Richard Friedman’s research while affiliated with Chestnut Hill College and other places

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Publications (37)


Encyclopedia of psychology, Vol. 5.
  • Article

October 2012

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12 Reads

Patricia Myers

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Richard Friedman

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Herbert Benson

This entry includes the following topics: meditation and the relaxation response; the physiology of stress; historical references to practices that include components of the relaxation response; steps in eliciting the relaxation response; medical benefits of the relaxation response. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)



EEG Spectral Analysis of Relaxation Techniques

January 2005

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497 Reads

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145 Citations

Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback

The acute central nervous system effects of relaxation techniques (RT) have not been systematically studied. We conducted a controlled, randomized study of the central nervous system effects of RT using spectral analysis of EEG activity. Thirty-six subjects were randomized to either RT or a music comparison condition. After listening to an RT audiotape or music audiotapes daily for 6 weeks, the acute central nervous system effects of RT and music were measured using power spectral analysis of alpha and theta EEG activity in all cortical regions. RT produced significantly greater increases in theta activity in multiple cortical regions compared to the music condition. These findings are consistent with widespread reductions in cortical arousal during RT. They extend previous findings and suggest that theta, and not alpha, EEG may be the most reliable marker of the central nervous system effects of RT. These findings demonstrate that RT produce greater reductions in central nervous system activity than a credible comparison condition. The findings suggest that RT represent a hypoactive central nervous system state that may be similar to Stage 1 sleep and that RT may exert their therapeutic effects, in part, through cerebral energy conservation/restoration.


Study of the Therapeutic Effects of Intercessory Prayer (STEP): Study design and research methods
  • Article
  • Full-text available

May 2002

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1,017 Reads

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38 Citations

American Heart Journal

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Jane B Sherwood

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Richard Friedman

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[...]

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Patricia L Hibberd

The effect of intercessory prayer (IP) on outcome in cardiac cases has been evaluated previously, but results are controversial. The goals of the Study of the Therapeutic Effects of Intercessory Prayer (STEP) are to evaluate the effects of receipt of additional study IP and awareness of receipt of additional study IP on outcomes in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery. STEP is not designed to determine whether God exists or whether God does or does not respond to IP. STEP is a multicenter, controlled trial of 1802 patients in 6 US hospitals, randomized to 1 of 3 groups. Two groups were informed that they may or may not receive 14 consecutive days of additional IP starting the night before coronary artery bypass graft surgery; Group 1 received IP, Group 2 did not. A third group (Group 3) was informed that they would receive additional IP and did so. Three mainstream religious sites provided daily IP for patients assigned to receive IP. At each hospital, research nurses blinded to patient group assignment reviewed medical records to determine whether complications occurred, on the basis of the Society for Thoracic Surgeons definitions. A blinded nurse auditor from the Coordinating Center reviewed every study patient's data against the medical record before release of study forms. The STEP Data and Safety Monitoring Board reviewed patient safety and outcomes in the first 900 study patients. Patients were enrolled in STEP from January 1998 to November 2000.

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Meditation and the Relaxation Response

December 2001

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932 Reads

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74 Citations

This chapter discusses meditation; its psychological, behavioral, and physiological effects; and how it can be effectively incorporated into the routine care of individuals who require mental and medical interventions. The relaxation response is the biological consequence of a wide variety of mental focusing techniques, one of which is meditation. A variety of techniques can be used to elicit the relaxation response, including meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, autogenic training, yoga, exercise, repetitive prayer, and the presuggestion phase of hypnosis. Although all of these strategies result in the same physiological response, two components appear to be essential to achieving the relaxation response: mental focusing and adopting a passive attitude toward distracting thoughts. For many patients with psychological disturbances who might be hesitant to enter therapy, relaxation response training is a nonthreatening intervention that can be introduced prior to other more rigorous forms of therapy such as cognitive therapy or medication. Meditation and other modes of eliciting the relaxation response can be a means of preparing for standard psychotherapy by allowing the patient to observe thoughts and mental events. Relaxation-response training can also be used to facilitate behavior modification goals. The relaxation response has been associated with improvements in many medical conditions including hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias, chronic pain, insomnia, side effects of cancer therapy, side effects of AIDS therapy, infertility, and preparation for surgery and X-ray procedures.


Academic Performance among Middle-School Students after Exposure to a Relaxation Response Curriculum

January 2000

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411 Reads

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48 Citations

Examined the relationship between middle school students' exposure to a relaxation response curriculum and academic achievement over time. Teachers were trained to teach relaxation response exercises. Data on students' grade point average (GPA), work habits, cooperation, and attendance indicated that students exposed to more than two semesters of the curriculum had higher GPAs and better work habits and cooperation. (SM)


Distress and conception in infertile women: a complementary approach.

February 1999

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53 Reads

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50 Citations

Journal of the American Medical Women's Association (1972)

To examine the relationship of pretreatment psychological distress and demographics to conception in infertile women attending a group cognitive-behavioral treatment program. Pre- and postprogram psychological measures and live birth rates were collected for 132 infertile women attending a ten-session group cognitive-behavioral treatment program. Subjects completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Symptom Checklist-90 (Revised) (SCL-90R). Conceptions that resulted in live births within six months of completing the program were noted. Women who conceived viable pregnancies within six months of the program had higher levels of psychological distress at program entry. Using logistic regression analysis, the best predictors of viable birth were younger age and a higher score on the global severity index of the SCL-90R. Significant pre- to postprogram psychological improvement was demonstrated by the SCL-90R and the BDI. Forty-two percent of the sample conceived viable pregnancies within six months of completing the program. Preprogram psychological distress and younger age were associated with significantly higher viable pregnancy rates.


Effects of therapy with nifedipine GITS or atenolol on mental stress-induced ischemic left ventricular dysfunction

December 1998

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19 Reads

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18 Citations

Journal of the American College of Cardiology

We sought to determine the effect of nifedipine gastrointestinal therapeutic system (GITS) or atenolol on ischemic left ventricular dysfunction induced by mental stress. The efficacy of conventional antianginal therapy in preventing myocardial ischemia induced by mental stress is unknown. Nifedipine GITS, atenolol and placebo were administered to 15 subjects with stable angina in a double-blind crossover trial. Subjects underwent a series of mental stressors at the end of each treatment. Radionuclide ventriculography was performed at baseline and at peak mental stress. Other measured variables included time to ischemia on exercise treadmill testing, ischemia on 48-h ambulatory electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring, and resting and mental stress-induced levels of plasma catecholamines, tissue plasminogen activator antigen, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and platelet aggregability. Mental stress resulted in a significant increase in plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine levels during each treatment phase. Atenolol therapy was associated with lower baseline and postmental stress rate-pressure product compared with nifedipine or placebo. Therapy with either nifedipine GITS or atenolol prevented the development of wall-motion abnormalities and the decline in regional ejection fraction (EF) in the segment with the largest deterioration in wall motion during placebo therapy. Both medications prevented the decrease in global EF in subjects who demonstrated at least a 5% fall in global EF on placebo therapy. No therapy exerted a statistically significant benefit on exercise performance or frequency of ischemia during ambulatory ECG monitoring. Both nifedipine GITS and atenolol are effective at preventing mental stress-induced wall-motion abnormalities, although the mechanisms may be different.


Figure 1 -Recommendations for the definition and management of mild hypertension organized by participants at the Third Mild Hypertension Conference of the World Health Organization and the International Society of Hypertension. (From World Health Organization/International Society of Hypertension. J Hypertens 7: 689, 1989). BP: blood pressure.
Figure 2 -Underlying factors in the genesis of illness (ill health). From: The rising supply of physicians and the pursuit of better halth. Tarlov AR. Journal of Medical Education. 1988; 63: 104.
Figure 3 -Decision making matrix for behaviour change.
Figure 4 -Decision making matrix for weight reduction. IBW: Ideal body weight; BMI: body mass index.
Figure 6 -Decision making matrix for alcohol reduction 1 oz (ounce): 29.6 ml

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Promoção de intervenções não-farmacológicas para tratar hipertensão arterial

March 1998

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54 Reads

Medicina (Ribeirao Preto Online)

In the first part of this review, definition, prevalence, historical evolution and general principles of nonpharmacologic treatment of hypertesion are discussed. Then, rational basis and behavioural strategies to relieve reduction of obesity, ingestion of salt or alcohol, sedentarism, emotional stress and smoking are presented. Finally, the role of other dietary factors and combined therapy is considered, specially the integration of these therapies in a multidisciplinary approache to the patient with high blood pressure.


Behavioral medicine, complementary medicine, and integrated care: Economic implications

January 1998

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18 Reads

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19 Citations

Primary Care Clinics in Office Practice

Health care concepts and practices are changing dramatically because of demographic and economic factors. The routine integration of behavioral and biomedical care is completely compatible with these changes and such integration would provide clinical and economic benefits to patients and to society.


Citations (30)


... [6]. According to a study by Alice D. Domar at Harvard Medical School, women who have a 2-to-3-year history of infertility have a BDI score of 10.5 higher than women with infertility less than 1 year [17]. Most studies show that, if the cause of infertility comes from both husband and wife, the proportion of women with depressive symptoms is higher. ...

Reference:

Depressive symptoms among women undergoing infertility treatment by in vitro fertilization and some associated factors at the National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2023
The prevalence and predictability of depression in infertile women**Supported by grant 5R03MH45591 from the National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland.††Presented at the Annual Meeting of The American Fertility Society, Orlando, Florida, October 21 to 24, 1991.
  • Citing Article
  • December 1992

Fertility and Sterility

... Our findings confirm the findings of Kerr et al. ( 2011 ) that meditation can sometimes be unpleasant or disturbing [61]. This is in contrast to the general description of mindfulness and meditation as a relaxing self-calming process [39], where so-called mental calmness is often characterised in the literature as a meditative state [127], but our study found that achieving such a state was not easy, with some students experiencing moods of irritability and restlessness early in the practice. At the start of meditation, students often begin with some idealised expectation that it will bring calm and relaxation. ...

Meditation and the Relaxation Response
  • Citing Chapter
  • December 2001

... The authors applied Boorom's (2009) updates to this scale and also rephrased some of its elements. Another instrument, derived from the INSPIRIT scale (Kass, Friedman, Laserman, Zuttermeister, & Benson, 1991), was used to appraise religiosity. Spirituality was assessed by the items of Amram and Dryer's (2008) integrated spiritual intelligence scale (ISIS). ...

Health Outcomes and a New Index of Spiritual Experience
  • Citing Article
  • June 1991

Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion

... The use of mind-body training has received increasing interest as a complementary intervention method among psychologists and medical professionals due to its documented therapeutic effects on many psychological problems, such as anxiety [1], insomnia [2], and depression [3]. Mindbody training has also been shown to have positive effects as a complementary treatment for many physical disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome [4], chronic pain [5], and cardiovascular problems [6]. Using the mind to affect physical and mental health is a core concept of traditional Chinese medicine. ...

Decreased clinic utilization by chronic pain patients after behavioral medicine intervention
  • Citing Article
  • June 1991

Pain

... Studies on the synergistic effect of MIND and FB are required to control hypertension. Few studies have examined the synergistic effect of dietary control and stress management on hypertension control [22][23][24]. To the best of our knowledge, no study has been conducted in the local community. ...

Nonpharmacologic Intervention for Hypertension
  • Citing Article
  • August 1989

Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation

... For young adolescents, fear of examination is an extension of the stress associated with studies. Stress related to academic assessment is further compounded by having to cope with ongoing biological changes (Benson et al., 2000;Skybo & Buck, 2007). There is an impact thus on secondary schoolers' overall physical and psychological health (Strine et al., 2006) and may lead to psychosomatic problems (Grant et al., 2006). ...

Academic Performance among Middle-School Students after Exposure to a Relaxation Response Curriculum
  • Citing Article
  • January 2000

... 6 Of these negative emotions, anger has been well studied in large cohort studies. [7][8][9] The experience of anger is not only linked to negative psychological consequences but strengths and limitations of this study ► This is the first randomised controlled experiment designed to assess the acute effects of induced anger, anxiety and sadness on endothelial function; a potential biological pathway underlying cardiovascular disease onset. ► The study uses specific negative emotion induction tasks instead of a non-specific mental stress task. ...

Triggering of Acute Myocardial Infarction Onset by Episodes of Anger
  • Citing Article
  • February 1994

Circulation

... Coronary bypass grafting is a treatment for patients with ischemic heart disease that is widely used, and has proven medical benefits. There are studies in the literature about the fact that psychological factors affect surgery and post-surgical care, and attention has increasingly been focused on the postoperative prognosis and the role of psychological factors in prognosis [26,27]. There are also studies indicating that psychosocial factors (psychological well-being, vital fatigue) may be more important in predicting post-operative quality of life in patients with coronary artery disease compared to objective determinants such as ejection fractions [27]. ...

The prediction of cardiac surgery outcome based upon preoperative psychological factors
  • Citing Article
  • May 1996

... In this study, we compared the acute and chronic benefits of three stress reduction activities that were quite different from one another-the relaxation response, jogging, and group interaction-to those of a lecture-control group. Benson's relaxation response, a common method of stress reduction, was the passive, cognitive technique (Benson, 1975;Benson & Friedman, 1985;. Jogging was the active, physical technique that has been investigated singularly in many studies (e.g., Berger, 1984a;Morgan & Goldston, 1987a;Sachs & Buffone, 1984;Wilson, Berger, & Bird, 1981). ...

A Rebuttal to the Conclusions of David S. Holmes's Article. "Meditation and Somatic Arousal Reduction"

American Psychologist