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Professor, Department of Psychological Sciences, Director Program for Research on Anxiety Disorders among African Americans College of Arts and Sciences, Kent State University
Angela Neal-Barnett, Ph.D., is a leading expert in Black mental health, emphasizing anxiety disorders among Black women and girls. Her latest efforts center around expectant mothers— Black women in particular—who may be suffering from PTSD or other stressors that can lead to increased pre-term births, infant mortality, and mother morbidity. Through her Spirit of Motherhood program, pregnant women and their preschool children receive a multi-level intervention for PTSD.
Dr. Neal-Barnett founded and directs the Program for Research on Anxiety Disorders among African Americans (PRADAA) Lab, which currently receives funding from the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation, American Psychological Association, Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland, and the Women’s Endowment Fund of the Akron Community Foundation. Previously she has received funding from the National Institute of Mental Health, National Science Foundation and the State of Ohio.
In addition to her widely cited research publications, Dr. Neal-Barnett has been featured in Selena Gomez’s Wondermind, O the Oprah Magazine, Essence, Fortune, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Harvard Business Review and has appeared on NPR, MSNBC, BET, CNN, and ABC. She is also the author of the New York Times reviewed Soothe Your Nerves: The Black Woman’s Guide to Understanding and Overcoming Anxiety, Panic, and Fear (Simon & Schuster)
Dr. Neal-Barnett serves as the mental health expert and in-pod therapist for the award-winning podcast Living for We (Evergreen/ideastream NPR). An Apple New and Noteworthy selection, the podcast series has received two Davey Gold awards as well as a W3 Gold award. She is a two-time contributor to the Harvard Business Review’s Guide to Better Mental Health at Work (2022) and serves as content expert for the New York Times and the Harvard Business Review.
Dr. Neal-Barnett received her B.A. in Psychology from Mount Union College (University of Mount Union) and her M.A .and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from DePaul University. She is a founding member of the Arlington Church of God’s Wellness Team and an associate member of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. Dr. Neal-Barnett is the mother of an adult daughter.
Dr. Neal-Barnett describes her work in the following way. “Whether it is designing intervention studies, disseminating research results, mentoring, encouraging and advising current BIPOC students and early career faculty, or sharing about Black Americans and anxiety disorders on multiple national platforms (print, television, streaming, podcasts), throughout my career, my purpose has never wavered: Ensuring that Black Americans understand what anxiety is, how it is manifested, and that no matter what, they can reclaim their lives.”
Awards:
- Athena International Greater Akron Chapter Athena Leadership Award
- 2022 Kent State University’s President’s Faculty Excellence Award
- 2021 Elected Fellow American Psychological Association (APA)
- 2020 Jerilyn Ross Clinician Advocate Award from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA)
- 2020 Kent State University Outstanding Researcher and Scholar Award
- 2008 Top 10 Finalist Kent State University Outstanding Teacher Award
- 2000 American Psychological Association’s Kenneth and Mamie Clark Award
Websites: drangelanealbarnett.com https://sites.google.com/view/pradaalab
Social Media: Blue Sky, X, Facebook, Instagram: @KSUPRADAA
Personal Social Media: @dranjela
In the Media
Living for We Podcast Season 1 (March-July 2023). In-Pod Therapist and Mental Health Expert
(July 28, 2022). What psychologists want today’s young people to know
New York Times ) December 16, 2021.) Worry burnout is real
Monitor on Psychology (October 2022). Focusing on maternity and postpartum care for Black mothers leads to better
(November 2021). Effective therapy with Black women
(June 2020) How organizations can support the mental health of their Black employees
(November 2020) Black women are facing an overwhelming mental health crisis
Akron Beacon Journal: Spirit of Motherhood Black Maternal Mental Health