SARS-CoV-2 morbidity and mortality in racial/ethnic minority populations: A window into the stress related inflammatory basis of health disparities?

Health disparity related to race/ethnicity has been cited as A portion of the now recognized disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities is attributable to social determinants such as socioeconomic status (SES), physical living situation, health care access, and the psychosocial factors associated with socioenvironmental circumstances such as bias, victimization, trauma and toxic stress as well as structural factors that reduce the capacity to practice physical distancing (Agurs-Collins et al., 2019). In this paper, we hypothesize that, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, disproportionate socio-economic and environmental stressors in the BIPOC population promoted heightened stress-associated neurobiological activity (Stress-NbA).

An Exploration of Health Behaviors in a Mind-Body Resilience Intervention for Parents of Children with Developmental Disabilities.

Objective: Parents of children with special needs such as learning and attentional disabilities (LADs) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at high risk for stress-related disorders. The demands of parenting may compete with time for self-care behaviors such as physical activity, healthy eating, and adequate sleep. The objective was to describe health behaviors among this understudied population and assess the changes after a resilience intervention.

A Virtual Resiliency Intervention Promoting Resiliency for Parents of Children with Learning and Attentional Disabilities: A Randomized Pilot Trial.

Objectives: One in five children have a learning and attentional disability (LAD). Parents of children with LAD are vulnerable to distress, but an evidence-based treatment has not been developed.

Methods: From June 2016 to November 2017, we conducted a mixed methods study to adapt and assess the virtual delivery of a mind-body group resiliency program, the Stress Management and Resiliency Training-Relaxation Response Resiliency Program (SMART-3RP), to meet the needs of parents of children with LAD; this is an 8-session weekly group intervention.

Systematic review of burnout among healthcare providers in sub-Saharan Africa.

Background: Burnout is characterized by physical and emotional exhaustion from long-term exposure to emotionally demanding work. Burnout affects interpersonal skills, job performance, career satisfaction, and psychological health. However, little is known about the burden of burnout among healthcare providers in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Relaxation Response Resiliency Program (3RP) in Patients with Headache and Musculoskeletal Pain: A Retrospective Analysis of Clinical Data.

Background: Headache and musculoskeletal pain are associated with both physical and mental health symptoms, which together are mutually reinforcing. Addressing mental and physical health symptoms (including pain) concomitantly may provide an effective and efficient way to improve outcomes in this population. We tested an evidence-based, eight-session multimodal group program, the Relaxation Response Resiliency Program (3RP), in patients with headache and musculoskeletal pain.

The effectiveness of a comprehensive mind body weight loss intervention for overweight and obese adults: a pilot study.

Objectives: This pilot study evaluated the effectiveness of a comprehensive mind body intervention for weight loss in overweight and obesity and the maintenance of weight loss at 6-month follow-up.

Design: Thirty-one overweight and obese employees (Body Mass Index (BMI) 28.6-47.

Relaxation response induces temporal transcriptome changes in energy metabolism, insulin secretion and inflammatory pathways.

The relaxation response (RR) is the counterpart of the stress response. Millennia-old practices evoking the RR include meditation, yoga and repetitive prayer. Although RR elicitation is an effective therapeutic intervention that counteracts the adverse clinical effects of stress in disorders including hypertension, anxiety, insomnia and aging, the underlying molecular mechanisms that explain these clinical benefits remain undetermined.

Integrating a relaxation response-based curriculum into a public high school in Massachusetts.

Academic and societal pressures result in U.S. high school students feeling stressed.

Exploring the effectiveness of a comprehensive mind-body intervention for medical symptom relief.

Objective: The objective of this study was to describe possible changes in physical and psychologic symptoms among outpatients completing a 12-week mind-body medical symptom reduction program related to chronic medical conditions.

Design: The cornerstone of the program is elicitation of the relaxation response, and the curriculum also incorporates trainings on mind-body interactions, cognitive restructuring, nutrition, and physical activity. The Medical Symptom Checklist (MSCL), Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile-II (HPLP-II) and Symptom Checklist-90R (SCL-90-R) were used to assess 331 patients' physical and psychologic symptoms before and after the intervention.

Genomic counter-stress changes induced by the relaxation response.

Background: Mind-body practices that elicit the relaxation response (RR) have been used worldwide for millennia to prevent and treat disease. The RR is characterized by decreased oxygen consumption, increased exhaled nitric oxide, and reduced psychological distress. It is believed to be the counterpart of the stress response that exhibits a distinct pattern of physiology and transcriptional profile.

Stress management versus lifestyle modification on systolic hypertension and medication elimination: a randomized trial.

Isolated systolic hypertension is common in the elderly, but decreasing systolic blood pressure (SBP) without lowering diastolic blood pressure (DBP) remains a therapeutic challenge. Although stress management training, in particular eliciting the relaxation response, reduces essential hypertension its efficacy in treating isolated systolic hypertension has not been evaluated. We conducted a double-blind, randomized trial comparing 8 weeks of stress management, specifically relaxation response training (61 patients), versus lifestyle modification (control, 61 patients).