About Us
OCD BOUNCE is an Australian research collective which brings together internationally recognised experts in OCD to improve understanding of and treatment for obsessive-compulsive and related disorders.
Vision and Mission of OCD BOUNCE
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) affects one in fifty people during their lifetime — that's approximately 500,000 Australians.
More still are affected by obsessive compulsive related disorders — body dysmorphic disorder, hoarding disorder, excoriation (skin picking disorder), trichotillomania (hair pulling disorder), tics and Tourette Syndrome.
OCD alone is associated with high school/work absenteeism, high psychiatric comorbidity, significant functional impairment for both individuals and their families, and an annual loss of $3.4 billion to the Australian economy.
Fortunately, there are a variety of evidence-based treatments for OCD and related disorders, with good response rates. For example, exposure with response prevention (ERP) — a specialised form of cognitive-behavioural therapy — achieves long term remission in up to 60% of cases.
There are also several medications with top-level evidence of effectiveness in treating OCD. However, people often wait years or even decades before receiving adequate treatment. Partly this is due to the secretive nature of OCD, but also due to a lack of clinicians trained to assess OCD and provide ERP.
Up to 95% of therapists identify lack of specialist training and supervision as a barrier to them offering ERP. A lack of suitably trained therapists for OCD results in lengthy delays in treatment, during which time people can deteriorate, and sub-optimal treatment results in many people remaining symptomatic even after receiving treatment.
We have a vision to see mental health clinicians feeling confident and competent at detecting, assessing, and treating obsessive-compulsive and related disorders using evidence-based best practices.
Our ultimate goal is for all people in Australia with obsessive-compulsive and related disorders to have timely access to the best available treatment, to be able to live a life free from OCD.
Executive Leadership
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Dr Iain Perkes
RESEARCH LEADER
Dr Iain Perkes is a Clinical Academic Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, jointly appointed with the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network, the largest provider of children’s health services in Australia, and the University of New South Wales. Iain established a paediatric OCD service in the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network where he conducts clinically-relevant research into evidence-based assessment and treatment of OCD. Learn more about Dr Perkes’ work here.
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Prof Jessica Grisham
RESEARCH LEADER
Prof Jessica Grisham is an international expert on OCD and related disorders (OCRDs). Prof Grisham is a Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of New South Wales. She has conducted research on childhood neuropsychological and socioemotional predictors of OCD, psychological mechanisms underpinning OCD, and the assessment of childhood OCD symptoms. Learn more about Prof Grisham’s work here.
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Prof Lara Farrell
RESEARCH LEADER
Prof Lara Farrell is an international leader in clinical trials for paediatric OCD. Prof Farrell is a Professor in the School of Applied Psychology at Griffith University. She has developed the OCD Busters program, an empirically supported CBT-ERP program for children and adolescents, which has been trialled in various modalities including group therapy, brief and concentrated ERP, and as an online program for parents. Learn more about Prof Farrell’s work here.
Project Leads
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Dr Katelyn Dyason
PROJECT LEAD
Dr Katelyn Dyason is a registered psychologist, clinical psychology registrar and an early career researcher. Katelyn completed her combined clinical Masters/research PhD through Griffith University in 2019. She trained in intensive exposure with response prevention under Prof Farrell and has worked on several research trials, including the OCD Busters research trial. She is currently the Project Manager and lead Psychologist for the OCD BOUNCE team, working predominantly on the Model of Care project.
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David Cooper
PROJECT LEAD
David is a clinical psychologist with a special interest in treatment for OCD. He led the development of the OCD Clinician Network listed in our directory and conducted research to evaluate its utility and acceptability. David contributes to other BOUNCE efforts and routine clinical case consultations. He is completing his doctoral research with Prof Grisham’s lab, funded by the Scientia PhD program at the University of New South Wales.