence Against Women, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1177/10778012231200476

Mata-Greve, F., & Torres, L. (2023). Examining Hopelessness as a link between discrimination and depression among Latinx Women: A Brief Report. Stigma and Health, 8(2), 262-265. https://doi.org/10.1037/sah0000289 

Pachicano, J., Torres, L., Heredia, V., & Edwards, L.M. (2023). COVID-19 and Latinx alcohol use: The role of health insurance. Journal of Latinx Psychology, 11(1), 76-87. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/lat0000214

Torres, L., *Pachicano, J., *Bird, C.M., & Edwards, L. M. (2022). Ethnic Discrimination, Social Cohesion, and Mental Health Among Latinx Adults. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 92, 51-57.

Bird, C., Webb, E.K., Schramm, A. T., Torres, L., Larson, C., & deRoon-Cassini, T. A. (2021). Racial Discrimination is Associated with Acute Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms and Predicts Future PTSD in Trauma-Exposed Black American Adults. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 34, 995-1004.