Dr Richard O'KEARNEY

PhD

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Research and Supervision Interests
Current Teaching
Research Students
Selected Publications

My main research interest is in investigating the relationship between language and psychopathology. In particular, I am interested in studying the implications of language for the development of emotion regulation abilities and metacognitive abilities involved in enduring problems of emotion regulation that characterises many forms of psychopathology. For example, my current interests include examining the relationships between language and autobiographical memories for traumatic events and their connections to post trauma adjustment; and investigations of the language for mental states in OCD.

Clinically my research focuses on research that extends understanding of the nature and development of anxiety disorders across the life span particularly OCD and PTSD. My work with OCD investigates the relationship between emotional experience and the problems that arise in various "cognitive" domains for OCD sufferers.

I am also a Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Mental Health Research where I am involved in the evaluation of treatment and prevention programs for adolescent depression and anxiety as well as systematic reviews and meta-analyses of health interventions and problems.

Undergraduate

• coordinator PSYC3025(Abnormal Psychology Across the Lifespan)

Postgraduate Clinical Program

• Director of Clinical Programs
• lecturer Models and Methods I (Anxiety Disorders and Depression)
• lecturer Models and Methods II (OCD)
• lecturer Psychological Interventions I (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy)

• Alison Gee ( PhD, with Dr. Craig McGarty ) - Thesis : Improving attitudes towards people with mental disorders.
• Maaria Haque ( PhD ) - Thesis: Anxiety disorder in the elderly: onset differences and their implications for treatment.
• Sarah Cavangh (D. Psych. ) - Thesis: Evaluation of a suicide education and prevention program.
• Michelle Ruzich (MPhil (in Medicine) with Dr Jeff Looi) - Thesis Emotional precessing in Parkinson's Disease
• Michael Barry (PhD) - Topic : Pre-existing beliefs and attributions as vulnerabilities to post-trauma psychopathology. 
• Sam van Meurs (PhD) - Topic: Empathy and depression.
• Michiyo Hashimoto (M.Clin.Psych) - Topic: Parent-child talk about social threats in anxiety disorders.
• Jodie Verrall - PhD (Clinical Psychology)
• Rizal Abu Bakar - PhD (Clinical Psychology)
• Lian Parry (D.Psych (Clinical)
• Andrew Nichols - D.Psych (Clinical)
• Amanda Harris - M.Clin Psych
• Dean Buckmaster - M.Clin Psych

Book Chapters

O'Kearney, R., Kanwal, K., Gibson, M., Neil, A., & Christensen, H. (2007). School based delivery of a self-directed Internet CBT program (MoodGYM) for adolescent depression. In D. Einstein (Ed) Innovations and Advances in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy; Australian Academic Press; Sydney.

Journal Articles

Cruwys, T., & O’Kearney, R. (2008). Implications of neuroscientific evidence for the cognitive models of posttraumatic stress disorder. Clinical Psychologist. Accepted June 2008

O’Kearney, R., Kanwal, K., Christensen, H & Griffiths, K. (2008). A Controlled Trial of a School-based Internet Program for Reducing Depression in Adolescent Girls. Depression and Anxiety. Accepted March 2008

O’Kearney, R., and Nicholson, C. (2008). Can a Theory of Mind disruption help explain OCD related metacognitive disturbances? Behaviour Change,  25, 55-70.

Jobson, L., & O’Kearney R (2008). Cultural Differences in Personal Identity in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 47, 95-109.

Jobson, L., & O’Kearney, R. (2008).  Cultural Differences in the Retrieval of Self-Defining Memories. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 39, 75-80 DOI: 0.1177/0022022107312073

O’Kearney, R. (2008). Commentary on Storch et al. Family-based cognitive-behavioural therapy for pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Comparison of intensive and weekly approaches. Evidence-Based Mental Health, 11; 20-doi:10.1136/ebmh.11.1.20

O’Kearney, R., Speyer, J., & Kenardy, J (2007). Children’s narrative memory for accidents and their posttraumatic distress. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 21 (7), 821-838.

O’Kearney, R. (2007). Response to Turner & Mataix-Cols commentary on “Behavioural and cognitive-behavioural therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder in children and adolescents”. Evidence Based Child Health, 2, 1317-1318.

O’Kearney, R., Anstey, K. J., & Van Sanden, C. (2007). Behavioural and cognitive-behavioural therapy for obsessive compulsive disorder in children and adolescents. Evidence Based Child Health Volume 2; 1283-1313.

Anstey, K. J., Van Sanden, C., Salem, A., & O’Kearney, R. (2007) Smoking as a risk factor for dementia and cognitive decline: a meta-analysis of prospective studies. American Journal of Epidemiology.  doi: 10.1093/aje/kwm116

O’Kearney, R (2007). Benefits of cognitive-behavioural therapy for children and youth with obsessive- compulsive disorder: re-examination of the evidence. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 41, 199-212.

O’Kearney, R., Anstey, K. J., & Van Sanden, C. (2006). Behavioural and cognitive-behavioural therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder in children and adolescents. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006, Issue 4, Art. No.: CD004856. DOI:10.1002/14651858.CD004856.pub2. 

Jobson, L., & O’Kearney, R. (2006). Cultural differences in autobiographical memory for trauma. Clinical Psychologist, 10 (3), 89-98.

O’Kearney, R., Gibson, M., Christensen, H., & Griffiths, K.M. (2006). Effects of a cognitive-behavioural Internet program on depression, vulnerability to depression and stigma in adolescent males: A school based controlled trial. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 35(1), 43-54.

O’Kearney, R., & Perrott, K. (2006).  Trauma narratives in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A review. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 19(1,) 81-93.

O’Kearney, R., & Dadds, M. (2005) Language for emotion in adolescents with externalising and internalizing disorders. Development & Psychopathology, 17 (2), 529-548.

Jorm, A., F, Kitchener, B., A, O’Kearney, R., Dear, K., B., G. (2004). Mental health first aid training of the public in a rural area: a cluster randomized trial [ISRCTN53887541]. BMC Psychiatry, 4, 33.

O’Kearney, R., & Dadds, M. (2004) Developmental changes in the language for emotions across the early adolescent years. Cognition and Emotion, 8 (7), 913-938.

O’Kearney, R., Garland, G., Welch, M., Kanowski, L. & Fitzgerald, S. (2004). Factors predicting program fidelity and delivery of an early intervention program for first episode psychosis in rural Australia. Australian
e-Journal for the Advancement of Mental Health 3(2) www.auseinet.com/journal/vol3iss2/okearney.pdf