Department of Psychiatry Faculty

Education

1974, A.B., West Virginia University
1980, M.A., Ph.D., Southern Illinois University @ Carbondale

Research Interest

Research is broadly in the area of behavioral medicine with specific interests in psychosocial aspects of pain and pain management. Ongoing funded research projects are those designed to evaluate the efficacy of psychological interventions for persistent pain including studies of mediating pathways for improving access, adherence, and outcomes. Models of motivation and readiness to adopt a self-management approach to chronic pain are particular interests. Additional focuses include research related to the interface between pain and overweight/obesity, pain in the elderly, painful diabetic neuropathy, racial/ethnic disparities in pain treatment, pain and prescription substance abuse, and pain and Multiple Sclerosis. Research also continues to focus on the development of an integrative, multidimensional model of persistent pain, disability and distress. The development of quality indicators for pain management policy and practice is an overarching focus of research in this area.

Publications of Note

Hoffman, B.M., Papas, R.K., Chatkoff, D.K., & Kerns, R.D. (in press). Meta-analysis of psychological interventions for chronic back pain. Health Psychology.

Kerns, R.D., Jensen, M.P., Nielson, W.R. (2006). Motivational issues in pain self-management. Proceedings of the 11th World Congress on Pain (H. Flor, E. Kalso, & J.O. Dostrovsky (Eds.). IASP Press: Seattle. (pp. 555-566).

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