Dean McKay

• 1988 BA Hofstra University Major: Psychology
• 1990 MA Hofstra University Major: Applied Research
• 1993 PhD Hofstra University Major: Clinical & School Psychology

My research is actively carried out through the operations of my research lab, Compulsive, Obsessive, and Anxiety Program (C.O.A.P.). There are a multitude of ongoing research projects I am actively engaged in with graduate students to investigate my research interests outlined in detail below.

Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders

Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent in the general population, as is obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). OCD is a complex and heterogeneous psychiatric condition that affects children, adolescents, and adults. It has been associated with a wide range of psychiatric disability and is generally considered difficult to treat, yet responsive to available empirically supported interventions. In generally, I have been interested in the nature and treatment of anxiety and OCD, including maintaining factors, subtypes, complicating factors such as posttraumatic stress, assessment of severity, and general and specific cognitive factors. This has led to consideration of basic reconceptualization of the condition. Presently, there are several models for OCD, but none adequately accounts for the full diversity of the disorder.

Recent publications:

Trent, E.S., Lanzillo, E.C., Wiese, A.D., Spencer, S.D., McKay, D., & Storch, E.A. (in press). Potential for harm in the treatment of pediatric obsessive-disorder: Pitfalls and best practices. Research on Child & Adolescent Psychopathology.

Bezahler, A., Kuckertz, J.M., McKay, D., Falkenstein, M.J., & Feinstein, B.A. (2024). Emotion regulation and OCD among sexual minority people: Identifying treatment targets. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 101, 102807.

Wilkerson, S., & McKay, D. (2024). “Should I Keep Washing My Groceries?”: Predictors of Differential Patterns of Contamination-Related Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms Since the Onset of COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders, 41, 100878.

Rabasco, A., McKay, D., Smits, J.A., Powers, M.B., Meuret, A.E., & McGrath, P.B. (2022). Psychosocial treatment for panic disorder: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 86, 102528.

McKay, D., Abramowitz, J.S., & Storch, E.A. (2021). Mechanisms of harmful treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Clinical Psychology: Science & Practice, 28, 52-59.

Disgust in Anxiety Disorders

Disgust is an understudied emotion. I have been actively investigating the role of disgust in phobias and contamination fear. Contamination fear is a problem that naturally fits with disgust. Disgust is a ‘communicable’ emotion, in that otherwise neutral objects have the capacity for taking on disgust properties. A common problem among individuals with contamination fear is the notion of objects becoming ‘contaminated’ following incidental contact with items believed to be contaminated as well. Disgust also plays a prominent role in other anxiety disorders and states. Most notably, research has supported a role for disgust in blood-injury-injection phobia, and in insect and small animal phobias. However, as illustrated in a recent edited text (Olatunji & McKay, 2009), disgust has been associated with a wide range of other psychiatric conditions.

Recent Publications:

McKay, D. (in press). Disgust, disgust sensitivity, and contamination-related obsessive-compulsive disorder. In E.A. Storch & A. Guzick (Eds.), Childhood obsessive-compulsive and related disorders. Oxfordshire, UK: Routledge.

Mancusi, L., & McKay, D. (2021). Behavioral avoidance tasks for eliciting disgust and anxiety in contamination fear: An Examination of a test for a combined disgust and fear reaction. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 78, 102366.

Politicization in Mental and Medical Healthcare

Social and political movements have consequences in the treatment room. In the past several years, these political movements have led to increasing numbers of practitioners to engage in political activism in patient-facing settings. While the intention of these political gestures may be ground in the practitioner’s particular political ideology, and thus assumed by them to be in the interest of the general public, it can also be alienating to patients and lead to poorer outcomes, patient frustration, and treatment dropout. Among practitioners, these political movements among colleagues can lead to unwillingness to speak up when policies may have identifiable harms to minoritized groups. The aim of this line of research is to quantify how politicization affects patient care in mental and medical healthcare, as well as to assess the impact on collegiality and openness of discourse among practitioners. This line of research is multidisciplinary, including with experts in bioethics, political science, Judaica studies, and cognitive science.

Recent Publications:

McKay, D., & White, E.K. (in press). Philosophical errors and unintended harms in recrafting the foundation of counseling and psychotherapy: Comment on Sue, Neville & Smith (2024). American Psychologist.

White, E.K., McKay, D., & McNally, R.J. (2024). REDI, set, caution. American Journal of Bioethics, 24, 37-40.

Pseudoscience in Clinical Practice

Empirically supported treatment, and more broadly evidence-based practice, is based on the accrual of scientific findings to support specific methods of therapy. However, there are also a large number of mass-marketed questionable intervention packages that are not based on sound theory, and lack a clear scientific basis. We have been examining clinical and systemic factors that lead to the attractiveness and adoption of these questionable therapeutic methods.

Recent Publications:

McKay, D., & Coreil, A. (2024). Hypothesis testing of the adoption of pseudoscientific methods. Medical Hypotheses, 182, 111229.

McKay, D. (2023). Anxiety. In S. Hupp & C.S. Maria (Eds.), Pseudoscience in psychotherapy (pp. 36-52). New York: Oxford University Press.

McKay, D. (2023). Obsessions and compulsions. In S. Hupp & C.S. Maria (Eds.), Pseudoscience in psychotherapy (pp. 53-68). New York: Oxford University Press.

Tolin, D.F., McKay, D., Olatunji, B.O., Abramowitz, J.S., & Otto, M.W. (2023). On the importance of identifying mechanisms and active ingredients of psychological treatments. Behaviour Research & Therapy, 170, 104425.

Misophonia

Misophonia, also known as Selective Sound Sensitivity, is associated with strong negative emotional reactions to specific sounds (such as chewing, tapping, or certain voices). Sufferers often have a range of environmental prompts (also called triggers) that alert them to the possible aversive sounds, and these triggers are also frequently avoided. Little is known regarding this condition, but sufferers report significant interference. Research in the lab has focused on characteristics associated with the condition, and interventions to alleviate symptoms.

Recent Publications:

Rabasco, A., & McKay, D. (2021). Exposure therapy for misophonia: Concepts and procedures. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 35, 156-166.

Frank, B., Roszyk, M., Hurley, L., Dreraj, L., & McKay, D. (2020). Inattention in misophonia: Difficulties achieving and maintaining alertness. Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 42, 66-75.

• PSYC 6380 - Seminar in Anxiety Disorders
• PSYC 6245 - Cognitive Behavior Therapy
• PSYC 6210 - Psychotherapy Theories
• PSYC 6670 - Psychopharmacology
• PSRU 4370 - Literature and Psychology of Disgust

Rabasco, A., Neimeyer, G., Macura, Z., McKay, D., & Washburn, J. (in press). Aligning values with standards: A comparison of professional values in continuing education standards. Ethics & Behavior.

Rabasco, A., Neimeyer, G., Macura, Z., McKay, D., & Washburn, J. (in press). Aligning values with standards: A comparison of professional values in continuing education standards. Ethics & Behavior.

Bezahler, A., Kuckertz, J.M., McKay, D., Falkenstein, M.J., & Feinstein, B.A. (2024). Emotion regulation and OCD among sexual minority people: Identifying treatment targets. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 101, 102807.

McKay, D., & Coreil, A. (2024). Hypothesis testing of the adoption of pseudoscientific methods. Medical Hypotheses, 182, 111229.

McKay, D., & O’Donahue, W. (2023). Conceptual, psychometric, methodological and value problems in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Introduction to the special section on a critical appraisal of ACT. Behavior Therapy, 54, 929-938.

Rabasco, A., Mariaskin, A., & McKay, D. (2023). Well, that was awkward: When clients develop romantic feelings for therapists. Cognitive & Behavioral Practice, 30, 238-247.

McKay, D. (2023). Anxiety. In S. Hupp & C.S. Maria (Eds.), Pseudoscience in psychotherapy (pp. 36-52). New York: Oxford University Press.

McKay, D. (2023). Obsessions and compulsions. In S. Hupp & C.S. Maria (Eds.), Pseudoscience in psychotherapy (pp. 53-68). New York: Oxford University Press.