• Postdoctoral Fellow, Psychoneuroimmunology, Ohio State University
• Ph.D., Experimental Psychology, Kent State University
• M.S., Psychology, Bucknell University
• B.S., Psychology, Mansfield University

Research has shown that gratitude is associated with overall reduced levels of stress as well as an attenuated response to the experience of stress. Therefore, gratitude may be an important factor to consider in the context of physical health, particularly in health conditions likely to be exacerbated by psychological stress. One such area is the experience of pain, as research has shown that psychological stress is associated with increased levels of pain through its negative impact on cortisol regulation. Although research has found that gratitude has a positive effect on physical health as well as underlying physiological mechanisms (e.g., immune function), less is known about how gratitude relates to and influences the experience of pain. Given the interrelationships among gratitude, stress, and pain, it seems likely that one such pathway through which gratitude may influence pain is by buffering the physiological reactions to stress, ultimately resulting in lower levels of cortisol. A second, yet related, pathway is through enhancing individual's coping strategies when dealing with stress, particularly social support. The proposed study will examine the relationship between gratitude, social support, stress, cortisol and pain in a clinical sample of patients seeking physical therapy for pain-related issues.