Bio:

Dr. Gearing has extensive experience practicing as a clinical social worker in mental health programs for more than fifteen years. He has provided a wide range of therapeutic and clinical services as a child and family therapist to individuals, groups and families at a children's research hospital, in both inpatient and outpatient psychiatric programs. Dr. Gearing has also worked as a psychiatric social worker with the crisis team of a community hospital where he provided adults and adolescents with clinical consultation and crisis risk assessment. Beyond his work as a clinician, Dr. Gearing's experience has included the provision of clinical management to a multidisciplinary team in a mental health hospital program, and as a clinical supervisor for therapists in community counseling agencies.

Dr. Gearing has a concentrated interest in the areas of child and adolescent mental health, intervention and treatment. His research program examines and seeks to build on improving treatment adherence and developing evidence-based psychosocial treatment interventions for children and youth with serious mental illness (SMI) and their families. Children and adolescents with SMI, namely those with primary psychotic disorders and major mood disorders, frequently experience a chronic and episodic course with a prognosis characterized by relapses, impaired social adjustment and poor educational and occupational functioning. Nonadherence to efficacious psychosocial and medication treatment undermine effectiveness. Dr. Gearing’s research focuses on developing and testing interventions and improving treatment engagement and adherence for these youth and their families. His ultimate goal is to inform and improve the effective clinical management and treatment of their psychiatric conditions by targeting three interconnected areas:  1) Identifying and examining risk and protective factors that impede or promote improved symptom prognosis and treatment; 2) Improving treatment adherence (and fidelity) to psychosocial and medication interventions; and 3) Developing evidence-based psychosocial treatment interventions.

Research Interests:

• Child and adolescent mental health
• Serious mental illness
• Evidence-based practice (EBP)
• Adherence to treatment and intervention
• Mental health and the family
• Community-based services for youth
• Relapse prevention

Current Projects:

• Evidence-based practice (EBP) research for children and adolescents with mental health disorders, and their families
• Community-based services and interventions for children and adolescents
• Improving treatment and medication adherence in children and adolescents with mental health disorders  
• Reducing relapse in children and adolescents with psychotic disorders and major mood disorders
• The influence of psychosocial factors and interventions on mental health and health conditions

Selected Publications:

Journal Articles
Gearing, R. E., Schwalbe, C. S., & Short, K. D. (2012). Adolescent adherence to psychosocial treatment: Mental health clinicians’ perspectives on barriers and promoters. Psychotherapy Research.

Townsend, L., Gearing, R. E., & Polyanskaya, O. (2012). The influence of health beliefs and social stigma on use of internet support groups instead of traditional mental health services. Psychiatric Services.

Schwalbe, C. S., & Gearing, R. E. (2012). The moderating effect of adherence promoting interventions with clients on evidence based practices for children and adolescents with mental health problems. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 82, 146-155.

Gearing, R. E., Alonzo, D., & Marinelli, C. (2012). Maternal schizophrenia: Psychosocial treatment for mothers and their children. Clinical Schizophrenia & Related Psychoses, 6(1), 1-9.

Gearing, R. E., Schwalbe, C. S., Dweck, P., & Berkowitz, J. (2012). Investigating adherence promoters in evidence-based mental health interventions with children and adolescents. Community Mental Health Journal, 48, 63-70.

Schwalbe, C. S., Gearing, R. E., MacKenzie, M. J., Brewer, K., & Ibrahim, R. W. (2012). A meta-analysis of experimental studies of diversion programs for juvenile offenders. Clinical Psychology Review, 32(1), 26-33.

Gearing, R. E., Townsend, L., MacKenzie, M. J., & Charach, A. (2011). Reconceptualizing medication adherence: Six phases of dynamic adherence. Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 19(4), 177-189.

Gearing, R. E., Alonzo, D., Smolak, A., McHuge, K., Harmon, S., & Baldwin, S. (2011). Association of religion with delusions and hallucinations in the context of schizophrenia: Implications for engagement and adherence. Schizophrenia Research, 126, 150-163.

Gearing, R. E., El-Bassel, N., Ghesquiere, A., Baldwin, S., Gillies, J., & Ngeow, E. (2011). Major ingredients of fidelity in psychosocial intervention assessment: A scientific guide to improving quality of intervention research implementation. Clinical Psychology Review, 31(1), 79-88.

Townsend, L., Gearing, R. E., & Floersch, J. (2010). Medication adherence: What adolescents are saying and what prescribers can do. Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology News, 15(2), 7-9.

Koller, D., Nicholas, D., Gearing, R. E., & Kalfa, O. (2010). Pediatric pandemic planning: Children's perspectives and recommendations. Health & Social Care in the Community, 18(4), 369-377.

Lizardi, D., & Gearing, R. E. (2010). Religion and Suicide: Buddhism, Native American and African Religions, Atheism, and Agnosticism. Journal of Religion and Health, 49(3), 377-384.

Gearing, R. E., & Charach, A. (2009). Medication adherence for children and adolescents with first-episode psychosis following hospitalization. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 18(10), 587-596.

Gearing, R. E., & Mian, I. (2009). The role of gender in early and very-early onset of psychotic disorders. Clinical Schizophrenia & Related Psychoses, 2(4), 298-306.

Gearing, R. E., Mian, I., Sholonsky, A., Barber, J., Nicholas, D., Lewis, R., Solomon, L., Williams, C., Lightbody, S., Steele, M., Davidson, B., Manchanda, R., Joseph, L., Handelman, K., & Ickowicz, A. (2009). Developing a risk-model of time to first-relapse for children and adolescents diagnosed with psychotic disorders or mood disorders with psychotic features. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 197(1), 6-14.

Nicholas, D. B., Gearing, R. E., McNeill, T., Fung, K., & Lucchetta, S. (2009). Experiences and resistance strategies utilized by fathers of children with cancer. Social Work in Health Care, 48, 260-275.

Gearing, R. E., & Lizardi, D. (2009). Religion and Suicide. Journal of Religion and Health, 48(3), 332-341.

Gearing, R. E. (2008). Evidence-based family psychoeducational interventions for children and adolescents with psychotic disorders. Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 17(1), 2-11.

Nicholas, D., Gearing, R. E., Koller, D., Slater-Goldie, R., & Selkirk, K. E. (2008). Pediatric epidemic crisis: Lessons for policy and practice development. Health Policy, 88, 200-208.

Gearing, R. E., Mian, I., & Charach, A. (2008). Promoting Adherence with Children and Adolescents with Psychosis. Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology News, 13(1), 5-11.

Charach, A., Volpe, T., Boydell, K., & Gearing, R. E. (2008). Clinical perspectives: Medication adherence for children and youth with psychiatric disorders. Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 16(20), 126-135.

Gearing, R. E., Colvin, G., Popova, S., & Regehr, C. (2008). Re:membering fatherhood: Evaluating the impact of a group intervention on fathers. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 33(1), 22-42.

Books
Worchel, D., & Gearing, R. E. (2010). Suicide Assessment and Treatment: Empirical and Evidence-Based Practices. New York: Springer Publishing. 

Presentations
Lee, R. H., & Gearing, R. E., & Schwalbe, C. (2012). Do Booster Sessions Boost the Efficacy of Child and Adolescent CBT Treatment: Results From a Meta-Analysis Over 10 Years? Society for Social Work and Research 16th Annual Conference, Washington, D.C.

Gearing, R. E., MacKenzie, M., Schwalbe, C., Ibrihaim, R., Brewer, K. & the C-FIT Program (2012). Core Components of Effective Cultural Translation and Adaptation of Evidence-Based Interventions in the Middle East. Society for Social Work and Research 16th Annual Conference, Washington, D.C.

Gearing, R. E., MacKenzie, M., Schwalbe, C., Ibrihaim, R., Brewer, K. & the C-FIT Program (2012). The Development of Community Alternatives to Institutional Care for Children in Jordan: The Community–Family Integration Team Project. Society for Social Work and Research 16th Annual Conference, Washington, D.C.

Gearing, R. E. (2011). A Moderating Influence of Intervention Characteristics on Youth Mental Health Treatment: A Meta-Analysis. 21st National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Conference on Mental Health Services Research, Washington, D.C.

Gearing, R. E., Townsend, L., MacKenzie, M., & Charach, A. (2011). Reconceptualizing Medication Adherence: Six Phases of Dynamic Adherence. 19th European Congress of Psychiatry, Vienna, Austria.

Gearing, R. E., & Schwalbe, C. (2011). Improving Child and Adolescent Adherence to Evidence-Based Mental Health Interventions. 19th European Congress of Psychiatry, Vienna, Austria.

Townsend, L., & Gearing, R. E. (2011). The Influence of Health Beliefs and Social Stigma on Choice of Internet Support Groups over Traditional Mental Health Services. 19th European Congress of Psychiatry, Vienna, Austria.

Schwalbe, C., Gearing, R. E., & Lee, R. H. (2011). CBT with Children and Adolescents: More May Be Better. Society for Social Work and Research 15th Annual Conference, Tampa, FL.  

Last updated March 12, 2012.