I am an associate professor of health psychology and department chair at the University of Southern Maine. My research program focuses attention on the intersections of stress and health, with sub specializations on stress reduction interventions for improving quality of life. I have published both lab and field studies, with the former revolving around the psychophysiology of stress reactivity and the latter on program evaluations for stress reduction interventions. Phone: 2077804252 Address: 96 Falmouth Street Room 506, Science Bldg
The purpose of this quasi-experimental pilot study was to evaluate the efficacy of a 3.5 day outd... more The purpose of this quasi-experimental pilot study was to evaluate the efficacy of a 3.5 day outdoor wilderness program (Huts for Vets, HFV) for reducing psychological distress, PTSD symptoms, and improving positive mood states. it was hypothesized that participation in the HFV program would predict improvements in psychosocial well-being in addition to reductions in PTSD symptomatology relative to a waiting-list control group. Participants included 51 adult veterans diagnosed with PTSD and/or some other combat-related disability (M age = 36.8, SD = 8.19). the experimental group (n = 32) participated in the HFV program, which included hiking and group discussions. Data collection via psychosocial scale administration took place two weeks prior to the HFV trip, on the last day of the trip, and at a 6 week follow up. Participants in the control group (n = 19) underwent the psychosocial assessments on the same schedule, however, they did not participate in the outdoor program. Results indicated significant and sustained reductions in depression, anxiety, somatic stress, negative affect, and PTSD symptoms among program participants, alongside acute improvements in positive moods, relative to the control group. the current findings suggest that therapeutic recreation offers promising benefits as a complementary intervention for combat veterans.
Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, Feb 1, 2022
Sleep disturbances, including insomnia (difficulty falling or staying asleep), are common nicotin... more Sleep disturbances, including insomnia (difficulty falling or staying asleep), are common nicotine withdrawal symptoms particularly during the initial stage of nicotine abstinence, and increase the likelihood of relapse within the first 4 weeks of quitting. Although clinically recognized as a key symptom of nicotine withdrawal, sleep disturbances are not addressed in the clinical guidelines for nicotine dependence treatment. Unfortunately, Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) and other pharmacologic interventions do not attenuate withdrawal-provoked sleep disturbances, with several even exacerbating sleep disruption. The present study tested the impact of 30-min of daily moderate exercise, morning versus evening, on key polysomnographic indicators of sleep disturbances during initial 3 days (72 hr) of nicotine withdrawal. Forty-nine daily smokers (53% male) completed 3 separate abstinence periods, during which they completed either morning exercise, evening exercise, or a nonexercising magazine reading control condition. Order of condition was counterbalanced across subjects with a 1-week wash out in between each 3-day abstinence period. Exercise engagement mitigated several changes in sleep architecture associated with acute nicotine deprivation and other time-related effects on sleep, specifically frequency of arousals (B = -2.8, SE = .95; t(1271) = -3.0, p = .003) and reductions in sleep maintenance (B = .58, SE = .21; t(1270) = 2.8, p = .005). Additionally, smokers who reported greater perceived withdrawal severity had the longest latency to fall asleep but experienced the greatest attenuation of this effect following PM exercise. Overall, results suggest a role for exercise as an adjunct smoking cessation treatment to specifically target sleep disturbances during early acute nicotine withdrawal. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Introduction Cue reactivity (CR) research has reliably demonstrated robust cue-induced responding... more Introduction Cue reactivity (CR) research has reliably demonstrated robust cue-induced responding among smokers exposed to common proximal smoking cues (eg, cigarettes, lighter). More recent work demonstrates that distal stimuli, most notably the actual environments in which smoking previously occurred, can also gain associative control over craving. In the real world, proximal cues always occur within an environment; thus, a more informative test of how cues affect smokers might be to present these two cue types simultaneously. Methods Using a combined-cue counterbalanced CR paradigm, the present study tested the impact of proximal (smoking and neutral) + personal environment (smoking and nonsmoking places) pictorial cues, on smokers’ subjective and behavioral CR; as well as the extent to which cue-induced craving predicts immediate subsequent smoking in a within-subjects design. Results As anticipated, the dual smoking cue combination (ProxS + EnvS) led to the greatest cue-induced craving relative to the other three cue combinations (ProxS + EnvN, ProxN + EnvS, and ProxN ± EnvN), ps \u3c .004. Dual smoking cues also led to significantly shorter post-trial latencies to smoke, ps \u3c .01. Overall CR difference score (post-trial craving minus baseline craving) was predictive of subsequent immediate smoking indexed by: post-trial latency to smoke [B = −2.69, SE = 9.02; t(143) = −2.98, p = .003]; total puff volume [B = 2.99, SE = 1.13; t(143) = 2.65, p = .009]; and total number of puffs [B = .053, SE = .027; t(143) = 1.95, p = .05]. Conclusions The implications of these findings for better understanding the impact of cues on smoking behavior and cessation are discussed. Implications This novel cue reactivity study examined smokers’ reactivity to combined proximal and distal smoking cues. Exposure to a combination of two smoking cues (proximal and environment) led to the greatest increases in cue-induced craving and smoking behavior compared to all other cue combinations. Further, the overall magnitude of cue-induced craving was found to significantly predict immediate subsequent smoking. This work provides new insight on how exposure to various cues and cue combinations directly affect smokers’ craving and actual smoking behavior, as well as the relationship between those two indices of reactivity
The purpose of this quasi-experimental pilot study was to evaluate the efficacy of a 3.5 day outd... more The purpose of this quasi-experimental pilot study was to evaluate the efficacy of a 3.5 day outdoor wilderness program (Huts for Vets, HFV) for reducing psychological distress, PTSD symptoms, and improving positive mood states. it was hypothesized that participation in the HFV program would predict improvements in psychosocial well-being in addition to reductions in PTSD symptomatology relative to a waiting-list control group. Participants included 51 adult veterans diagnosed with PTSD and/or some other combat-related disability (M age = 36.8, SD = 8.19). the experimental group (n = 32) participated in the HFV program, which included hiking and group discussions. Data collection via psychosocial scale administration took place two weeks prior to the HFV trip, on the last day of the trip, and at a 6 week follow up. Participants in the control group (n = 19) underwent the psychosocial assessments on the same schedule, however, they did not participate in the outdoor program. Results indicated significant and sustained reductions in depression, anxiety, somatic stress, negative affect, and PTSD symptoms among program participants, alongside acute improvements in positive moods, relative to the control group. the current findings suggest that therapeutic recreation offers promising benefits as a complementary intervention for combat veterans.
The purpose of this quasi-experimental pilot study was to evaluate the efficacy of a 3.5 day outd... more The purpose of this quasi-experimental pilot study was to evaluate the efficacy of a 3.5 day outdoor wilderness program (Huts for Vets, HFV) for reducing psychological distress, PTSD symptoms, and improving positive mood states. it was hypothesized that participation in the HFV program would predict improvements in psychosocial well-being in addition to reductions in PTSD symptomatology relative to a waiting-list control group. Participants included 51 adult veterans diagnosed with PTSD and/or some other combat-related disability (M age = 36.8, SD = 8.19). the experimental group (n = 32) participated in the HFV program, which included hiking and group discussions. Data collection via psychosocial scale administration took place two weeks prior to the HFV trip, on the last day of the trip, and at a 6 week follow up. Participants in the control group (n = 19) underwent the psychosocial assessments on the same schedule, however, they did not participate in the outdoor program. Results indicated significant and sustained reductions in depression, anxiety, somatic stress, negative affect, and PTSD symptoms among program participants, alongside acute improvements in positive moods, relative to the control group. the current findings suggest that therapeutic recreation offers promising benefits as a complementary intervention for combat veterans.
Introduction Cue reactivity (CR) research has reliably demonstrated robust cue-induced responding... more Introduction Cue reactivity (CR) research has reliably demonstrated robust cue-induced responding among smokers exposed to common proximal smoking cues (eg, cigarettes, lighter). More recent work demonstrates that distal stimuli, most notably the actual environments in which smoking previously occurred, can also gain associative control over craving. In the real world, proximal cues always occur within an environment; thus, a more informative test of how cues affect smokers might be to present these two cue types simultaneously. Methods Using a combined-cue counterbalanced CR paradigm, the present study tested the impact of proximal (smoking and neutral) + personal environment (smoking and nonsmoking places) pictorial cues, on smokers’ subjective and behavioral CR; as well as the extent to which cue-induced craving predicts immediate subsequent smoking in a within-subjects design. Results As anticipated, the dual smoking cue combination (ProxS + EnvS) led to the greatest cue-induced craving relative to the other three cue combinations (ProxS + EnvN, ProxN + EnvS, and ProxN ± EnvN), ps \u3c .004. Dual smoking cues also led to significantly shorter post-trial latencies to smoke, ps \u3c .01. Overall CR difference score (post-trial craving minus baseline craving) was predictive of subsequent immediate smoking indexed by: post-trial latency to smoke [B = −2.69, SE = 9.02; t(143) = −2.98, p = .003]; total puff volume [B = 2.99, SE = 1.13; t(143) = 2.65, p = .009]; and total number of puffs [B = .053, SE = .027; t(143) = 1.95, p = .05]. Conclusions The implications of these findings for better understanding the impact of cues on smoking behavior and cessation are discussed. Implications This novel cue reactivity study examined smokers’ reactivity to combined proximal and distal smoking cues. Exposure to a combination of two smoking cues (proximal and environment) led to the greatest increases in cue-induced craving and smoking behavior compared to all other cue combinations. Further, the overall magnitude of cue-induced craving was found to significantly predict immediate subsequent smoking. This work provides new insight on how exposure to various cues and cue combinations directly affect smokers’ craving and actual smoking behavior, as well as the relationship between those two indices of reactivity
The chapter begins by a hypothetical case and an introduction to biomedical risk factors and the ... more The chapter begins by a hypothetical case and an introduction to biomedical risk factors and the etiology of coronary heart disease (CHD). We then review psychosocial etiological risk factors and psychosocial prognostic factors of CHD (e.g., hostility, depression, Type-D personality). The chapter then presents in depth the PNI of the acute coronary syndrome with an emphasis on the vagal nerve and inflammation. We then discuss behavioral mediators between psychological factors and CHD prognosis and the evidence for the effects of various psychological interventions on CHD prognosis. These are done via meta-analyses and specific studies. The chapter ends with returning to the hypothetical case, vis-a-vis the presented studies.
The purpose of this quasi-experimental pilot study was to evaluate the efficacy of a 3.5 day outd... more The purpose of this quasi-experimental pilot study was to evaluate the efficacy of a 3.5 day outdoor wilderness program (Huts for Vets, HFV) for reducing psychological distress, PTSD symptoms, and improving positive mood states. it was hypothesized that participation in the HFV program would predict improvements in psychosocial well-being in addition to reductions in PTSD symptomatology relative to a waiting-list control group. Participants included 51 adult veterans diagnosed with PTSD and/or some other combat-related disability (M age = 36.8, SD = 8.19). the experimental group (n = 32) participated in the HFV program, which included hiking and group discussions. Data collection via psychosocial scale administration took place two weeks prior to the HFV trip, on the last day of the trip, and at a 6 week follow up. Participants in the control group (n = 19) underwent the psychosocial assessments on the same schedule, however, they did not participate in the outdoor program. Results indicated significant and sustained reductions in depression, anxiety, somatic stress, negative affect, and PTSD symptoms among program participants, alongside acute improvements in positive moods, relative to the control group. the current findings suggest that therapeutic recreation offers promising benefits as a complementary intervention for combat veterans.
Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, Feb 1, 2022
Sleep disturbances, including insomnia (difficulty falling or staying asleep), are common nicotin... more Sleep disturbances, including insomnia (difficulty falling or staying asleep), are common nicotine withdrawal symptoms particularly during the initial stage of nicotine abstinence, and increase the likelihood of relapse within the first 4 weeks of quitting. Although clinically recognized as a key symptom of nicotine withdrawal, sleep disturbances are not addressed in the clinical guidelines for nicotine dependence treatment. Unfortunately, Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) and other pharmacologic interventions do not attenuate withdrawal-provoked sleep disturbances, with several even exacerbating sleep disruption. The present study tested the impact of 30-min of daily moderate exercise, morning versus evening, on key polysomnographic indicators of sleep disturbances during initial 3 days (72 hr) of nicotine withdrawal. Forty-nine daily smokers (53% male) completed 3 separate abstinence periods, during which they completed either morning exercise, evening exercise, or a nonexercising magazine reading control condition. Order of condition was counterbalanced across subjects with a 1-week wash out in between each 3-day abstinence period. Exercise engagement mitigated several changes in sleep architecture associated with acute nicotine deprivation and other time-related effects on sleep, specifically frequency of arousals (B = -2.8, SE = .95; t(1271) = -3.0, p = .003) and reductions in sleep maintenance (B = .58, SE = .21; t(1270) = 2.8, p = .005). Additionally, smokers who reported greater perceived withdrawal severity had the longest latency to fall asleep but experienced the greatest attenuation of this effect following PM exercise. Overall, results suggest a role for exercise as an adjunct smoking cessation treatment to specifically target sleep disturbances during early acute nicotine withdrawal. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Introduction Cue reactivity (CR) research has reliably demonstrated robust cue-induced responding... more Introduction Cue reactivity (CR) research has reliably demonstrated robust cue-induced responding among smokers exposed to common proximal smoking cues (eg, cigarettes, lighter). More recent work demonstrates that distal stimuli, most notably the actual environments in which smoking previously occurred, can also gain associative control over craving. In the real world, proximal cues always occur within an environment; thus, a more informative test of how cues affect smokers might be to present these two cue types simultaneously. Methods Using a combined-cue counterbalanced CR paradigm, the present study tested the impact of proximal (smoking and neutral) + personal environment (smoking and nonsmoking places) pictorial cues, on smokers’ subjective and behavioral CR; as well as the extent to which cue-induced craving predicts immediate subsequent smoking in a within-subjects design. Results As anticipated, the dual smoking cue combination (ProxS + EnvS) led to the greatest cue-induced craving relative to the other three cue combinations (ProxS + EnvN, ProxN + EnvS, and ProxN ± EnvN), ps \u3c .004. Dual smoking cues also led to significantly shorter post-trial latencies to smoke, ps \u3c .01. Overall CR difference score (post-trial craving minus baseline craving) was predictive of subsequent immediate smoking indexed by: post-trial latency to smoke [B = −2.69, SE = 9.02; t(143) = −2.98, p = .003]; total puff volume [B = 2.99, SE = 1.13; t(143) = 2.65, p = .009]; and total number of puffs [B = .053, SE = .027; t(143) = 1.95, p = .05]. Conclusions The implications of these findings for better understanding the impact of cues on smoking behavior and cessation are discussed. Implications This novel cue reactivity study examined smokers’ reactivity to combined proximal and distal smoking cues. Exposure to a combination of two smoking cues (proximal and environment) led to the greatest increases in cue-induced craving and smoking behavior compared to all other cue combinations. Further, the overall magnitude of cue-induced craving was found to significantly predict immediate subsequent smoking. This work provides new insight on how exposure to various cues and cue combinations directly affect smokers’ craving and actual smoking behavior, as well as the relationship between those two indices of reactivity
The purpose of this quasi-experimental pilot study was to evaluate the efficacy of a 3.5 day outd... more The purpose of this quasi-experimental pilot study was to evaluate the efficacy of a 3.5 day outdoor wilderness program (Huts for Vets, HFV) for reducing psychological distress, PTSD symptoms, and improving positive mood states. it was hypothesized that participation in the HFV program would predict improvements in psychosocial well-being in addition to reductions in PTSD symptomatology relative to a waiting-list control group. Participants included 51 adult veterans diagnosed with PTSD and/or some other combat-related disability (M age = 36.8, SD = 8.19). the experimental group (n = 32) participated in the HFV program, which included hiking and group discussions. Data collection via psychosocial scale administration took place two weeks prior to the HFV trip, on the last day of the trip, and at a 6 week follow up. Participants in the control group (n = 19) underwent the psychosocial assessments on the same schedule, however, they did not participate in the outdoor program. Results indicated significant and sustained reductions in depression, anxiety, somatic stress, negative affect, and PTSD symptoms among program participants, alongside acute improvements in positive moods, relative to the control group. the current findings suggest that therapeutic recreation offers promising benefits as a complementary intervention for combat veterans.
The purpose of this quasi-experimental pilot study was to evaluate the efficacy of a 3.5 day outd... more The purpose of this quasi-experimental pilot study was to evaluate the efficacy of a 3.5 day outdoor wilderness program (Huts for Vets, HFV) for reducing psychological distress, PTSD symptoms, and improving positive mood states. it was hypothesized that participation in the HFV program would predict improvements in psychosocial well-being in addition to reductions in PTSD symptomatology relative to a waiting-list control group. Participants included 51 adult veterans diagnosed with PTSD and/or some other combat-related disability (M age = 36.8, SD = 8.19). the experimental group (n = 32) participated in the HFV program, which included hiking and group discussions. Data collection via psychosocial scale administration took place two weeks prior to the HFV trip, on the last day of the trip, and at a 6 week follow up. Participants in the control group (n = 19) underwent the psychosocial assessments on the same schedule, however, they did not participate in the outdoor program. Results indicated significant and sustained reductions in depression, anxiety, somatic stress, negative affect, and PTSD symptoms among program participants, alongside acute improvements in positive moods, relative to the control group. the current findings suggest that therapeutic recreation offers promising benefits as a complementary intervention for combat veterans.
Introduction Cue reactivity (CR) research has reliably demonstrated robust cue-induced responding... more Introduction Cue reactivity (CR) research has reliably demonstrated robust cue-induced responding among smokers exposed to common proximal smoking cues (eg, cigarettes, lighter). More recent work demonstrates that distal stimuli, most notably the actual environments in which smoking previously occurred, can also gain associative control over craving. In the real world, proximal cues always occur within an environment; thus, a more informative test of how cues affect smokers might be to present these two cue types simultaneously. Methods Using a combined-cue counterbalanced CR paradigm, the present study tested the impact of proximal (smoking and neutral) + personal environment (smoking and nonsmoking places) pictorial cues, on smokers’ subjective and behavioral CR; as well as the extent to which cue-induced craving predicts immediate subsequent smoking in a within-subjects design. Results As anticipated, the dual smoking cue combination (ProxS + EnvS) led to the greatest cue-induced craving relative to the other three cue combinations (ProxS + EnvN, ProxN + EnvS, and ProxN ± EnvN), ps \u3c .004. Dual smoking cues also led to significantly shorter post-trial latencies to smoke, ps \u3c .01. Overall CR difference score (post-trial craving minus baseline craving) was predictive of subsequent immediate smoking indexed by: post-trial latency to smoke [B = −2.69, SE = 9.02; t(143) = −2.98, p = .003]; total puff volume [B = 2.99, SE = 1.13; t(143) = 2.65, p = .009]; and total number of puffs [B = .053, SE = .027; t(143) = 1.95, p = .05]. Conclusions The implications of these findings for better understanding the impact of cues on smoking behavior and cessation are discussed. Implications This novel cue reactivity study examined smokers’ reactivity to combined proximal and distal smoking cues. Exposure to a combination of two smoking cues (proximal and environment) led to the greatest increases in cue-induced craving and smoking behavior compared to all other cue combinations. Further, the overall magnitude of cue-induced craving was found to significantly predict immediate subsequent smoking. This work provides new insight on how exposure to various cues and cue combinations directly affect smokers’ craving and actual smoking behavior, as well as the relationship between those two indices of reactivity
The chapter begins by a hypothetical case and an introduction to biomedical risk factors and the ... more The chapter begins by a hypothetical case and an introduction to biomedical risk factors and the etiology of coronary heart disease (CHD). We then review psychosocial etiological risk factors and psychosocial prognostic factors of CHD (e.g., hostility, depression, Type-D personality). The chapter then presents in depth the PNI of the acute coronary syndrome with an emphasis on the vagal nerve and inflammation. We then discuss behavioral mediators between psychological factors and CHD prognosis and the evidence for the effects of various psychological interventions on CHD prognosis. These are done via meta-analyses and specific studies. The chapter ends with returning to the hypothetical case, vis-a-vis the presented studies.
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