Wendy Berry Mendes, Ph.D. - US grants

stress management; stressor; interpersonal relations; coping; behavioral medicine; social support network; longitudinal human study; face expression; cardiovascular function; problem solving; avoidance behavior; behavioral /social science research tag; human subject; questionnaires; clinical research;

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): There is now large-scale epidemiological evidence that aspects of chronic psychological stress, such as early adversity or job strain, and early life stress, predict earlier disease onset and mortality. Despite documentation of the importance of stress to health, there are several critical barriers that prevent progress in the epidemiological study of stress as a risk factor for disease. Measurement of stress is inherently complex and multi-level (e.g., social, psychological, physiological). There are few agreed upon 'gold standard' measures of stress, hence measurement is often inconsistent and superficial where heterogeneous constructs are conflated. There is also little understanding of the conditions under which stress exposure can promote vulnerability vs. resiliency to disease. Meanwhile, there have been rapid advances in the basic science of stress processes, which have helped to unpack the cognitive and affective components, links to brain and peripheral physiological responses, and richer measures of daily stress - e.g., through ecological momentary assessments using technology to obtain detailed profiles of exposures and contexts. Thus, epidemiological stress science can benefit from a more coherent multilevel model that encompasses better measurement of lifespan exposures and responses, including the social, psychological, and physiological indices of stress that have the greatest impact on health. The proposed R24 will recruit excellent scientists with relevant methods to apply their interests to th advancement of stress measurement across human development, with a focus on how lifespan stress affects health in mid to late life. Aims include: 1) Development of a stress measurement taxonomy, including guidelines for best measurement; 2) Development of a 'toolbox' of short measures of stress that can be used in epidemiological studies of adult aging internationally. These will be drawn from innovative measurement from basic experimental and field research, refinement/shortening of existing measures, and results from comparative validation of promising measures; and 3) Promotion of stress research in epidemiological studies of aging, both through harmonizing existing measures and adding new toolbox measures. This in turn will lead to discoveries that refine the taxonomy and research methodologies. Improved stress measurement offers tremendous opportunities for advancing the field of basic research, enhancing the efficacy of health-promotion interventions and policy.

People detect the emotions, thoughts, and intentions of others from multiple sources - their voice, posture, facial expressions, and behavior. Affect contagion, the spread of emotional states (e.g., stress, feelings, evaluations) from one person to another, is studied in a variety of ways in the social sciences: sociologists find that happiness is contagious within social networks, social psychologists show that mimicking the behavior of others increases liking, and neuroscientists demonstrate that observing someone experience pain produces similar neural activation as experiencing pain. In this project, the researcher team will examine the precursors and consequences of affect contagion in groups, including the role of social status. This work provides new knowledge on group dynamics that will identify how and why emotions spread between individuals. These findings can enhance our understanding and improvement of the interpersonal processes influencing team members from a variety of groups important to American society such as the military, families, and medical teams. The research team also plans to work with the San Francisco Exploratorium, a science museum and learning laboratory for all ages, to develop exhibits that teach visitors how to achieve interpersonal synchrony and how it influences human social interaction.

The research team proposes three studies examining affect contagion. To examine this, the researchers will assess physiological responses. The first study will examine how different types of affect (i.e., positive or negative) and arousal intensity influence affect contagion. The perceived status of the paired participants will also be assessed. The second study will examine how status roles influence affect contagion by focusing on medical students who are paired with lower status (undergraduates) or upper status (residents) partners; the last study will experimentally manipulate status within dyads. Integrating sophisticated psychophysiology measures and statistical modeling, these studies will thoroughly examine how affect spreads within a dyad and the important role of social status in catching others' emotions.

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): There is now large-scale epidemiological evidence that aspects of chronic psychological stress, such as early adversity or job strain, and early life stress, predict earlier disease onset and mortality. Despite documentation of the importance of stress to health, there are several critical barriers that prevent progress in the epidemiological study of stress as a risk factor for disease. Measurement of stress is inherently complex and multi-level (e.g., social, psychological, physiological). There are few agreed upon 'gold standard' measures of stress, hence measurement is often inconsistent and superficial where heterogeneous constructs are conflated. There is also little understanding of the conditions under which stress exposure can promote vulnerability vs. resiliency to disease. Meanwhile, there have been rapid advances in the basic science of stress processes, which have helped to unpack the cognitive and affective components, links to brain and peripheral physiological responses, and richer measures of daily stress - e.g., through ecological momentary assessments using technology to obtain detailed profiles of exposures and contexts. Thus, epidemiological stress science can benefit from a more coherent multilevel model that encompasses better measurement of lifespan exposures and responses, including the social, psychological, and physiological indices of stress that have the greatest impact on health. The proposed R24 will recruit excellent scientists with relevant methods to apply their interests to th advancement of stress measurement across human development, with a focus on how lifespan stress affects health in mid to late life. Aims include: 1) Development of a stress measurement taxonomy, including guidelines for best measurement; 2) Development of a 'toolbox' of short measures of stress that can be used in epidemiological studies of adult aging internationally. These will be drawn from innovative measurement from basic experimental and field research, refinement/shortening of existing measures, and results from comparative validation of promising measures; and 3) Promotion of stress research in epidemiological studies of aging, both through harmonizing existing measures and adding new toolbox measures. This in turn will lead to discoveries that refine the taxonomy and research methodologies. Improved stress measurement offers tremendous opportunities for advancing the field of basic research, enhancing the efficacy of health-promotion interventions and policy.

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): There is now large-scale epidemiological evidence that aspects of chronic psychological stress, such as early adversity or job strain, and early life stress, predict earlier disease onset and mortality. Despite documentation of the importance of stress to health, there are several critical barriers that prevent progress in the epidemiological study of stress as a risk factor for disease. Measurement of stress is inherently complex and multi-level (e.g., social, psychological, physiological). There are few agreed upon 'gold standard' measures of stress, hence measurement is often inconsistent and superficial where heterogeneous constructs are conflated. There is also little understanding of the conditions under which stress exposure can promote vulnerability vs. resiliency to disease. Meanwhile, there have been rapid advances in the basic science of stress processes, which have helped to unpack the cognitive and affective components, links to brain and peripheral physiological responses, and richer measures of daily stress - e.g., through ecological momentary assessments using technology to obtain detailed profiles of exposures and contexts. Thus, epidemiological stress science can benefit from a more coherent multilevel model that encompasses better measurement of lifespan exposures and responses, including the social, psychological, and physiological indices of stress that have the greatest impact on health. The proposed R24 will recruit excellent scientists with relevant methods to apply their interests to th advancement of stress measurement across human development, with a focus on how lifespan stress affects health in mid to late life. Aims include: 1) Development of a stress measurement taxonomy, including guidelines for best measurement; 2) Development of a 'toolbox' of short measures of stress that can be used in epidemiological studies of adult aging internationally. These will be drawn from innovative measurement from basic experimental and field research, refinement/shortening of existing measures, and results from comparative validation of promising measures; and 3) Promotion of stress research in epidemiological studies of aging, both through harmonizing existing measures and adding new toolbox measures. This in turn will lead to discoveries that refine the taxonomy and research methodologies. Improved stress measurement offers tremendous opportunities for advancing the field of basic research, enhancing the efficacy of health-promotion interventions and policy.

SUMMARY / ABSTRACT This post-doctoral training program trains scientists to conduct interdisciplinary research at the intersection of Psychology and Medicine. Although in its 25th year, the program has evolved over time to reflect new discoveries and approaches. In line with the NIMH strategic plan's emphasis on translational and clinical research, we train fellows to conduct translational research on the interactions among biology, behavioral, and experiential factors that exacerbate illness and mental health. Fellows learn to apply psychological theories and cutting-edge research methodologies to address issues in (1) stress, psychopathology, and psychobiology and (2) health-risk behaviors, related to the prevention and amelioration of diseases including depression, PTSD, and schizophrenia. Within these two research foci fellows receive training and research experience in health disparities, developing and testing interventions, biological underpinnings, precision medicine, and technology using digital health monitoring. During the training course, fellows share a didactic core including seminars Works in Progress, Behavior and Affective Science seminar; Responsible Conduct of Research; and statistics modules. They conduct independent research with the supervision of a mentor, submit papers, present at conferences, and complete a grant application within a highly mentored process. The program benefits from its placement in a leading health science campus, with research programs in the biological, social, behavioral, and clinical sciences. Other strengths include: a top-ranked faculty; ample opportunities for cross-fertilization with interdisciplinary fellows; and access to databases and seed funds for pilot studies. The program has produced outstanding, productive young researchers who have gone on to careers in medical or academic centers. We have increased our focus on depression, PTSD, schizophrenia, and other mental illnesses; enhanced training in psychobiological mechanisms that link psychological/social processes and behavior with mental and physical disorders; and deepened our focus on interventions and health disparities. In this renewal we have retained many successful facets from previous applications, but substantially altered key sections to reflect scientific and conceptual advances. Some of the additions include a focus on precision medicine, training and exposure to dimensional RDOC approaches to understanding mental illness, training in methodology focusing on issues of replication, ethics, and transparency, and digital monitoring. Along with this shift in foci we have reorganized the leadership structure (including a multiple PI team) and our training plan to expand our training focus. We have also added biostatisticians, incorporating new methods for multi-level modeling and big data and established formal ties to the Psychiatry residency research track. Finally, we describe our minority recruitment plan, which has been very successful these past few years.  

Abstract Stress Reduction, telomere length, and COVID infection and severity: A randomized trial The COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented challenges in the daily lives of all Americans. Further, in the San Francisco Bay Area, residents are under additional stress, as in addition to COVID fear and restrictions (social distancing, school closures, food insecurity) the area is at the epicenter of climate crises in the US--rampant wildfires, evacuations, and smoke exposure--that contribute to economic impact and poor mental health. This confluence of stressors creates the ideal circumstances for testing an emotional resilience intervention remotely. We have a large pre-existing cohort where we can examine the impact of stress on mental health and infections (including COVID infection) over the next year, and test a digital mindfulness intervention, delivered at distance, to enhance management of COVID related stressors, fitting the mission of NOSI-AT-20-011. We propose to study 1500 UCSF employees, 30% low income. We have pre-pandemic measures of stress and health on the majority of this sample (1200) so we can prospectively quantify the effect of the COVID-19 epidemic on stress, anxiety, and depression (and secondary outcomes of financial and social impact) compared to their pre-COVID baseline (Aim 1). We will quantify COVID and climate related stressors and responses to assess their impact. In addition, we will test the additional value of knowing a baseline measure of immune system age, telomere length, in predicting susceptibility to infection, and if this interacts with stress (Aim 3). To test this, dried blood spots will be obtained to quantify telomere length at baseline and antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 at baseline and 6-months. To test the buffering effect of the stress reduction intervention, this Fall, we will randomize half of our sample to engage in an 8-week digital meditation intervention program (n = 750) and compare them to those in the control group (n = 750) (Aim 2). Measures will be obtained at baseline, post-intervention (8-weeks), 6 and 12 months (11/01/20 to 10/31/2021). Monthly measures of symptoms of infections and illness, and 3 days of daily diary measures each month on mental and physical health as well as putative psychological mechanisms of mindfulness (daily stress resilience, tolerance of uncertainty), will be obtained. This is a high impact study ? on a well-tested Stage 3 intervention to examine real world efficacy and mechanisms of change on a highly vulnerable pre-existing cohort. By following our sample for 12 months, given the common severe stressor exposures of COVID and climate crises, we are likely to see the long-term buffering effect of a mindfulness intervention and discover important biobehavioral findings about vulnerability and resilience to infection.

Advancing Psychosocial & Biobehavioral Approaches to Improving Emotional Well-Being PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Given rising levels of global stress, exacerbated by the pandemic, loneliness and mental health problems are on the rise, adding to the burden of chronic diseases. Most health-oriented research takes a harm-reduction approach, identifying and mitigating problems to reduce disease burden. Recent research has demonstrated that a greater focus on emotional well-being may provide another critical strategy for reducing disease burden and lead to significant improvements in population health. To advance the science and provide the strongest evidence base for practice, greater development of research capacity for studying emotional well- being (EWB) is needed. Core elements of emotional well-being (EWB)--hedonic, evaluative, and eudaimonic-- are associated with better healthspan and are hypothesized to play a causal role. Our overall aim is to create a cohesive transdisciplinary network of scientists engaged in mechanistic intervention-relevant research on EWB, with a specific focus on eudaimonia, and pathways by which EWB leads to healthy longevity, including social connection, positive physiology, and healthy behaviors. We bring together three leading institutions in EWB science, uniting UCSF (Epel, Mendes), Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness at Harvard (Kubzansky) and UC Berkeley (Keltner, Simon-Thomas) and its interdisciplinary Greater Good Science Center (GGSC), whose digital platforms reach several millions annually (researchers, educators, health professionals). We will catalyze innovation and progress of mechanistic research on EWB by fostering a scientific community focused on measurement and intervention. Our aims include Aim 1) Facilitating analysis of EWB and healthspan across national cohort studies in 30 nations that are part of the Health and Retirement Study Family of Studies by harmonizing existing measures of EWB (e.g., life satisfaction, eudaimonic well-being, positive affect) and supporting causal- inference analyses; Aim 2) Promoting early stage intervention research by developing sensitive EWB measures, and interventions that can increase EWB and drive change in relevant biobehavioral mediators including positive physiology profiles, leveraging existing technology and validated biosensors that measure autonomic nervous system and sleep; and Aim 3) Creating and disseminating valuable research resources for studies of EWB and physical health, including a) making the harmonized EWB data across countries publicly available and providing pilot funding and senior scientist expertise to support investigator time to use the data; b) creating an expert consensus toolbox of EWB measures and methodology; and c) developing a library of empirically-validated EWB interventions (building on UCB's repository). After 4 years, the EWB network will have built strong research capacity and catapulted the field forward with innovative unifying models, consensus measurement and intervention resources, and mechanistic pilot data. Transdisciplinary collaborations will continue to generate key findings well beyond the network's input.