[PRDP Roster]

The Psychosocial Risk and Disease Prevention [PRDP] Study Section reviews research applications for development and testing of behavioral and biobehavioral interventions to prevent or reduce risk factors for physical conditions, diseases and disorders. Biobehavioral aspects of affect, stress, symptom perception, social support, individual differences, and other psychosocial traits or states related to pathology of somatic organs or systems are included, as well as applications studying interactions between behavioral, social, psychological, and physiological factors and conditions for which individuals receive health care. Research may involve use of animal models of specific disorders, although the principal focus is on human subjects research. Behavioral intervention and risk factor reduction studies may involve components consisting of pharmacological treatments or interventions using devices. Clinical studies may be designed specifically to investigate the relationships between basic psychosocial or biobehavioral variables and biological bases of disease.

Specific areas covered by PRDP:

• Behavioral and biobehavioral intervention and risk factor modification studies regarding behavioral or biological risk factors or health behaviors and their influence on behavior or biological outcomes. The interactions of interventions with biological, psychological, or social variables to modify behavioral or preclinical outcomes are included. Intervention targets may include behaviors [e.g., eating behavior, intervention regimen, adherence or lifestyle change], behavioral risk factors [e.g., diet, physical activity, or smoking] or biological outcomes [e.g., obesity, wound healing, atherosclerotic lesion regression, immune function or remission].
  
  
• Management of somatic illness and patient education in which psychological or social adjustments are the predominant variables under study in relation to factors such as distress, emotional well-being, coping, cognitive appraisal, adherence, patient education, self-care, self-efficacy or self-management; research in which the outcomes studied are changes in quality of life, psychosocial adjustment, or social and cultural factors.
  
  
• Behavioral interventions as primary or adjunct treatments designed to prevent or slow the progression of co-morbid or secondary disease and disorder.
  
  
• Treatment of distress or psychological reactions related to diagnosis or genetic testing for physical disorders or conditions.
  
  
• Relationship of biobehavioral responses to changes in neuroendocrine, metabolic, or immune system function associated with somatic diseases or conditions in humans.
  
  
• Interactions between psychological processes and disease management, such as the effects of depression, anxiety, symptom perception, social, cultural and other factors on adherence or compliance to medical or behavioral interventions, or on medical decision making.
  
  
• Study of psychological and social aspects of screening for somatic diseases. Screening to identify, prevent or treat physical or psychological symptoms for patients at risk for physical diseases or disorders including risk factor screening, genetic testing, screening for treatment side effects, blood donation and psychological distress caused by the screening process.
  
  
• Biobehavioral responses to stressors studied in the context of interventions to prevent physical diseases, such as changes in mood, eating behavior, medical adherence, cardiovascular reactivity, neuroendocrine function, or sleep. 
  
  
• Intervention methodology; studies that examine the issues of structure, content, and delivery associated with successful interventions including: developmental timing, measurement, recruitment and retention, booster or maintenance interventions, durability of effects, adaptability, intervention fidelity, delivery channels, and mediational processes. 

PRDP has the following shared interests within the RPHB IRG: 

• With Psychosocial Development, Risk and Prevention [PDRP]:  Studies of risk factors and interventions that primarily affect social development could be assigned to PDRP. Studies of risk and interventions for physical diseases and disorders could be assigned to PRDP.
  
  
• With Risk, Prevention and Intervention for Addictions [RPIA]: Studies of smoking cessation to prevent or slow the progression of specific diseases may be assigned to PRDP.  When the primary focus is on addictive behaviors, RPIA may be more appropriate.
  
  
• With Behavioral Medicine Interventions and Outcome [BMIO]: Studies of behavioral and social risk factors or interventions intended to prevent somatic and cognitive diseases or disorders could be assigned to PRDP.  Studies of the treatment, management and rehabilitation of disabling physical or cognitive impairment could be assigned to BMIO.

PRDP has the following shared interests outside the RPHB IRG: 

• With the Health of the Population [HOP] IRG: Studies that examine the interaction of biobehavioral and socio-environmental factors with regard to the etiology, course, prevalence, or consequences of health disorders and diseases could be assigned to the HOP IRG. Studies of interventions operating primarily through institutional, community, or policy change could also be assigned to the HOP IRG, as could studies that directly address clinical nursing practice related to the care of persons, that have an emphasis on nursing science, or that emphasize the organization of health service delivery. Applications focused on interventions to prevent physical or cognitive diseases by changing the knowledge, skills, and motivation of individuals, studies closely related to intervention development, and studies of individual and situational factors that influence persons to seek health care could be assigned to PRDP.
  
  
• With the Biobehavioral and Behavioral Processes [BBBP] IRG: Studies focused on basic biopsychological mechanisms such as affect, emotions, physiology, pharmacologic action on behavior, and stress could be assigned to the BBBP IRG, while studies that emphasize the effects of social contexts on biopsychological mechanisms or their role in risk reduction and disease prevention could be assigned to PRDP.  
  
  
• With the Oncological Sciences [ONC] IRG: Studies related to non-behavioral cancer therapeutics and prevention could be assigned to the ONC IRG.  Studies of individual or small group behavioral risk factors could be assigned to PRDP.
  
  
• With the Cardiovascular Sciences [CVS] IRG: Applications focused on the development, physiology, and pathophysiology of the heart and circulatory systems could be assigned to the CVS IRG. Applications concerned with behavioral approaches to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, including psychological and lifestyle approaches, could be assigned to PRDP. 
  
  
• With the Endocrinology, Metabolism, Nutrition, and Reproductive Sciences [EMNR] IRG: Applications concerned with adaptation and response at the hormonal or cellular level, those that focus on genetics, molecular biology, cellular or organ physiology and integrative biology, and applications that use methodologies focused on regulation at the cellular and molecular level may be assigned to the EMNR IRG. Applications focused on human behavioral aspects of maternal nutrition as a risk factor or intervention for pregnancy outcomes, those concerned with modification of individual behaviors, attitudes, psychosocial supports and resources as they affect prevention or treatment of obesity or diabetes could be assigned to PRDP.
  
  
• With the Musculoskeletal, Oral and Skin Sciences [MOSS] IRG: Applications focused on musculoskeletal, oral, or skin diseases, or their functional consequences, could be assigned to the MOSS IRG. Applications involving behavioral approaches to the prevention of musculoskeletal oral, or skin diseases, including their psychological components, could be assigned to PRDP.
  
  
• With the Digestive Sciences [DIG] IRG: Applications focused on physiologic or biologic processes of gastrointestinal disorders could be referred to the DIG IRG. Applications with primary emphasis on psychological, behavioral or social risk factors as well as clinical trials of behavioral medicine and lifestyle-based gastrointestinal prevention strategies and therapies could be referred to PRDP.
  
  
• With the Respiratory Sciences [RES] IRG: Studies related to non-behavioral respiratory disease therapeutics and prevention could be assigned to the RES IRG. Studies of individual or small group behavioral risk factors and behavioral interventions intended to reduce the risk of respiratory disease could be assigned to PRDP.