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Case Western Reserve University, under Dr. Amy Przeworski, is conducting an online study to examine psychological symptoms in children 7-17 years old. The goal of the study is to learn more about the impact of COVID-19 on children and their families.

For this study, they need families of children with OCD and families of children who do not have the disorder. This type of research not only helps us to improve therapies but also learn more about the psychological impact of COVID-19.

To participate in the study, click here: https://cwru.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8678F95dgxjCcm1

Parenting and supporting a child living with OCD can be difficult. If you can relate to this, consider sharing your #COVID19 experience in this research study: https://bit.ly/351mZCw.  

Thank you for your consideration!

Our board of directors would like to give a huge thank you to Barbara Van Noppen, Ph.D., LCSW, who served as OCD Southern California’s president for over three years. Barbara is stepping down as president now that her responsibilities at the University of Southern California (USC) have increased. However, we are happy to say that she will remain active with OCD So Cal and remain a member of our board of directors!

The board of directors would also like to thank Jenny Yip, Psy.D. for her immense contribution to our affiliate. Dr. Yip is now a member of the International OCD Foundation’s Board of Directors, and we thank Dr. Yip for her tireless efforts in growing OCD So Cal and serving the local OCD community.

This is a special podcast on OCD with Dr. Barbara Van Noppen which is part of the series “House Calls with Dr. K.”

Barbara L. Van Noppen, PhD, LCSW is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of USC. She is the Vice Chair of Faculty Development in the department of Psychiatry. 

 Dr. Van Noppen, is an internationally-recognized clinician and expert in the areas of Anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). She is the Department of Psychiatry’s Director of OCD Treatment and Research Program while also serving on the Scientific Advisory Boards of the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) and the Canadian Institute for OCD. For 3 years, Dr. Van Noppen served as president of OCD Southern California, an affiliate of the IOCDF. She is currently a board member for that non-profit organization. Dr. Van Noppen is on the faculty of the IOCDF Behavior Therapy Institute, providing advanced training for clinicians nationally. As an educator, she teaches extensively in her areas of clinical expertise. In addition, Dr. Van Noppen is one of the developers of the Family Accommodation Scale.

Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeRk9QZxDik

Excerpts from the article:

The same is true for others living with OCD, many of whom are preoccupied by germs or illness. Society may be eagerly preparing for the summer to end all summers, but people with anxiety and an intolerance for uncertainty are not entirely optimistic. “The majority of people who don’t have OCD—their life will go back to normal,” Elizabeth McIngvale, the director of the McLean OCD Institute in Houston, told me. For many people with OCD, returning to “normalcy” isn’t as simple as eating indoors at restaurants again. It means recalibrating their brain.

Stress, illness, and major life transitions can make OCD worse, which is why the pandemic exacerbated many people’s symptoms. “Every therapist has a waitlist; everyone is looking for more help,” Jeff Szymanski, the executive director of the International OCD Foundation, told me. “People can’t find enough OCD specialists to hire.”

To read the entire article: “Returning to Normal Means Recalibrating the Brain – The Pandemic’s Retreat Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Life Will Get Easier For People With OCD,” on The Atlantic, click here:

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2021/03/how-covid-19-affected-people-ocd-and-anxiety/618410/