Leora Swartzman

Dr. Leora Swartzman

Clinical Science and Psychopathology

Email: lswartzm@uwo.ca
Office: WH 312 East
Tel: 519-661-2111 ext. 84654
Curriculum Vitae

  • Bio

  • Publications

  • Research

Biographical Information

I grew up in Montreal and earned my Honours BA in Psychology from McGill University in 1977. Intent on combining my enthusiasm for psychological research and desire to work with people on a hands-on basis, I pursued graduate training in Clinical Psychology at Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, from which I received an MSc and Ph.D in Psychology (Clinical Specialization). A one- year residency at Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Centre in Chicago followed by a post-doctoral year at Detroit’s Lafayette Clinic’s Behavioural Physiology Lab (Detroit), solidified my interest in health psychology. I joined the faculty at Western’s Psychology Department in 1988, where I’ve happily been ever since.

Selected Publications

Saperia, N. J. G., & Swartzman, L. C. (2012). Openness to psychological explanations and treatment among people with fibromyalgia versus rheumatoid arthritis. Psychology & Health, 2, 310-323.

Swartzman, L.C. (2012). Non-adherence: What really motivates patients? (Invited Opinion piece). Pharmaceutical Market Europe, Feb. 2012 issue, 34-35.

Power, T. E., Swartzman, L. C., & Robinson, J. W. (2011). Cognitive-emotional decision making (CEDM): A framework of patient medical decision making. Patient Education and Counseling, 83, 163-169.

Miller FG, Wendler D & Swartzman LC. (2005). Deception in research on the placebo
effect. PLoS Medicine 2(9) :e262.

Swartzman, L. C. Harshman, R. A., Burkell, J., & Lundy, M. E. (2002). What accounts for the appeal of complementary/alternative medicine, and what makes complementary/ alternative medicine "alternative"? Medical Decision Making, 22, 431-450.

Research

My research interests fall within the broad domain of clinical health psychology. Earlier work, focused on the role of psychological factors on symptom reporting, was applied to menopausal hot flushes and the placebo effect. More recently, my interests have turned to examining the interplay of cognitive, motivational and emotional determinants of adherence to health care regimens, and how people construe their treatment options. I and my students have explored these issues by working to better understand the experiences and behavior of individuals dealing with a wide range of physical conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, fibromyalgia and heart failure.