WILLIAM H. O'BRIEN

Professor, Department of Psychology
B.S., Rochester Institute of Technology;
Ph.D., Illinois Institute of Technology, 1990

Phone: (419) 372-2974
Email: wobrien@bgsu.edu
Office: Room 338, Psychology Building
Lab Page: http://bgsu.edu/maplab
CV: PDF

Taking Graduate Students? Yes
Sponsoring Undergraduate Research? N/A

Research Interests:

• Behavioral medicine
• Clinical psychophysiology
• Behavioral assessment
• Behavior therapy
• Cross-cultural mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy and psychophysiology

Selected Publications:

Recent Publications

Maitland, D.W.M., Lim, C.X., O’Brien, W. H., Lewis, J., Davis, B. S. (in press). Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia as a Therapy Measurement Strategy: The Example of Functional Analytic Psychotherapy. Research Directs in Psychology and Behavior.

O’Brien, W. H., Wang, S., Varga, A. V., Lim, C. X., Xu, H., Jarukasemthawee, S., Pisitsungkagarn, K., Suvanbenjakule, P., Braden, A. (2023). Psychological Flexibility Prospectively Predicts COVID-19 PPE Use Across a Two-Month Interval. Psychology, Health, and Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2022.2162936

Lim, C. X., O'Brien, W. H., Watford, T. S., & Suvanbenjakule, P. (2022). Psychological Inflexibility and HF-HRV reactivity to laboratory stressors. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 26, 134-138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2022.09.004.

O’Brien, W. H., Chavanovanich, J., Jarukasemthawee, S., Pisitsungkagarn, K., Kalantzis, M. (2022). Mindfulness-based approaches to reduce injuries among nurses and nursing aides. In C. Bowers, D. Beidel, Marks, M., Horan, K., & Cannon-Bowers, J. (Eds.). The Handbook of Research on Mental Health and Wellness in Healthcare Workers. IGI Global.

Mueller, E. A., Suvanbenjakule, P., Lim, C. X., O'Brien, W. H., Chavanovanich, J., Jarukasemthawee, S., Pisitsungkagarn, K., Suavansri, P. (2022). Coping with COVID-19: Survey data assessing psychological distress to COVID-19 and vaccine hesitancy with measures of theory of planned behavior, mindfulness, compassion, cultural orientation, and pandemic fatigue. Data in Brief, 43, 108390. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2022.108390.*

Chen Y, Xu H, O’Brien W, Gao Y, Dong X. (2022). Acculturation Mitigates the Negative Impact of Perceived Stress on Depressive Symptoms Among U.S. Chinese Older Adults. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 95(1), 3-17. doi:10.1177/00914150211024187

Jaurkasemthawee, S., Pisitsungkagarn, K., O’Brien, W., Manley, H., & Pattanomontri, C. (2021). Relationships between mindfulness, self-compassion, and grit among Thai athletes: The mediating role of self-regulation. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2021.2010230.

O’Brien, W. H., Wang. S., Varga, A. V., Xu, H., Sims, T., Horan, K., Lim, C. X. (2021). Predicting personal protective equipment use, trauma symptoms, and physical symptoms in the USA during the early weeks of the COVID-19 lockdown (April 9 – 18, 2020). Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 31, 37-47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2021.05.003*

Haynes, S. N., O'Brien, W. H., & Godoy, A. (2020). A proposed model for the psychometric evaluation of clinical case formulations with quantified causal diagrams. Psychological Assessment, 32, 541–552. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0000811

Koerton, H. R., Watford, T. S., Dubow, E. F., & O’Brien, W. H. (2020). Cardiovascular effects of brief mindfulness meditation among perfectionists experiencing failure. Psychophysiology, 54. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.13517.

Singh, R. J., & O’Brien (2020).  The Impact of Work Stress on Sexual Minority Employees: Could Psychological Flexibility be a Helpful Solution? Stress and Health, 36, 59-74. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.2913.

Singh, R., Watford, T. S., Cotterman, R., & O’Brien, W. H. (2020). A Pilot study of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for sexual minorities experiencing work stress. Journal of Contextual Behavior Therapy, 16, 25-29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2020.02.001

Wasson, R., Barratt, C. L., & O’Brien, W. H. (2020). Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Self-Compassion in Health Care Professionals: A Meta-Analysis. Mindfulness, 11, 1914-1934. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-020-01342-5.*

Xu, H., O’Brien, W. H., & Chen, Y. (2020). Chinese International Student Stress and Coping: A Pilot Study of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 15, 135-141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2019.12.010*

O’Brien, W. H., Horan, K. A., Singh, S., Moeller, M.A., Wasson, R. S., Jex, S. M., Matthews, R. A., & Barratt, C. L. (2019). Relationships among training, mindfulness, and workplace injuries among nurse aides working in long-term care settings. Occupational Health Science, 3, 45-58.

O’Brien, W. H., Singh, S., Horan, K. A., Moeller, M. A., Wasson, R. S., & Jex, S. M. (2019). Group-Based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Nurses and Nurse Aides Working in Long-Term Care Residential Settings. Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine, 25, 753-761.

Horan, K.A., Singh, S., Moeller, M., Matthews, R., Barratt, C., Jex, S., & O’Brien, W. H. (2019). The relationship between physical work hazards and employee withdrawal: The moderating role of safety compliance.  Stress and Health, 35, 81-88.

O’Brien, W. H., Goetz, P. W. McCarren, H., Delaney, E., Morrison, W. F., Watford, T. S., & Horan, K. A. (2019). Job satisfaction is associated with respiratory sinus arrhythmia reactivity to, and recovery from, a laboratory stressor. Journal of Psychophysiology, 33, 32-38.

Watford, T. S., O’Brien, W. H., Geis, H. R., Bogusch, L. M., Moeller, M. M., & Singh, R. S. (2019). The Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale is Associated with Lower Levels of High Frequency Heart Rate Variability in a Laboratory Context. Psychophysiology. 57, e13506.

Bogusch, L., Moeller, M., O’Brien, W. H. (2018). Case Study of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Functional Analysis for Emetophobia. Clinical Case Studies, 17, 77-90.

Bogusch, L. M., & O’Brien, W.H. (2018). The effects of mindfulness-based interventions on diabetes-related distress, quality of life, and metabolic control among persons with diabetes: A meta-analytic review. Behavioral Medicine, 44, 1-11.

Chen, Y., Peng, Y, Xu, H., & O’Brien, W. H. (2018). Age differences in stress and coping: Problem-focused strategies mediate the relationship between age and positive affect. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 86, 347-363.

Courses Taught:

• PSYC 1010 General Psychology
  
• PSYC 1010H Honors General Psychology
  
• PSYC 2700 Quantitative Methods I
  
• PSYC 3280 Psychophysiology
  
• PSYC 4050 Psychology of Abnormal Behavior
  
• PSYC 6090 Clinical Assessments and Interventions
  
• PSYC 6310 Theories and Techniques of Therapy I