Jessica Schwartzman, PhD
Dr. Jessica Schwartzman is a licensed clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at VUMC. She is a Member of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and Frist Center for Autism and Innovation. Dr. Schwartzman received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Palo Alto University in 2020 with an emphasis in Latinx/e Mental Health, and she completed her pre-doctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the VUMC Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.
Clinical Interests
Dr. Schwartzman has expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of depressive and anxiety disorders in children, adolescents, and adults, with specialty training in neurodivergent people. She has clinical expertise in psychological testing and risk management (e.g., suicide, self-harm). Dr. Schwartzman employs cognitive-behavioral approaches and adapts standard techniques to the unique needs of neurodivergent youth and adults. Dr. Schwartzman is fluent in Spanish and delivers psychological testing and psychotherapy to Spanish-speaking youth and families.
Research Information
Dr. Schwartzman's research aims to understand interpersonal relationships in peer and family contexts in neurodivergent people and associations with adverse mental health outcomes (e.g., depression, suicide, stress). Using robust quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods approaches, Dr. Schwartzman focuses on: (1) identifying and directly targeting interpersonal mechanisms of depression and suicide risk in neurodivergent people; (2) advancing measurement approaches to depression and suicide risk in neurodivergent people; and (3) examining and intervening on caregiver-child dyadic stress and perceived resilience in caregivers of neurodivergent youth. Dr. Schwartzman’s work has been supported by internal and external grants, including the Vanderbilt Faculty Research Scholars Program and Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research.
Representative Publications
Schwartzman, J. M., Smith, J. R., & Bettis, A. H. (2021). Safety planning for suicidality in autism: obstacles, potential solutions, and future directions. Pediatrics, 148(6).
Schwartzman, J. M., & Corbett, B. A. (2020). Higher depressive symptoms in early adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder by self-and parent-report compared to typically-developing peers. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 77, 101613.
Schwartzman, J. M., Williams, Z. J., & Corbett, B. A. (2022). Diagnostic-and sex-based differences in depression symptoms in autistic and neurotypical early adolescents. Autism, 26(1), 256-269.
Schwartzman, J., Williams, Z., Richards, J., Mattheiss, S., & Gotham, K. (2022). Neuroticism Drives Associations Between Repetitive Behaviors and Depression in Autistic Adults. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13.
Schwartzman, J. M., Millan, M. E., Uljarevic, M., & Gengoux, G. W. (2021). Resilience intervention for parents of children with autism: Findings from a randomized controlled trial of the AMOR Method. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 1-20.
Schwartzman, J. M., Hardan, A. Y., & Gengoux, G. W. (2021). Parenting stress in autism spectrum disorder may account for discrepancies in parent and clinician ratings of child functioning. Autism, 25(6), 1601-1614.
Schwartzman, J. M., Millan, M. E., & Gengoux, G. W. (2022). Predictors of self-reported resilience in parents of autistic children. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 94, 101954.
Corbett, B. A., Schwartzman, J. M., Libsack, E. J., Muscatello, R. A., Lerner, M. D., Simmons, G. L., & White, S. W. (2021). Camouflaging in Autism: Examining Sex‐Based and Compensatory Models in Social Cognition and Communication. Autism Research, 14(1), 127-142.
Corbett, B. A., Muscatello, R. A., Klemencic, M. E., & Schwartzman, J. M. (2021). The impact of COVID‐19 on stress, anxiety, and coping in youth with and without autism and their parents. Autism Research, 14(7), 1496-1511.
Spackman, E., Lerh, J. W., Rodgers, J., Hollocks, M. J., South, M., McConachie, H., ... & Uljarević, M. (2022). Understanding the heterogeneity of anxiety in autistic youth: A person‐centered approach. Autism Research.
Schwartzman, J. M., Strong, K., Ardel, C. M., Schuck, R. K., Millan, M. E., Phillips, J. M., ... & Gengoux, G. W. (2021). Language Improvement Following Pivotal Response Treatment for Children With Developmental Disorders. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 126(1), 45-57.
Gengoux, G. W., Schwartzman, J. M., Millan, M. E., Schuck, R. K., Ruiz, A. A., Weng, Y., ... & Hardan, A. Y. (2021). Enhancing Social Initiations Using Naturalistic Behavioral Intervention: Outcomes from a Randomized Controlled Trial for Children with Autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 51(10), 3547-3563.