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Patrick R. Steffen Associate Professor Department of Psychology Brigham Young University 286 TLRB Provo, Utah 84602 (801) 422-7757 steffen@byu.edu |
Education
- BS, Brigham Young University 1993
- MS, University of Miami 1996
- PhD, University of Miami 1998
- Clinical Intern, Durham VA Medical Center 1997-1998
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Duke University Medical Center 1998-2000
Research Interests
- Clinical health psychology and behavioral medicine
- Stress and the development/progression of cardiovascular disease
- Culture and health
- Spirituality and health
Selected Publications
Spirituality and Health
- Steffen, P.R., & Fearing, M. (2007). Does defensiveness account for the relationship between religiosity and psychosocial adjustment? International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 17, 233-244.
- Blumenthal, J.A., Babyak, M.A., Ironson, G., Thoresen, C., Powell, L., Czajkowski, S., Burg, M., Keefe, F.J., Steffen, P., & Catellier, D. (2007). Spirituality, religion, and clinical outcomes in patients recovering from an acute myocardial infarction. Psychosomatic Medicine, 69, 501-508.
- Steffen, P.R., & Masters, K. (2005). Does compassion mediate the intrinsic religiosity - health relationship? Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 30, 217-224.
- Steffen, P.R., Blumenthal, J.A., Hinderliter, A.L., & Sherwood, A. (2001). Religious coping, ethnicity, and ambulatory blood pressure. Psychosomatic Medicine, 63, 523-530.
Culture and Health
- Steffen, P.R. (2006). The cultural gradient: How culture moderates the impact of socioeconomic status on ambulatory blood pressure. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 29, 501-510.
- Steffen, P.R., Smith, T., Butler, L., & Larson, M. (2006). Acculturation to Western society as a risk factor for high blood pressure: A meta-analytic review. Psychosomatic Medicine, 68, 386-397.
- Steffen, P.R., & Bowden, M. (2006). Sleep disturbance mediates the relationship between perceived racism and depressive symptoms in Hispanic American immigrants. Ethnicity & Disease, 16, 16-21.
- Steffen, P.R., McNeilly, M., Anderson, N., & Sherwood, A. (2003). The effects of perceived racism and anger inhibition on ambulatory blood pressure in African Americans. Psychosomatic Medicine, 65, 746-750.
Stress and Health
- Holt-Lunstad, J., & Steffen, P.R. (2007). Diurnal cortisol variation is associated with blood pressure dipping. Psychosomatic Medicine, 69, 339-343.
- Carpenter, B., & Steffen, P.R. (2004). Stress. In L.J. Hass (Ed.), Handbook of Primary Care Psychology (pp.563-577). New York: Oxford University Press.
- Sherwood, A., Steffen, P.R., Blumenthal, J.A., & Hinderliter, A.L. (2002). Nighttime blood pressure dipping: The role of the sympathetic nervous system. American Journal of Hypertension, 15, 111-118.
- Steffen, P.R., Sherwood, A., Gullette, E.C.D., Georgiades, A., Hinderliter, A., & Blumenthal, J.A. (2001). Effects of exercise and weight loss on blood pressure during daily life. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 33, 1635-1640.
- Sherwood, A., Thurston, R., Steffen, P., Blumenthal, J.A., Waugh, R.A., & Hinderliter, A.L. (2001). Blunted nighttime blood pressure dipping in postmenopausal women. American Journal of Hypertension, 14, 749-754.
- Shipley, R., Steffen, P.R., & Riley, K. (1999). Effectiveness of a stop-smoking program for veterans with and without psychiatric diagnoses. Veterans Health System Journal, 4(5), 65-67.
- Blumenthal, J.A., Sherwood, A., Babyak, M., Thurston, R., Tweedy, D., Georgiades, A., Gullette, E., Khatri, P., Steffen, P., Waugh, R., Light, K., & Hinderliter, A. (1999). Mental stress and coronary disease: The Smart-Heart Study. North Carolina Medical Journal, 60(2), 95-99.
Current Grants
(2004 to 2008) Steffen, P.R. Cultural Change and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Foreign Born Mexican Americans
Role: Principal Investigator
American Heart Association
Description: Mexicans have significantly lower rates of cardiovascular disease as compared to European Americans. As Mexican immigrants acculturate to life in the United States, their rate of cardiovascular disease increases. The purpose of this study is to examine how psychosocial stressors (depression, social isolation, discrimination) and health behavior changes contribute to cardiovascular disease risk factor change (ambulatory blood pressure, sodium/potassium ratio, glucose and insulin, non-HDL cholesterol, and C-reactive protein) in Mexican immigrants.
Award: $260,000
(2008 to 2010) Steffen, P.R. Religious Community and the Hispanic Paradox: A Theological Model of Why Mexican Immigrants Have Better Health than Americans
Role: Principal Investigator (Brent Slife, Co-Principal Investigator)
Duke Center for Spirituality, Theology, and Health
Award: $200,000
(2007 to 2008) Steffen, P.R. Mentoring Environment Award
Role: Mentor
Office of Research and Creative Activities, Brigham Young University
Award: $14,940
