UCLA Nursing alumna featured for her work on women’s mental health

Rachel Sabbagh, DNP, MSN, RN, PHMCNS-BC, an alumna of the UCLA Joe C. Wen School of Nursing’s DNP program, was featured in Clinical Advisor for her work examining outcomes of different therapeutic programs used to treat perinatal depression and anxiety. 

Dr. Sabbagh’s work compared the effectiveness of individual versus group psychotherapy for women experiencing perinatal depression and anxiety. The results showed that both approaches significantly reduced symptoms and improved perceived social support. It’s an important understanding as group psychotherapy is far more cost effective than individual options. This project provides a strong foundation for developing more accessible, cost effective, and scalable treatment options for women.

“Through my work in psychiatric and mental health settings, I have seen firsthand how profoundly mental illness can affect mothers during pregnancy and after childbirth, as well as the lasting impact it can have on their infants,” said Dr. Sabbagh. “Perinatal women are a particularly vulnerable population, and I wanted to address the gap between what research shows to be effective and what is actually practiced in clinical settings.”

Along with her featured in Clinical Advisor, Dr. Sabbagh also presented this project, ‘Individual and Group Therapy Equally Effective for Perinatal Depression and Anxiety’, at the American Psychiatric Nurses Association’s (APNA) 2025 annual conference, the UCLA Nursing Science & Innovation Conference, and at the Western Institute of Nursing. She is in the process of submitting her DNP project manuscript to the Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (JAPNA) for publication and hopes to present her project at a future international conference. 

Along with Dr. Sabbagh’s participation at this year’s APNA conference, Assistant Teaching Professor Stacey Green, DNP, AOCNP, GNP-BC, PMHNP-BC, also presented her work. Her study, ‘Exploring Motivations and Barriers: A Quantitative Study of Precepting Among Current Advanced Practice Registered Nurses in Behavioral Health’, looks at the motivations and barriers that current behavioral health APRNs encounter when deciding to precept students. 

Preceptors play an important role in clinical nursing education, as they provide the hands-on instruction in the clinical setting for students pursuing RN and advanced practice roles. The study is ongoing but will ultimately inform strategies to address the sustainability of nursing education. 

Dr. Rachel Sabbagh featured in Clinical Advisor