Dr. Eric Storch

Dr. Storch is an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology in the Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry at the University of South Florida. Dr. Storch specializes in the cognitive behavioral treatment of adult and childhood obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), as well as other obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders (e.g., trichotillomania, tic disorders, body dysmorphic disorder, skinpicking) and anxiety disorders.

Dr. Storch earned his B.A. in Psychology from Binghamton University in 1997, followed by his M.S., M.Phil., and Ph.D. degrees in Child-Clinical Psychology from Columbia University. He joined the Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry at the University of South Florida in 2008. Dr. Storch is a licensed clinical psychologist and serves as the Director of the University of South Florida OCD Program. As detailed below, he is conducting research in the areas of cognitive behavioral treatment for adult and childhood OCD, treatment augmentation, and treatment of obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders.

 

Research and Scholarly Interests

Dr. Storch’s primary research focus is on the treatment of adult and childhood OCD. He is particularly intrigued by the hypothesis that targeting specific neural receptors (e.g., NMDA) may facilitate extinction processes central to exposure-based psychotherapy. As many child and adults OCD patients continue to experience residual symptoms following treatment, remain treatment refractory, or have an adverse reaction to psychotropics, there is a great need for enhancing the effectiveness of extant psychotherapies. This research has been supported by NIH and NARSAD grants to Dr. Storch.

In addition to this interest, SSRIs have been implicated in the behavioral activation of some pediatric patients. There is a dearth of data on the phenomenology and quantification of this putative syndrome, despite the relative frequency with which it occurs. Given this, in collaboration with Drs. Goodman and Murphy, Dr. Storch has been conducting research on defining the cluster of behavioral side effects of SSRIs (referred to as “activation syndrome”) and examining how differential dosing may impact the timing and presence of activation.

Dr. Storch’s clinical research also focuses on treatment augmentation, both psychosocial and pharmacological, in pediatric and adult OCD patients. As many OCD patients do not have an adequate response to first-line treatments, studying evidenced-based augmentation approaches is highly warranted.

Finally, Dr. Storch is interested in studying alternative service delivery options for cognitive-behavioral therapy, as well as how behavioral treatment can be helpful for unique populations. Specific interests include examining the efficacy of telephone-based treatments, as well as applying behavioral interventions to treatment compulsive behaviors in varied developmental disabilities.

Dr. Storch has published over 150 peer-reviewed articles. He is the lead editor on a text (with Drs. Geffken and Murphy) entitled “Handbook of Child and Adolescent Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder” that is published by Lawrence Erlbaum, Inc. In addition, he has two books published by Springer that are in preparation: one focuses on cognitive-behavioral therapy for difficult-to-treatment pediatric psychiatric illnesses, while the other is a textbook on childhood anxiety disorders. Dr. Storch has received grant funding from the National Institute of Mental Health, Obsessive Compulsive Foundation, NARSAD, pharmaceutical companies, and numerous other foundations for his research on OCD and related topics.

 

Educational Interests and Accomplishments

Dr. Storch teaches seminars in Cognitive Behavior Therapy in the USF Department of Psychiatry. He has served on numerous undergraduate and Master’s Theses, as well as Dissertation committees. In addition to his students’ impressive publication and thesis defense records, many of his trainees have gone on to successful careers in clinical psychology and other helping professions.

 

Leadership & Service

As the Director of the USF OCD Program, Dr. Storch is very active in designing outreach programs to increase access for patients. He speaks frequently at national and international conferences, and contributes a column in the ‘Tampa 4-U’ section of the Tampa Tribune Newspaper.

In addition, Dr. Storch has been an active reviewer of others’ research. He serves on the editorial board of 5 journals including the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Journal of Anxiety Disorders, Child Psychiatry and Human Development, Journal of Child Health Care, and Psicologia Conductual. In addition, he has served as a reviewer for multiple other journals and granting agencies (e.g., NIH).

 

Selected Publications (from over 150)

Storch, E. A., Merlo, L. J., Larson, M., Geffken, G. R., Lehmkuhl, H. D., Jacob, M. L., Murphy, T. K., & Goodman, W. K. (2008). The Impact of Comorbidity on Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Response in Pediatric Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 47, 583-592.

Storch, E. A., Merlo, L. J., Larson, M. J., Bloss, C. S., Geffken, G. R., Jacob, M. L., Murphy, T. K., & Goodman, W. K. (2008). Symptom Dimensions and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Outcome for Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavia, 117, 67-75.

Keeley, M., Storch, E. A., Merlo, L. J., & Geffken, G. R. (2008). Clinical predictors of response to cognitive-behavioral therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Clinical Psychology Review, 28, 118-130.

Storch, E. A., Abramowitz, J., & Goodman, W. K. (2008). Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Belongs Among the Anxiety Disorders in DSM-V? Depression and Anxiety, 25, 336-347.

Storch, E. A., Lehmkuhl, H., Geffken, G. R., Touchton, A., & Murphy, T. K. (2008). Aripiprazole augmentation of incomplete treatment response in an adolescent male with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Depression and Anxiety, 25, 172-174.

Murphy, T. K., Segarra, A., Storch, E. A., & Goodman, W. K. (2008). SSRIs-Adverse Events: How to monitor and manage. International Review of Psychiatry, 20, 203-208.

Storch, E. A., Milsom, V. A., Merlo, L. J., Larson, M., Geffken, G. R., Jacob, M. L., Murphy, T. K., & Goodman, W. K. (2008). Insight in Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Associations with Clinical Presentation. Psychiatry Research, 160, 212-220.

Storch, E. A., Lack, C. W., Simons, L. E., Goodman, W. K., Murphy, T. K., & Geffken. G. R. (2007). A Measure of Functional Impairment in Youth with Tics. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 32, 950-959.

Storch, E. A., Geffken, G. R., Merlo, L. J., Mann, G., Duke, D., Munson, M., Adkins, J., Grabill, K., Murphy, T. K., & Goodman, W. K. (2007). Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Comparison of Intensive and Weekly Approaches. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 46, 469-478.

Storch, E. A., Larson, M., Shapira, N. A., Ward, H. E., Murphy, T. K., Geffken, G. R., Valerio, H., & Goodman, W. K. (2007). Clinical predictors of early fluoxetine treatment response in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Depression and Anxiety, 23, 429-433.

Storch, E. A., Merlo, L. J., Lack, C., Milsom, V., Geffken, G. R., Goodman, W. K., & Murphy, T. K. (2007). Quality of Life in Youth with Tourette’s Syndrome and Chronic Tic Disorder. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 36, 217-227.

Storch, E. A., Merlo, L. J., Larson, M. J., Fernandez, M., Jacob, M. L., Geffken, G. R., Grabill, K., Murphy, T. K., & Goodman, W. K. (2007). Family Accommodation in Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 36, 207-216.

Storch, E. A., Merlo, L. J., Bengtson, M., Murphy, T. K., Lewis, M. H., Yang, M. C., Jacob, M. L., Larson, M., Hirsh, A., Fernandez, M., Geffken, G. R., & Goodman, W. K. (2007). D-Cycloserine Does Not Enhance Exposure-Response Prevention Therapy in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. International Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, 22, 230-237.

Storch, E. A., Lack, C. W., Merlo, L. J., Geffken, G. R., Jacob, M. J., Murphy, T. K., & Goodman, W. K. (2007). Clinical features of children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder and hoarding symptoms. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 48, 313-318.

Storch, E. A., Geffken, G. R., Adkins, J. W., Murphy, T. K., & Goodman, W.K. (2007). Sequential cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy for children with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder with an Inadequate Medication Responder: A case series of five patients. Depression and Anxiety, 24, 375-381.

Abramowitz, J., Storch, E. A., Keeley, M., & Cordell, M. (2007). Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder with and Without Comorbid Major Depression: A Comparison of Cognitive Features. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 45, 2257-2267.

Storch, E. A., Murphy, T. K., & Geffken, G. R. (eds.) (2007). Handbook of Child and Adolescent Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Lawrence Earlbaum. New Jersey, pp. 396.

Goodman, W. K., Murphy, T. K., & Storch, E. A. (2007). Risk of Adverse Behavioral Effects with Pediatric Use of Antidepressants. Psychopharmacology, 191, 87-96.

Storch, E. A., Lack, C., Merlo, L. J., Marien, W., Geffken, G. R., Grabill, K., Jacob, M. L., Murphy, T. K., & Goodman, W. K. (2007). Associations between Miscellaneous Symptoms and Symptom Subtypes: An Examination of Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 45, 2593-2603.

Storch, E. A., & Merlo, L. J. (2006). Treatment of the patient with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Journal of Family Practice, 55, 329-333.

Storch, E. A., Ledley, D. R., Lewin, A. B., Murphy, T. K., Johns, N. B., Goodman, W. K., & Geffken, G. R. (2006). Peer Victimization in Children with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Relations with Social-Psychological Adjustment. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 35, 446-455.

Storch, E. A., Murphy, T. K., Geffken, G. R., Mann, G., Adkins, J., Merlo, L. J., Duke, D., Munson, M., Swaine, Z., & Goodman, W. K. (2006). Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for PANDAS Related Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Findings from a Preliminary Wait-List Controlled Open Trial. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 45, 1171-1178.

Goodman, W. K., Storch, E. A., Murphy, T. K., & Geffken, G. R. (2006). Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Tourette’s Syndrome. Journal of Child Neurology, 21, 704-714.

Storch, E. A., Murphy, T. K., Geffken, G. R., Soto, O., Sajid, M., Bagner, D. M., Allen, P., Killiany, E. M., & Goodman, W. K. (2005). Factor structure of the Children’s Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 34, 312-319.

Lewin, A., Storch, E. A., Adkins, J., Merlo, L., Murphy, T. K., Goodman, W. K., & Geffken, G. R. (2005). Update and review on pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder. Psychiatric Annals, 35, 745-751.

Larson, M. J., Storch, E. A., Lewin, A. B., Geffken, G. R., Murphy, T. K., & Goodman, W. K. (2005). Treatment of pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder: A review. Current Psychiatry Reviews, 1, 281-292.

Storch, E. A., Shapira, N. A., Dimoulas, E., Geffken, G. R., Murphy, T. K., & Goodman, W. K. (2005). The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale: The dimensional structure revisited. Depression and Anxiety, 22, 28-35.

Storch, E. A., Murphy, T. K., Geffken, G. R., Sajid, M., Allen, P., Roberti, J. W., & Goodman, W. K. (2005). Reliability and validity of the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale. Psychological Assessment, 17, 486-491.

Storch, E. A., Gerdes, A., Atkins, J., Geffken, G. R., Star, J., & Murphy, T. (2004). Behavioral treatment of child with Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder associated with Group A Streptococcal Infection. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 43, 510-511.

Storch, E. A., Murphy, T. K., Geffken, G. R., Soto, O., Sajid, M., Allen, P., Roberti, J. W., Killiany, E., & Goodman, W. K. (2004). Psychometric evaluation of the Children’s Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale. Psychiatry Research, 129, 91-98.

Masia, C. L., Storch, E. A., Dent, H., Adams, P., Verdeli, H., Davies, M., & Weissman, M. M. (2003). Recall of childhood psychopathology: Over ten years later. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 42, 6-12.