Dr. Abramowitz is the founder and Director of the Anxiety and Stress Disorders Clinic at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill. He is also Associate Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at UNC, and Associate Chair of the UNC Department of Psychology. Dr. Abramowitz received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Memphis, and completed a predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania Center for Treatment and Study of Anxiety in Philadelphia. Dr. Abramowitz’s clinical and research interests include cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders, and the cognitive and behavioral processes that underlie anxiety disorders, particularly obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, health anxiety, and social anxiety. Dr. Abramowitz is board certified in clinical psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). He is the recipient of numerous research grants, and his contributions to the science and practice of psychology have been recognized through awards from the Mayo Clinic and Division 12 of the American Psychological Association. He also served on the Anxiety Disorders Working Group for the development of the DSM-IV-TR.
Dr. Abramowitz is the author of over 100 journal articles and book chapters, and over 150 presentations to national and international organizations. He has authored or edited 5 books, including: Concepts and Controversies in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Understanding and Treating Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Cognitive-Behavioral Approach, and the Clinical Handbook of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Related Problems. (with Drs. S. Taylor and D. McKay). Dr. Abramowitz is an Associate Editor of the journal Behaviour Research and Therapy and the Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy and serves on the Editorial Boards of several additional scientific journals. He is on advisory boards of the Obsessive Compulsive Foundation and Anxiety Disorders Association of America, and on the Board of Directors of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (formerly AABT). Dr. Abramowitz has been interviewed for The Washington Post and the Chicago Sun Times, Associated Press, and has made appearances on numerous radio and TV programs about anxiety disorders.
Representative Books and Research Publications
Abramowitz, J. S. & Houts, A. C. (Eds.) (2005). Concepts and controversies in obsessive-compulsive disorder. New York, NY: Springer.
Abramowitz, J. S. (2006). Understanding and treating obsessive-compulsive disorder: A cognitive-behavioral approach. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Abramowitz, J. S. (2006). Obsessive-compulsive disorder: Advances in psychotherapy—evidence based practice. Cambridge, MA: Hogrefe & Huber.
Abramowitz, J. S., McKay, D., & Taylor, S. (2008). Obsesive-compulsive disorder: Subtypes and spectrum conditions. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Abramowitz, J. S., Taylor, S., & McKay, D. (Eds.) (2008). Clinical handbook of obsessive-compulsive disorder and related problems. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press
Abramowitz, J.S. (1996). Variants of exposure and response prevention in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder: A meta-analysis. Behavior Therapy, 27, 583-600.
Abramowitz, J.S. (1997). Effectiveness of psychological and pharmacological treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder: A quantitative review of the controlled treatment literature. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 65, 44-52.
Abramowitz, J.S. (1998). Does cognitive-behavioral therapy cure obsessive-compulsive disorder? A meta-analytic evaluation of clinical significance. Behavior Therapy, 29, 339-355.
Abramowitz, J. S. & Foa, E. B. (2000). Does comorbid major depressive disorder influence outcome of exposure and response prevention for OCD? Behavior Therapy, 31, 795-800.
Abramowitz, J.S., Franklin, M.E., Kozak, M.J., Street, G.P., & Foa, E.B. (2000). The effects of pretreatment depression on cognitive-behavioral treatment outcome in OCD clinic patients. Behavior Therapy, 31, 517-528.
Franklin, M.E., Abramowitz, J.S., Kozak, M.J., Levine, J., & Foa, E.B. (2000). Effectiveness of exposure and ritual prevention for obsessive-compulsive disorder: A comparison of randomized and clinic patients. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68, 594-602.
Franklin, M. E., Abramowitz, J. S., Bux, D. A., Zoellner, L. A., & Feeny, N. C. (2002). Cognitive-behavioral therapy with and without medication in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Professional psychology Research and Practice, 33, 162-168.
Abramowitz, J. S., Franklin, M. E., Zoellner, L. A., & DiBernardo, C. L. (2002). Treatment compliance and outcome of cognitive-behavioral therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Behavior Modification, 26, 447-463.
Abramowitz, J. S., Foa, E. B., & Franklin, M. E. (2003). Exposure and ritual prevention for obsessive-compulsive disorder: Effectiveness of intensive versus twice-weekly treatment sessions. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 71, 394-398.
Abramowitz, J. S., Franklin, M. E., Schwartz, S. A., & Furr, J. M. (2003). Symptom presentation and outcome of cognitive-behavior therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 71, 1049-1057.
Abramowitz, J. S., Whiteside, S. P., & Deacon, B. J. (2005). The effectiveness of treatment for pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder: A meta-analysis. Behavior Therapy, 36, 55-63.
Abramowitz, J. S. (2006). The psychological treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 51, 407-416.
Diefenbach, G. J., Abramowitz, J. S., Norberg, M., & Tolin, D. F. (2007). Changes in quality of life following cognitive-behavior therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 35, 3060-3068.
Deacon, B. J., & Abramowitz, J. S. (2006). A pilot study of two-day cognitive-behavioral treatment for panic disorder. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 44, 807-817.
Abramowitz, J.S., Tolin, D.F., & Street, G.P. (2001) Paradoxical effects of thought suppression: A meta-analysis of controlled studies. Clinical Psychology Review, 21, 683-703.
Tolin, D. F., Abramowitz, J. S., Przeworski, A., & Foa, E. B. (2002). Thought suppression in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 40, 1251-1270.
Tolin, D. F., Abramowitz, J. S., Brigidi, B., & Foa, E. B. (2003). Intolerance of uncertainty in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 17, 233-242.
Abramowitz, J. S., Whiteside, S., Kalsy, S.A., & Tolin, D. F. (2003). Thought control strategies in obsessive-compulsive disorder: A replication and extension. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 41, 529-540.
Abramowitz, J. S., Whiteside, S. P., Lynam, D., & Kalsy, S. A. (2003). Is thought-action fusion specific to obsessive-compulsive disorder: A mediating role of negative affect. Behaviour Research and Therapy,41, 1069-1079.
Abramowitz, J. S., Khandker, M., Nelson, C. A., Deacon, B. J., & Rygwall, R. (2006). The role of cognitive factors in the pathogenesis of obsessions and compulsions: A prospective study. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 44, 1361-1374.
Deacon, B. J., Abramowitz, J. S. (2006). Anxiety sensitivity and its dimensions across the anxiety disorders. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 20, 837-857.
Abramowitz, J. S., Nelson, C. A., Rygwall, & Khandker, M. (2007). The cognitive mediation of obsessive-compulsive symptoms: a longitudinal study. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 21, 91-104.
Abramowitz, J. S., Storch, E. A., Keeley, M., & Cordell, E. (2007). Obsessive-compulsive disorder with comorbid major depressive disorder: What is the role of cognitive factors? Behaviour Research and Therapy, 45, 2257-2267.
Deacon, B. J. & Abramowitz, J. S. (2005). The Yale-Brown obsessive compulsive scale: factor analysis, construct validity, and suggestions for refinement. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 19, 573-585.
Abramowitz, J. S. Tolin, D. F., & Diefenbach, G. J. (2005). Measuring change in OCD: Sensitivity of the Obsessive Compulsive Inventory-Revised. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 27, 317-324.
Abramowitz, J. S. & Deacon, B. J. (2006). Psychometric properties and construct validity of the obsessive-compulsive inventory-revised: Replication and extension with a clinical sample. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 20, 1016-1035.
Taylor, S., Zvolensky, M., Cox, B., Deacon, B., Heimberg, R., Ledley, D. R., Abramowitz, J. S., Holoway, R., Sandin, B., Stewart, S., Coles, M., Eng, W., Daly, E., Arrindell, W., Bouvard, M., & Cardenas, S. (2007). Robust dimensions of anxiety sensitivity: Development and initial validation of the anxiety sensitivity index-3 (ASI-3). Psychological Assessment, 19, 176-188.
Abramowitz, J. S., Schwartz, S. A., Moore, K. M. & Luenzmann, K. R., (2003). Obsessive-compulsive symptoms in pregnancy and the puerperium: A review of the literature. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 17, 461-478.
Fairbrother, N., & Abramowitz, J. S. (2007). New parenthood as a risk factor for the development of obsessional problems. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 2155-2163.
Abramowitz, J. S., & Houts, A. C. (2002). What is OCD and what is not: Problems with the OCD spectrum concept. Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice, 1, 139-156.
McKay, D., Abramowitz, J., Calamari, J., Kyrios, M., Radomsky, A., Sookman, D., Taylor, S., & Wilhelm, S. (2004). A critical evaluation of obsessive-compulsive disorder subtypes: symptoms versus mechanisms. Clinical Psychology Review, 24, 283-313.
Whiteside, S. P., Port, J. D., & Abramowitz, J. S. (2004). A review and meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 132, 69-79.
Whiteside, S. P., Port, J. D., Deacon, B. J., & Abramowitz, J. S. (2006). A magnetic resonance spectroscopy investigation of obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 146, 137-147.
Deacon, B. J. & Abramowitz, J. S. (2005). Patients’ perceptions of pharmacological and cognitive-behavioral treatment for anxiety disorders. Behavior Therapy, 36, 139-145.
Abramowitz, J. S., Huppert, J. D., Cohen, A. B., Tolin, D. F., & Cahill, S. P. (2002). Religious obsessions and compulsions in a non-clinical sample: The Penn Inventory of Scrupulosity (PIOS). Behaviour Research and Therapy, 40, 825-838.
Nelson, E., Abramowitz, J. S., Whiteside, S. P., & Deacon, B. J. (2006). Scrupulosity in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder: Relationship to clinical and cognitive phenomena. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 20, 1071-1086.
Abramowitz, J.S., Brigidi, B.D., & Foa, E.B. (1999). Health concerns in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 13, 529-539.
Abramowitz, J. S., Whiteside, S. P., & Schwartz, S. A. (2002). A contemporary conceptual model of hypochondriasis. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 77, 1323-1330.
Abramowitz, J. S., & Deacon, B. J. (2004). Severe health anxiety: Why it persists and how to treat it. Comprehensive Therapy, 30, 44-49.
Abramowitz, J. S., & Braddock, A. E. (2006). Hypochondriasis: conceptualization, treatment, and relationship to obsessive-compulsive disorder. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 29, 503-519.
Abramowitz, J. S., Olatunji, B., & Deacon, B. (2007). Health anxiety, hypochondriasis, and the anxiety disorders. Behavior Therapy, 38, 86-94.
Abramowitz, J. S. & Moore, E. L. (2007). An experimental analysis of hypochondriasis. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 45, 413-424. |
