SUMMARY
The research interests of Abigail L. Matthews, Ph.D., M.H.A., L.P., ABPP, include examining characteristics and symptom trajectories of children and adolescents receiving family-based care for depression. She places particular emphasis on caregiver-focused interventions that target caregiver self-efficacy, skills acquisition and caregiver-child relationships. Dr. Matthews also examines unique characteristics of children and adolescents with anorexia nervosa and atypical anorexia nervosa. She aims to improve treatment efficacy for these patients.
Focus areas
- Improving treatments for pediatric depression. Dr. Matthews develops and examines accessible treatment formats for children and adolescents with depression. She assesses characteristics of patients enrolled in these treatments. She also examines how symptoms change over time and which treatment components are most acceptable, accessible and effective for diverse patients and families.
- Group interventions for caregivers of children and adolescents with depression. Dr. Matthews develops new caregiver-only treatments to help caregivers gain confidence and learn skills to best support their child or adolescent with depression and suicidality. She examines whether caregiver-only interventions are associated with symptom improvements in pediatric depression.
- Treatments for youth with anorexia nervosa and atypical anorexia nervosa who are medically hospitalized. Dr. Matthews also studies characteristics and treatment interventions for youth with severe medical complications of anorexia nervosa and atypical anorexia nervosa. This includes:
- Adaptations of family-based treatment for medically hospitalized patients.
- Reducing caregiver burden and improving sibling well-being.
- Identifying the unique needs of patients with a history of overweight or obesity.
- Real-world clinical data. Dr. Matthews uses retrospective and prospective clinical data to assess treatment effectiveness outside of controlled trials. This allows her to capture the complexity of patients seen in everyday practice. The approach enhances relevance to clinical decision-making and addresses common gaps in generalizability found in traditional research studies.
Significance to patient care
Dr. Matthews' research helps care teams and families understand which treatments work best for children and adolescents with depression and eating disorders in real-world clinics, not just research studies. By tracking symptoms over time, her work shows how children improve, where they face challenges and which tools make the biggest difference.
Dr. Matthews also studies programs that support caregivers. These programs help caregivers build the confidence and skills they need to better support children at home.
Together, these findings help medical teams provide care that is practical, effective and easier for families to use. This leads to safer care and better recovery for young patients.
Professional highlights
- Member, Editorial board, Eating Behaviors, 2025-present.
- Director, Pediatric Mood Disorder Program, Mayo Clinic, 2023-present.
- Academy for Eating Disorders:
- Co-chair, Advocacy and Communications Committee, 2021-2024.
- Editor, Forum Quarterly Newsletter, 2021-2024.
- Top 10 paper distinction, International Conference on Eating Disorders, 2022.
- Clinical director, Eating Disorders Program, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 2013-2023.
- President, Women's Faculty Association, University of Cincinnati, 2014-2015.