Health Psych Currents

How can health psychology rise to meet what may be the greatest public health threat of our time? In this episode, hosts Dr. Josh Eyer and Dr. Christine Guardino sit down with Dr. Elissa Epel and Dr. Kristi White to discuss their landmark paper, "Transforming health psychology and behavioral medicine to address the climate crisis: A call for strategic research and advocacy."  The conversation explores how climate change directly impacts physical and mental health, why health psychologists are uniquely positioned to drive systemic solutions, what are climate health behaviors, and how to include climate in training and research. Tune in to learn about the urgent call for actionable research, policy advocacy, and the clinical frameworks needed to foster resilience in a warming world.Additionally, this episode features a special segment with Dr. Amanda Venta on her recent Population Health commentary, "The ties that bind: How interpersonal connections shape Latinx immigrant health." Dr. Venta highlights the critical role of interpersonal connections and social support in shaping health outcomes for Latinx immigrant communities. We also have a member interview with Ms. Jodi Brown, Society Headlines, and a special guest to read the creditsEPISODE CITATIONS: Epel, E. S., White, K. E., Brownell, K. D., Rodin, J., Hollis, A. L., Diefenbach, M. A., Alegria, K. E., Fromer, E., Czajkowski, S. M., Bacon, S. L., Revenson, T. A., Ruiz, J., Maibach, E., & Behavioral Medicine Research Council (2025). Transforming health psychology and behavioral medicine to address the climate crisis: A call for strategic research and advocacy. Health psychology, 44(6), 563–577. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0001431Venta, A. (2026). The ties that bind: How interpersonal connections shape Latinx immigrant health. Health Psychology, 45(10), 975–978. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea00016211-2-3 Model of Climate ChangeAdditional Resources:Dr. Aric Prather won the 2019 Early Career Investigator Award from the Society for Health Psychology. Diefenbach, M. A. (Ed.). (2022). The impact of climate change on health and behavior [Special issue]. Translational Behavioral Medicine, 12(4).Johnson, A. E. (2024). What If We Get It Right?: Visions of Climate Futures. One WorldClimate Action Venn DiagramBrownell, K. D., & Roberto, C. A. (2015). Strategic science with policy impact. The Lancet, 385(9986), 2445-2446.Epel, E. S., Hartman, A., Jacobs, L. M., Leung, C., Cohn, M. A., Jensen, L., ... & Stanhope, K. L. (2020). Association of a workplace sales ban on sugar-sweetened beverages with employee consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and health. JAMA Internal Medicine, 180(1), 9-16 Alegria, K. E., & Epel, E. S. (2024). Health Impact of Northern California Wildfires and Predictors of Climate Related Action. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 58, S49–S49. Cleveland, D. A., & Jay, J. A. (2021). Integrating climate and food policies in higher education: a case study of the University of California. Climate Policy, 21(1), 16–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2020.1787939Epel, E., Mishra, J., Ekman, E., Ogunseitan, C., Fromer, E., Kho, L., Grialou, J., & Goldin, P. (2025). Effects of a Novel Psychosocial Climate Resilience Course on Climate Distress, Self-Efficacy, and Mental Health in Young Adults. Sustainability, 17(7), 3139. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17073139You Matter More Than You Think One Health Model - https://www.cdc.gov/one-health/about/index.html Measuring Climate DistressRelated Organizations:Behavioral Medicine Research Council Federation of Associations of Behavioral and Brain SciencesMedical Society Consortium on ClimateHealthcare Without HarmUC Eco Resilience Initiative Thoughts or suggestions?  Complete our listener survey at the Society webpageYou can also find expert bios, transcripts, and details of each episode on the  Society webpage.Subscribe today on Apple and Spotify.  You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here>> https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2625656.rss

In this special episode of Health Psych Currents, we introduce a new segment dedicated to Population Health and the forthcoming featured articles in Health Psychology. First, host Dr. Joshua Eyer speaks with Dr. Jeanette Ickovics to define the emerging field of population health psychology and examine the urgent need to expand beyond traditional, individual-focused clinical models. Next, Dr. Cienfuegos Szalay interviews Dr. Claudia Fernandes regarding the inaugural article in this series, which details collaborative initiatives with youth to address the ongoing youth mental health crisis. EPISODE CITATIONS:Ickovics, J. R., Lam, B., Hammer, L. B., Bauer, B. W., & Boller, K. (2026). Population health: The critical role of psychological science—Introduction to a special series of commentaries. Health Psychology, 45(8), 830–836. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0001617Fernandes, C. F., Giannattasio, F., & Greene, S. (2026). Partnering with young people to address the mental health crisis: From research to action. Health Psychology, 45(9), 907–910. https://doi.org/10.1037/ Kindig, D., & Stoddart, G. (2003). What is population health?. American journal of public health, 93(3), 380–383. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.93.3.380Born this Way FoundationEPISODE CREDITS:Hosts: Josh Eyer, PhD & Jorge Cienfuegos Szalay, Ph.D.Producer and Managing Editor: Mark Vogel, Ph.D., ABPPAssistant Managing Editor: Valeria Martinez-Kaigi, Ph.D., MSThoughts or suggestions?  Complete our listener survey at the Society webpageYou can also find expert bios, transcripts, and details of each episode on the  Society webpage.Subscribe today on Apple and Spotify.  You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here>> https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2625656.rss

In this episode of Health Psych Currents, we explore a transformative perspective on chronic pain, along with a new Member Spotlight and the latest Society news.Hosts Dr. Josh Eyer, Elena Silverman-Scott, Jorge Cienfuegos Szalay are joined by Dr. Mark Lumley, a leading clinical health psychologist, to explore a transformative approach to treating chronic pain. Dr. Lumley challenges the traditional medical model that labels pain as an incurable condition requiring lifelong management. Instead, he introduces EAET, a model that views many chronic pain syndromes as neuroplastic conditions partly driven by the brain’s response to unresolved emotional trauma and relationship conflicts. Dr. Lumley provides actionable insights for clinicians on how to move beyond symptom regulation, encouraging providers to facilitate the processing of suppressed emotions—such as anger and grief—that often act as "threat" signals in the nervous system. By shifting the clinical focus from management to recovery, Dr. Lumley offers a hopeful framework for helping patients achieve significant symptom reduction. This conversation is an essential listen for professionals seeking to deepen their clinical practice and improve patient outcomes.This month, we are introducing a new segment, Members Making Waves.  We are highlighting Dr. KayLoni Olson. Learn more about Dr. Olson, her work in health psychology, and her involvement in the Society.EPISODE CITATIONS:Lumley, M. A., Yamin, J. B., Pester, B. D., Krohner, S., & Urbanik, C. P. :. Trauma matters: psychological interventions for comorbid psychosocial trauma and chronic pain. Pain, 163:, 599–603. https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002425 Lumley, M. A., & Schubiner, H. :. Psychological Therapy for Centralized Pain: An Integrative Assessment and Treatment Model. Psychosomatic medicine, 81:, 114–124. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000654 Kaufmann, D., Sturgeon, J. A., Mirow, S., Zinkhan, G., Schlesinger, N., Yarns, B. C., Kommit, K., Miller, A., & Lumley, M. A. :. Emotional awareness and expression therapy for migraine: a preliminary randomized controlled trial. Pain medicine :, 27:, 948–951. https://doi.org/10.1093/pm/pnag034 Dr. Lumley maintains an annotated bibliography of peer-reviewed articles on EAET and gives the reference and brief description of each article or study. This document also lists other references that are related to EAET, including Pain Reprocessing Therapy. Click on this link to access this resource: ​​Publications on EAET and related approaches.pdfEPISODE CREDITS:Hosts: Josh Eyer, PhD, Elena Silverman-Scott, Ph.D., Jorge Cienfuegos Szalay, Ph.D.Producer and Managing Editor: Mark Vogel, Ph.D., ABPPAssistant Managing Editor:  Valeria Martinez-Kaigi, Ph.D., MSEdited by Isaac Schutz Thoughts or suggestions?  Complete our listener survey at the Society webpageYou can also find expert bios, transcripts, and details of each episode on the  Society webpage.Subscribe today on Apple and Spotify.  You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here>> https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2625656.rss

In this episode of Health Psych Currents, Dr. Josh Eyer and Dr. Christine Guardino talk with Dr. Jenny Cundiff about the science behind social relationships and health. Drawing from a landmark special issue of Health Psychology, they explore how everyday interactions with family, friends, and communities influence stress, cardiovascular health, and long-term well-being. The conversation covers loneliness, social support, innovative research methods that capture life as it happens, and the way understanding our social world may be one of the keys to improving health. Whether you're a psychologist, healthcare professional, researcher, or simply curious about the science of human connection, this episode offers practical insights and a fascinating look at where the field is headed.EPISODE CITATIONS:https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/special/hea-social-influences-physical-health-pdfCundiff, J. M., Cribbet, M. R., & Birmingham, W. C. (2025). Introduction to the special issue: social influences on physical health: Patterns, mechanisms, and solutions. Health Psychology, 44(5), 409–412. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0001510 Zawadzki, M. J., Smyth, J. M., Sliwinski, M. J., Ruiz, J. M., & Gerin, W. (2017). Revisiting the lack of association between affect and physiology: Contrasting between-person and within-person analyses. Health Psychology, 36(8), 811–818. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0000466 Wilson, S. J., & Koffer, R. E. (2025). Lonely days: Linking day-to-day loneliness to biological and functional aging. Health Psychology, 44(5), 446–455. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0001426 Ong, A. D., Cintron, D. W., Yoneda, T., Beck, E. D., Jackson, K., Luo, J., Mroczek, D. K., Steptoe, A., & Graham, E. K. (2025). Social asymmetry and physical health in the United States and Japan. Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association, 44(5), 509–517. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0001409 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40232786/Holt-Lunstad J. (2025). Social connection or loneliness? How we frame the issue may significantly impact public policy. Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association, 44(5), 560–562. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0001433 .  https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2026-04127-016.htmlUchino, B. N. (2026). On the use of biological measures in health psychology: A multilevel, strong inference perspective. Health Psychology, 45(4), 355–366. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0001574 EPISODE LINKS:2026 APA Annual Convention Information EPISODE CREDITS:Hosts: Josh Eyer, PhD and Christine GuardinoProducer and Managing Editor: Mark Vogel, PhD. ABPPEdited by Isaac Schutz Thoughts or suggestions?  Complete our listener survey at the Society webpageYou can also find expert bios, transcripts, and details of each episode on the  Society webpage.Subscribe today on Apple and Spotify.  You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here>> https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2625656.rss

Health psychologists play a critical role in supporting caregivers of patients with dementia — yet many clinicians feel underprepared for the emotional complexity of this work.In this episode, we interview Beverly E. Thorn, Ph.D., the author of Before I Lose My Own Mind, a powerful exploration of dementia caregiving and the psychological toll it takes on families. We discuss how health psychologists can support dementia caregivers, recognize caregiver burnout, and provide meaningful mental health strategies throughout the progression of the illness.This conversation focuses on practical clinical skills for health psychologists in practice and training, including how to address anticipatory grief, emotional burden, role transitions, and resilience in caregivers of dementia patients. Whether you work in primary care, behavioral health, geriatrics, or integrated care, you’ll gain tools to better support caregivers navigating one of the most challenging experiences in healthcare.Episode Citations:https://drbeverlythorn.com/Before I Lose My Own Mind: Navigating Life as a Dementia Caregiver by Beverly E. ThornCognitive Therapy for Chronic Pain (Second Edition): A Step-by-Step Guide by Beverly E. ThornGlobal Deterioration Scale for DementiaEpisode Credits:Hosts: Josh Eyer, PhD and Elena Silberman Scott, PhD,MAProduced by Valeria Martinez-Kaigi, PhD, MSManaging Editor: Mark Vogel, PhD. ABPPEdited by Isaac Schutz Thoughts or suggestions?  Complete our listener survey at the Society webpageYou can also find expert bios, transcripts, and details of each episode on the  Society webpage.Subscribe today on Apple and Spotify.  You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here>> https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2625656.rss