Category: Adult Anxiety
Gabriella Ponzini, M.S.
PhD Candidate
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia
Shari Steinman, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
West Virginia University
n/a, West Virginia
Sara J Becker, PhD
Associate Professor
Brown University School of Public health
Providence, Rhode Island
Gabriella Ponzini, M.S.
PhD Candidate
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia
Isabelle Siegel, B.A.
Doctoral Student
Rutgers University Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology
Piscataway, New Jersey
Hannah Frank, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)
Postdoctoral Fellow
The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island
Carolyn Ponting, Ph.D.
Doctoral Student
University of California San Francisco
San Francisco, California
Amanda Sanchez, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
George Mason University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Research has demonstrated low rates of treatment seeking for anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorders, with over a decade passing (on average) between symptom onset and treatment initiation. Qualitative and mixed method (i.e., using qualitative and quantitative studies to inform one another) approaches to studying treatment barriers uniquely center stakeholder voices to provide relevant context to well-established treatment barriers. That is, qualitative and mixed methods studies allow for a deeper understanding about the nature of treatment barriers, why such barriers exist, and how we can effectively reduce them. Accordingly, by centering stakeholder voices, we can further the accessibility and provision of effective mental health treatment and re-define our understanding of treatment barriers in novel contexts.
This symposium will first present data that demonstrate how qualitative and mixed methods can be used to evaluate treatment barriers for anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorders. Gabriella Ponzini will begin by describing a mixed-methods, multi-study evaluation of stigma for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Isabelle Siegel will then present a mixed-methods assessment of mental health literacy regarding OCD and exposure therapy among the public. Together, these talks will elucidate strategies for combining internet-delivered qualitative surveys and empirical methods to understand established barriers to care for individuals with OCD. Next, Hannah Frank will present a qualitative assessment of barriers to accessing treatment for individuals with anxiety disorders and OCD using process mapping. This presentation will demonstrate strategies for utilizing visual representations of qualitative data to share outcomes. Lastly, we will present two talks on using qualitative methods to enhance the accessibility and provision of EBTs for patients with anxiety and OCD. Carolyn Ponting will present a qualitative assessment of concerns and acceptability factors associated with exposure therapy among pregnant Latinas with anxiety. Finally, Amanda Sanchez will present a qualitative assessment of barriers to providing EBTs to marginalized youth with anxiety disorders and OCD, as well as an evaluation of patient perceptions of barriers and facilitators to receiving culturally responsive care. Our discussant, Sara Becker, an expert in using qualitative/mixed methods to reduce barriers and improve access to EBTs, will conclude the symposium by synthesizing findings and providing direction for how to incorporate qualitative methods to leverage the lived experience of individuals with anxiety and OCD and improve access to care.
Presenter: Gabriella T. Ponzini, M.S. – West Virginia University
Co-author: Shari A. Steinman, Ph.D. – West Virginia University
Presenter: Isabelle E. Siegel, PhD – Rutgers University
Co-author: Gabriella T. Ponzini, M.S. – West Virginia University
Co-author: Casey A. Schofield, Ph.D. – Skidmore College
Presenter: Hannah E. Frank, Ph.D. – The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Co-author: Grace Cain, BA – The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Co-author: Jennifer Freeman, PhD – The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Co-author: Kristen G. Benito, PhD – Alpert Warren Medical School of Brown University, Pediatric Anxiety Research Center, Bradley Hospital
Co-author: Erin O'Connor, PhD – The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Co-author: Josh Kemp, PhD – The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Co-author: Bo Kim, PhD – VA Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research
Presenter: Carolyn Ponting, Ph.D. – University of California San Francisco
Co-author: Emma Ong, PhD – UCLA
Co-author: Christine Dunkel Schetter, PhD – UCLA
Co-author: Denise Chavira, Ph.D. – University of California Los Angeles
Presenter: Amanda Sanchez, Ph.D. – George Mason University
Co-author: Michal Weiss, B.S. – Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Co-author: Temma L. Schaechter, PhD – University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Co-author: Emily M. Becker-Haimes, Ph.D. – University of Pennsylvania