Ayelet Meron Ruscio

Psychopathology and Psychotherapy Specific Research Areas Anxiety and mood disorders–their nature, classification, and comorbidity Research Synopsis My research is broadly concerned with the nature, classification, and comorbidity of mental disorders, with a particular focus on anxiety and mood disorders. Research in our lab explores three interrelated questions: 1. What distinguishes normal from pathological experiences of anxiety and depression? 2. Why do anxiety and depression so often co-occur within individuals? 3. What predicts who will develop emotional disturbance and what form it will take over the lifespan? We address these questions using a variety of methodological approaches, including laboratory experiments, statistical modeling, psychometric research, and longitudinal studies in the community. The aim is to better understand the nature and structure of emotional disorders and to improve their detection, assessment, and diagnosis. Professor Ayelet Meron Ruscio will be considering new graduate students for admission for Fall 2026.

Stade, E. C., DeRubeis, R. J., Ungar, L., & Ruscio, A. M. (in press). A transdiagnostic, dimensional classification of anxiety shows improved parsimony and predictive noninferiority to DSM. Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science (formerly Journal of Abnormal Psychology). Stade, E. C., Ungar, L., Eichstaedt, J. C., Sherman, G., & Ruscio, A. M. (in press). Depression and anxiety have distinct and overlapping language patterns: Results from a clinical interview. Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science (formerly Journal of Abnormal Psychology). Stade, E. C., & Ruscio, A. M. (2023). A meta-analysis of the relationship between worry and rumination. Clinical Psychological Science, 11, 552-573.