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., Alonzo, D., Smolak, A., McHuge, K., Harmon, S., & Baldwin, S. (in press). Association of religion with delusions and hallucinations in the context of schizophrenia: Implications for engagement and adherence. Schizophrenia Research.

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

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.

Gearing, R. E., Selkirk, E. K., Koren, G., Leslie, M., Motz, M.,  Zelazo, L., McNeill, T., & Lozier, F. A. (2008). Perspectives of mothers with substance use problems on father involvement. Canadian Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 15(1), 99-107.

Mian, I. A., Gearing, R. E., DeSouza, C., & Solomon, L. (2007). Corticosteroid-related psychiatric complications in the treatment of hodgkin’s lymphoma in an adolescent. Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 16, 27-29.

Gearing, R. E., Saini, M., & McNeill, T. (2007). Experiences and implications of social workers practicing in a pediatric hospital environment affected by SARS. Health and Social Work, 32, 17-27.

Gearing, R. E., Mian, I. A., Barber, J., & Ickowicz, A. (2006). A methodology for conducting retrospective chart review research in child and adolescent psychiatry. Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 15, 126-134.

Koller, D. F., Nicholas, D. B., Slater-Goldie, R., Gearing, R. E., & Selkirk, K. E. (2006). Bowlby and Robertson revisited: The impact of isolation on hospitalized children during SARS outbreaks. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 27, 134-140

Koller, D., Nicholas, D., Slater-Goldie, R., Gearing, R. E., & Selkirk, K. E. (2006). When family-centered care is challenged by infectious disease:  Pediatric health care delivery during the SARS outbreaks. Qualitative Health Research, 16, 47-60.

Gearing, R. E., & Mian, I. A. (2005). An approach to maximizing treatment adherence of children and adolescents with psychotic disorders and major mood disorders. The Canadian Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Review, 14, 106-113.

Gearing, R. E., McNeill, T., & Lozier, F. A.  (2005). Father involvement and fetal alcohol syndrome: Developing best practice guidelines. Journal of FAS International, 3, 1-12.

Gearing, R. E. (2004). Bracketing in research: A typology. Qualitative Health Research, 14, 1429-1452.

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

Presentations
Gearing, R. E. (2010, July). Improving Adolescent Adherence to Evidence-Based Mental Health Interventions: Investigating and Mapping Adherence Promoters. Presented paper at the 6th International Conference on Social Work in Health and Mental Health: Changing Health, Dublin, Ireland.

Gearing, R. E. (2010, July). Interactions of Gender and Diagnosis on Adherence Promoting Interventions with Evidence-Based Practices (EBP) for Youth with Mental Health Problems. Presented paper at the 6th International Conference on Social Work in Health and Mental Health: Changing Health, Dublin, Ireland.

Gearing, R. E., & Mian, I. (2010, July). Rethinking Gender in Child and Adolescent Psychosis: Practice and Research Implications for Mental Health. Presented paper at the 6th International Conference on Social Work in Health and Mental Health: Changing Health, Dublin, Ireland.

Gearing, R. E. (2010, April). Social Work Research for Children and Families: Mental Health Research and Practice with Adolescents and their Families. Keynote Speaker, Presented at the 4th Annual Jordan International Social Work Day Conference: Strength, Commitment, and Care, Amman, Jordan.

Gearing, R. E., Zweben, A., Velasquez, M., Schiff, M., & Mishna, F. (2010, January). International and National Perspectives on Developing Effective and Sustainable Academic/Agency Research Partnerships. Co-Chaired and presented, Roundtable at the Society for Social Work and Research Fourteenth Annual Conference, Social Work Research: A World of Possibilities, San Francisco, CA.

Schwalbe, C., & Gearing, R. E. (2010, January). The Moderating Effect of Adherence Promoting Interventions on Evidence-Based Practices for Children and Adolescents with Mental Health Problems. Presenting paper at the Society for Social Work and Research Fourteenth Annual Conference, Social Work Research: A World of Possibilities, San Francisco, CA.

Gearing, R. E., & Schwalbe, C.  (2009, November). Cataloguing Adherence Promoters in Evidence-Based Mental Health. Presented paper at the 2009 Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 29th Annual Conference, Toronto, Ontario.

Last updated July 05, 2011.