Mary Davis, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Basic Medical Sciences - The University of Arizona College of Medicine—Phoenix in partnership with Arizona State University

ASU Office Phone: (480) 965-2057
Office: Building 3, Room 3253
Email: mary.davis@asu.edu

Education:

PhD;

Research Interests:

Psychological and social factors are important predictors of risk for and adaptation to chronic illness. In fact, a substantial body of empirical evidence suggests that the relation between key aspects of the psychosocial environment and mortality is comparable to those of other widely recognized risk factors, including smoking. Among the most potent psychosocial predictors of health is an individual’s social milieu. One focus of my research is what and how aspects of social relationships predict functional health and well-being in adults as they age. In particular, I am interested in elaborating how the stressful and supportive aspects of interpersonal relationships impact cognitive, affective, and physiological processes that are essential in promoting health. Chronic interpersonal stress, for example, is related to elevations in blood pressure and proinflammatory markers predict increased risk for cardiovascular disease and exacerbation of illness symptoms, including fatigue. Yet the detrimental effects of social stress may be offset, at least to some extent, by the experience of positive social relations. My colleagues and I recently have begun to elaborate the psychological, social, and community-level factors that predict sustained physical and mental health in aging adults drawn from diverse communities. We also have been examining the extent to which positive emotional relationships can be harnessed as a resource during times of stress among individuals coping with chronic illness.

PubMed Link:

Search PubMed for a complete listing of Dr. Davis' publications

Selected Publications:

  1. Kratz, A.L., Davis, M.C., & Zautra, A.J. (in press). Pain acceptance moderates the relation between pain and negative affect in female osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia patients. Annals of Behavioral Medicine.
  2. Johnson, L.M., Zautra, A.J., & Davis, M.C. (in press). The role of illness uncertainty on coping with fibromyalgia symptoms. Health Psychology.
  3. Zautra, A.J., Fasman, R., Parrish, B., & Davis, M.C. (in press). Daily fatigue in women with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia. Pain.
  4. Huebner, D.M., & Davis, M.C. (in press). Perceived anti-gay discrimination and physical health outcomes. Health Psychology.
  5. Davis, M.C., Zautra, A.J., Johnson, L.M., Murray, K., Okvat, H. (in press). Psychosocial stress, emotion regulation, and resilience among older adults. In C. Aldwin, C Park, & A. Spiro (Eds.), Handbook of Health Psychology and Aging (pp. 250-266). New York: Guilford.
  6. Huebner, D.M., & Davis, M.C. (in press). Gay and bisexual men who disclose their sexual orientations in the workplace have higher workday levels of salivary cortisol and negative affect. Annals of Behavioral Medicine.
  7. Davis, M.C., Affleck, G., Zautra, A.J., & Tennen, H. (2006). Daily interpersonal events in pain patients: Applying action theory to chronic illness. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 62, 1097-1114.
  8. Reich, J.W., Johnson, L.M., Zautra, A.J., & Davis, M.C. (2006). Uncertainty of illness relationship with mental health and coping processes in fibromyalgia patients. Journal of Behavioral Medicine.
  9. Zautra, A.J., Affleck, G., Tennen, H., Reich, J.W., & Davis, M.C. (2005). Dynamic approaches to emotion and stress in everyday life: Bolger and Zuckerman reloaded with positive as well as negative affects. Journal of Personality, 73, 1511-1538.
  10. Burke, H.M., Davis, M.C., Otte, C. & Mohr, D.C. (2005). Depression and cortisol responses to psychological stress: a meta-analysis. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 30, 846-856.