As a pioneer in the field of treatment and manifestation of anxiety disorders, specifically among Black Americans, Dr. Neal-Barnett’s work and research has been highly regarded and sought after, from popular psychology journals to America’s largest syndicated news networks. Her position as director of Kent State’s Program for Research on Anxiety Disorders among African Americans (PRADAA) puts the groundbreaking research she has conducted into action. PRADAA’s mission is to transform the African American community by recognizing and responding to societal needs through education, innovation, intervention, and dissemination of anxiety based research. Taking this mission statement to heart, the betterment of Black communities across the country is the guiding force behind her work. She has sustained partnerships with Urban Leagues, Black churches, Black hair care professionals, Black doulas, and public schools. Increasingly, Black Americans are entering and rising through the ranks of corporate America. Realizing this and knowing from her research that different forms of anxiety are associated with being Black in the corporate workplace, in 2020 she contributed to a three-part series on anxiety for the Harvard Business Review (HBR) network. Her expertise on the “Anxiety of the only” led to a guest expert role on the award-winning HBR podcast The Anxious Achiever. At the request of HBR editors, she authored the article “How organizations can support the mental health of their Black employees”. This article has been used by corporations, companies and organizations across the country, from Kenneth Cole and Boeing to small town United Ways and Chambers of Commerce. In the words of Dr. Neal-Barnett herself, “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.”
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