My research examines the interaction between the psychosocial environment and symptomatology in people with chronic autoimmune disease. Specifically, I am interested in the relationship between stress and symptom exacerbation/relapse in patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), and how this relationship can be moderated using stress-reduction techniques (e.g., relaxation, mindfulness, CBT).
Other research interests include 1) conceptualizing chronic illness as a chronic stressor and how this affects the patients' ability to handle daily stress, 2) methodological research to improve the way patient-reported information of symptoms/pain is collected (e.g., using electronic diaries to collect momentary information), and 3) the interaction between patient and spouse in coping with chronic disease and how this impacts adherence to medical therapies. |
