Henry Willis, a graduate student in Clinical Psychology, is a 2018 recipient of a grant from the International Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Foundation.
The International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) is committed to finding and promoting the most effective treatment methods for OCD and related disorders. Research is vital to the goals of better understanding OCD and related disorders and improving treatment. To help achieve these goals, the IOCDF awards grants to investigators whose research focuses on the nature, causes, and treatment of OCD and related disorders. Grants from IOCDF support junior investigators, build their research programs, and keep young researchers interested in studying the field of OCD.
Henry received over $25,800 for his project, “Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms in African American Young Adults: The Roles of Racial Discrimination and Racial Identity.” In his research project, Henry will investigate the role of racial discrimination in the intrusive thoughts experienced by African Americans with OCD. He will also examine whether African Americans who hold a sense of belonging and commitment to a larger group defined by their race — a racial identity — may be less likely to develop certain OCD symptoms. This project will contribute to what has so far been a limited body of research, and may inform future treatment for this population of OCD patients.