Jonathan Abramowitz

Jonathan S. Abramowitz, PhD
Born	(1969-06-11) June 11, 1969 Baltimore, Maryland USA
Nationality	United States
Occupation	Clinical psychologist, Professor, Researcher, Author
Known for	Treatment and study of OCD and anxiety disorders

Jonathan ("Jon") Stuart Abramowitz (born 1969, Baltimore MD) is an American clinical psychologist and Professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH).^[1] He is an internationally recognized authority on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety disorders whose work is influential and highly cited.^[2] He maintains an active research lab and serves as the Director of the UNC-CH Anxiety and Stress Disorders Clinic. Abramowitz approaches the understanding and treatment of psychological problems from a cognitive-behavioral perspective.

Academic career

Abramowitz earned his B.A. in Psychology from Muhlenberg College in 1991, his M.A. in Psychology from Bucknell University in 1993, and his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Memphis in 1998. He completed both a predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for Treatment and Study of Anxiety at the University of Pennsylvania. He was a staff psychologist and Associate Professor at the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN) from 2000 until 2006. He moved to North Carolina in the summer of 2006.

Abramowitz's research focuses on the development and evaluation of cognitive-behavioral treatments (CBT) for OCD and other anxiety-related problems, as well as on understanding the nature and psychopathology of these problems. He is the author of approximately 250 publications, including more than 10 books and over 200 peer reviewed journal articles and book chapters. He has also worked extensively as a book and journal editor. Abramowitz has given invited lectures around the world and served in numerous editorial and advisory roles for scientific journals and organizations.

Abramowitz is board certified by the American Board of Behavioral Psychology and is a licensed psychologist in North Carolina. In his clinical practice, he specializes in providing outpatient consultation and cognitive-behavioral treatment of OCD and other anxiety-related problems.

Research areas and contributions

Abramowitz lecturing in Bergen, Norway

Treatment of OCD and anxiety: A major focus of Abramowitz's research is the treatment of OCD. His work primarily addresses exposure and response prevention (ERP; a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy [CBT]) and he has conducted treatment outcome studies and meta-analytic reviews of this therapy.^[3][4] He has also investigated factors that predict good and poor outcomes.^[5][6]

Abramowitz has helped to develop an OCD treatment program combining ERP with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).^[7] He has also helped to develop couple-based ERP programs for OCD and Body Dysmorphic Disorder.^[8]

Abramowitz has written about, and is conducting research to better understand, how to enhance the outcome of exposure therapy/ERP by optimizing extinction learning.^[9][10] This work is drawn from inhibitory learning models of exposure.

Nature and symptoms of OCD: Abramowitz's research also focuses on trying to understand the complex symptomatology of OCD.^[11][12] His work has identified 4 subtypes/dimensions of this disorder that involve somewhat distinct cognitive and behavioral phenomena: (a) contamination, (b) responsibility for harm/mistakes, (c) unacceptable thoughts, and (d) incompleteness/symmetry.^[13] He has also contributed to the re-conceptualization of hoarding as separate from OCD.^[14]

Abramowitz has argued that OCD symptoms lie on a continuum with normal everyday experiences, and that one’s learning history (and to a lesser extent, their biology) influence the frequency, intensity, and duration of OCD symptoms.^[15][16] He has also criticized the DSM-5’s re-classification of OCD as separate from the anxiety disorders and as overlapping with conditions such as Hair Pulling Disorder and Skin Picking Disorder.^[17] Abramowitz is generally critical of biomedical models which view problems such as OCD and anxiety as brain diseases or genetic disorders.^[18]

Assessment of OCD: Abramowitz led a team of researchers in 2010 that developed the Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DOCS), a 20-item self-report instrument designed to measure the severity of the four types of OCD symptoms (see above).^[11] The DOCS has been translated into multiple languages for use worldwide.^{[19][20][21][22]}

Cognitive-behavioral factors and models of OCD and anxiety: The cognitive-behavioral model is the leading conceptual approach to understanding OCD and anxiety disorders.^[23][24] Abramowitz conducts cross-sectional, experimental, and prospective (longitudinal) research that has helped to clarify and advance this conceptual model. His work focuses on cognitive biases such as anxiety sensitivity,^[25] thought-action fusion,^[26] intolerance of uncertainty,^[27] and attentional biases^[28] that factor in the persistence of OCD and irrational fear. With his team at UNC, he has developed experimental paradigms for studying thought-action fusion and intolerance of uncertainty.^[29][30] His work has also demonstrated that cognitive factors prospectively predict the escalation of intrusive thoughts into obsessions.^[31]

Abramowitz also conducts studies on cognitive-behavioral factors in other anxiety and related problems, including health/illness anxiety, shy bladder syndrome, panic disorder, and hoarding.^[32][33][34]

Scrupulosity: Abramowitz has conducted studies on, and developed a cognitive-behavioral model of, scrupulosity (religious obsessions and compulsions).^[35][36] He also developed the Penn Inventory of Scrupulosity (PIOS) to measure this phenomenon.^[37]

Prevention of postpartum OCD: Abramowitz developed and evaluated a prevention program for OCD symptoms in new parents.^[38] This work was derived from previous studies led by Abramowitz showing that certain types of cognitive/psychological phenomena (such as the tendency to catastrophically misinterpret unwanted thoughts) predict the development of OCD symptoms in the postpartum.^[31] The prevention program, known as "Baby PREP", can be delivered as part of perinatal education classes and was shown to be more effective than a credible placebo control program in preventing OCD symptoms among vulnerable expecting/new parents.^[38]

Cross-cultural factors: Abramowitz has conducted research on cultural, religious, and racial differences in the expression of anxiety and OCD symptoms and related phenomena.^[39] He is part of a multi-national collaborative effort studying the nature of intrusive obsessional thoughts in cultures and countries around the world.^[40][41][42]

Awards, recognition, and leadership

Abramowitz delivers the Presidential Address at the 2015 ABCT Convention

Abramowitz's contributions to the fields of OCD, anxiety disorders, and clinical psychology are recognized by his colleagues, peers, and the media through numerous honors, awards, and appearances. He is a Past President and Fellow of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT)^[43][44] and serves on the International OCD Foundation Scientific and Clinical Advisory Board.^[45] He is the recipient of a Muhlenberg College Alumni Achievement Award,^[46] the David Shakow Early Career Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Science and Practice of Clinical Psychology (from Division 12 of the American Psychological Association),^[47] and the Mayo Clinic Department of Psychiatry and Psychology Outstanding Contributions to Research Award.

Abramowitz serves on the Editorial Boards of several scientific journals and as Associate Editor of Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy (2008–present) and Associate Editor of Behaviour Research and Therapy (2006-2015). He is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders. Expertscape ranks him among the top 20 experts on OCD^[48] and his ResearchGate score is higher than 97.5% of this site's members.^[49]

Abramowitz was invited by colleagues in Norway to help train and supervise 30 OCD treatment teams in that country. The training is part of an initiative funded by the Norwegian government to ensure that all individuals with OCD in Norway have access to effective treatment.^[50]

Abramowitz has twice been appointed as Associate Chair of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Department of Psychology and Neuroscience^[51]

Abramowitz has made numerous radio and television appearances and his work has been covered by many publications, including the Washington Post, Newsweek, National and Local Public Radio, CNN, Women's Health, Good Housekeeping, and Mayo Clinic Medical Edge.

Personal life

Abramowitz playing guitar with his band

Abramowitz lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina with his wife and two daughters. He enjoys travelling with his family and attending his daughters' sporting events and musical/dance recitals. He is an avid guitarist and enjoys playing and watching music and sports.

Selected works

Selected Books

• Abramowitz, J. S. (2006). Understanding and treating obsessive-compulsive disorder: A cognitive-behavioral approach. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. ISBN 9780805851847
• 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. ISBN 978-0801886973
• Abramowitz, J. S. (2009). Getting over OCD: A 10-step workbook for taking back your life. New York: Guilford Press. ISBN 9781593859992
• Abramowitz, J. S., Deacon, B. J. & Whiteside, S. P. (2011). Exposure therapy for anxiety: Principles and practice. New York: Guilford Press. ISBN 9781462509690
• Abramowitz, J. S. (2012). The stress less workbook: Simple strategies to relieve pressure, manage commitments, and minimize conflicts. New York: Guilford Press. ISBN 978-1-60918-471-1
• Abramowitz, J. S. & Jacoby, R. J. (2015). Obsessive-compulsive disorder in adults: Advances in Psychotherapy—Evidence-based practice. Boston: Hogrefe Publishing. ISBN 978-0-88937-411-9

Selected Peer Reviewed Journal Articles

• 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. doi:10.1016/S0005-7894(96)80045-1
• 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. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.65.1.44 PMID 9103733
• 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. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.68.4.594
• 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. doi:10.1016/S0272-7358(00)00057-X PMID 11434226
• 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. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.71.6.1049 PMID 14622080
• 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. Doi:10.1037/0022-006X.71.2.394 PMID 12699033
• Whiteside, S. P., Port, J. D., & Abramowitz, J. S. (2004). A meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 132, 69-79. doi:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2004.07.001 PMID 15546704
• 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. doi:10.1016/S0005-7894(05)80054-1
• 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. doi:10.1037/1040-3590.19.2.176 PMID 17563199
• Fairbrother, N., & Abramowitz, J. S. (2007). New parenthood as a risk factor for the development of obsessional problems. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 2155-2163. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2006.09.019 PMID 17084810
• Abramowitz, J. S., Taylor, S., & McKay, D. (2009). Obsessive-compulsive disorder. The Lancet, 374, 491-499. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(09)60240-3 PMID 19665647
• Abramowitz, J. S., Deacon, B., Olatunji, B., Wheaton, M. G., Berman, N., Losardo, D., Timpano, K., McGrath, P., Riemann, B., Adams, T., Bjorgvinsson, T., Storch, E., A., & Hale, L. (2010). Assessment of obsessive-compulsive symptom dimensions: Development and evaluation of the Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. Psychological Assessment, 22, 180-198. doi:10.1037/a0018260 PMID 20230164
• Berman, N. C., Wheaton, M. G., & Abramowitz, J. S. (2012). The Arnold Schwarzenegger Effect: Is strength of the “victim” related to misinterpretations of harm intrusions? Behaviour Research and Therapy, 50, 761-766. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2012.09.002. PMID 23085185
• Abramowitz, J. S., Baucom, D. H., Boeding, S., Wheaton, M. G., Pukay-Martin, N., Fabricant, L. E., Paprocki, C., & Fischer, M. (2013). Treating obsessive-compulsive disorder in intimate relationships: A pilot study of couple-based cognitive-behavior therapy. Behavior Therapy, 44, 395-407. Doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2013.02.005 PMID 23768667
• Fabricant, L. E., Abramowitz, J. S., Dehlin, J. P., & Twohig, M. P. (2013). A comparison of two brief interventions for obsessional thoughts: Exposure and acceptance. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 27, 195-209. Doi: 10.1891/0889-8391.27.3.195.
• Abramovitch, A., Abramowitz, J. S., & Mittleman, A. (2013). The neuropsychology of adult obsessive-compulsive disorder: A meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 33, 1163-1171. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2013.09.004 PMID 24128603
• Abramowitz, J. S., Fabricant, L. E., Taylor, S., Deacon, B. J., McKay, D., & Storch, E. A. (2014). The relevance of analogue studies for understanding obsessions and compulsions. Clinical Psychology Review, 34, 206-217. DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2014.01.004 PMID 24561743
• Abramowitz, J. S. & Jacoby, R. J. (2014). Scrupulosity: A cognitive-behavioral analysis and implications for treatment. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 3, 140-149. DOI: 10.1016/j.jocrd.2013.12.007
• Abramowitz, J. S. & Jacoby, R. J. (2015). Obsessive-compulsive related disorders: A critical review of the new diagnostic class. Annual review of Clinical Psychology, 11, 165-186. Doi: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032813-153713. PMID 25581239

See also

Abramowitz's laboratory webpage with his full curriculum vita

Abramowitz's personal website

References