An EconoTimes perspective

Annmarie Cano

Professor of Psychology and Associate Provost for Faculty Development and Faculty Success, Wayne State University

Professor of Psychology and Associate Provost for Faculty Development and Faculty Success, Wayne State University My research in clinical health psychology focuses on emotion regulation and intimacy processes in couples facing physical and mental health problems with the long-term goal of developing interventions aimed at improving couples' individual and relationship health and well-being. I am particularly interested in emotional validation and empathic responses to self-disclosures as relationship processes that may contribute to better pain adjustment and mental health. To this end, I have conducted studies in pain clinic, community, and analogue samples using multiple methods (i.e., questionnaires, interviews, observation, experiments) to assess interpersonal, cognitive-behavioral, and affective dimensions of the pain experience. I am also collaborating with colleagues to study these processes in parents and their children with health problems (i.e., children with poor metabolic control, children with chronic pain). With a grant from NIH/NCCIH, I have built on my basic research findings by developing and testing a mindfulness and acceptance intervention aimed at emotion regulation processes in couples with chronic pain.