Jolene Jacquart

Interests

No activities entered.

Courses

Scholarly Contributions

Chapters

• Jacquart, J., Smits, J. A., Margraf, J., Arch, J., & Abramowitz, J. (2022). The Basics of Exposure Therapy. In Clinical Guide to Exposure Therapy: Beyond Phobias. doi:10.1007/978-3-031-04927-9_1

Journals/Publications

• Conroy, H. E., Jacquart, J., Baird, S. O., Rosenfield, D., Davis, M. L., Powers, M. B., Frierson, G. M., Marcus, B. H., Otto, M. W., Zvolensky, M. J., & Smits, J. A. (2020). Age and pre quit-day attrition during smoking cessation treatment. Cognitive behaviour therapy, 49(5), 361-373.
  More info

  The present study aimed to replicate the finding that younger age predicts higher pre quit-day attrition. Our second aim was to explain this relation by examining empirically and theoretically informed age-related risk factors for low smoking cessation treatment engagement. 136 participants (  = 44.2 years, = 11.3 years; = 22-64 years) were randomized to 15-weeks of either 1) an exercise intervention ( = 72) or 2) a wellness education control condition ( = 64). First, a logistic regression analysis was employed to test whether younger adults were more likely than older adults to drop prior to quit date. Next, we assessed whether smoking related health concerns, social expectancies, and/or perceived severity of craving affected the strength of the relation between age and attrition, by adding these three variables to the logistic regression along with age. The logistic regression model indicated that younger age and treatment condition were significantly related to the odds of dropping from treatment prior to the scheduled quit date. Further, health concerns, social expectancies, and/or perceived severity of cravings did not account for the effect of age on pre quit-day attrition. These findings highlight the importance of identifying empirically and theoretically informed variables associated with the pre quit-day attrition problem of young smokers.
• Jacquart, J., Papini, S., Freeman, Z., Bartholomew, J. B., & Smits, J. A. (2020). Using exercise to facilitate arousal reappraisal and reduce stress reactivity: A randomized controlled trial. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 18, 100324.
• Jacquart, J., Dutcher, C. D., Freeman, S. Z., Stein, A. T., Dinh, M., Carl, E., & Smits, J. A. (2019). The effects of exercise on transdiagnostic treatment targets: A meta-analytic review. Behaviour research and therapy, 115, 19-37.
  More info

  The present study meta-analytically reviewed the effects of exercise on four transdiagnostic treatment targets: anxiety sensitivity (AS), distress tolerance (DT), stress reactivity (SR), and general self-efficacy (GSE).
• Jacquart, J., Papini, S., Davis, M. L., Rosenfield, D., Powers, M. B., Frierson, G. M., Hopkins, L. B., Baird, S. O., Marcus, B. H., Church, T. S., Otto, M. W., Zvolensky, M. J., & Smits, J. A. (2017). Identifying attendance patterns in a smoking cessation treatment and their relationships with quit success. Drug and alcohol dependence, 174, 65-69.
  More info

  While important for substance use outcomes, knowledge about treatment attendance patterns, and their relation with clinical outcomes is limited. We examined the association between attendance patterns and smoking outcomes in a randomized, controlled smoking cessation intervention trial.
• Jacquart, J., Roquet, R. F., Papini, S., Powers, M. B., Rosenfield, D., Smits, J. A., & Monfils, M. H. (2017). Effects of acute exercise on fear extinction in rats and exposure therapy in humans: Null findings from five experiments. Journal of anxiety disorders, 50, 76-86.
  More info

  Exposure therapy is an established learning-based intervention for the treatment of anxiety disorders with an average response rate of nearly 50%, leaving room for improvement. Emerging strategies to enhance exposure therapy in humans and fear extinction retention in animal models are primarily pharmacological. These approaches are limited as many patients report preferring non-pharmacological approaches in therapy. With general cognitive enhancement effects, exercise has emerged as a plausible non-pharmacological augmentation strategy. The present study tested the hypothesis that fear extinction and exposure therapy would be enhanced by a pre-training bout of exercise.
• Smits, J. A., Powers, M. B., Rosenfield, D., Zvolensky, M. J., Jacquart, J., Davis, M. L., Beevers, C. G., Marcus, B. H., Church, T. S., & Otto, M. W. (2016). BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism as a Moderator of Exercise Enhancement of Smoking Cessation Treatment in Anxiety Vulnerable Adults. Mental health and physical activity, 10, 73-77.
  More info

  Exercise interventions facilitate odds of quit success among high-anxiety sensitive adults smokers. We examined the dependency of these benefits on the genetic BDNF Val66Met (rs6265) polymorphism; individuals who are Met carriers have lower BDNF responses and reduced associated benefits from exercise. Accordingly, we hypothesized that the efficacy of vigorous exercise for smoking cessation would be specific to high-anxiety sensitive Val/Val carriers.
• Kuo, B., Bhasin, M., Jacquart, J., Scult, M. A., Slipp, L., Riklin, E. I., Lepoutre, V., Comosa, N., Norton, B. A., Dassatti, A., Rosenblum, J., Thurler, A. H., Surjanhata, B. C., Hasheminejad, N. N., Kagan, L., Slawsby, E., Rao, S. R., Macklin, E. A., Fricchione, G. L., , Benson, H., et al. (2015). Genomic and clinical effects associated with a relaxation response mind-body intervention in patients with irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease. PloS one, 10(4), e0123861.
  More info

  Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) can profoundly affect quality of life and are influenced by stress and resiliency. The impact of mind-body interventions (MBIs) on IBS and IBD patients has not previously been examined.
• Medina, J. L., Jacquart, J., & Smits, J. A. (2015). Optimizing the Exercise Prescription for Depression: The Search for Biomarkers of Response. Current opinion in psychology, 4, 43-47.
  More info

  There is growing support for the efficacy of exercise interventions for the treatment of individuals who present with mild-to-moderate depression. The variability in treatment response across studies and individuals suggests that the efficacy of exercise for depression will be most optimal when prescribed to individuals who are most prone to respond. The present article reviews contemporary theoretical accounts and recent empirical data pointing to neuroinflammatory states and neurotrophin production as possible biomarkers of the antidepressant response to exercise. The larger exercise and depression literatures provide justification for elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and deficits in BDNF production as putative matching variables. Although there is some empirical support for these hypotheses, it is clear that this research warrants replication and extension. We offer a few suggestions for future research in this emerging area.
• Park, E. R., Psaros, C., Traeger, L., Stagg, A., Jacquart, J., Willett, J., Alert, M. D., LaRoche, K. L., & Ecker, J. L. (2015). Development of a Postpartum Stressor Measure. Maternal and child health journal, 19(10), 2094-101.
  More info

  To develop a brief self-report assessment of the type and magnitude of stressors during the postpartum period. A cross-sectional study of a convenience sample of 138 women at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA completed a measure of postpartum stressors at their 6-week postpartum visit. Item analyses were conducted; items were eliminated based on low relevance, low endorsement, and cross-loadings, resulting in a 9-item measure. Items were summed to create a total postpartum stressors score. To establish concurrent validity with perceived stress, the total postpartum stressors score was correlated with the 4-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4). The stressors score was tested for bivariate associations with depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-2) and with social support (three items adapted from the MOS Social Support Scale). The 9-item measure, which was comprised of three factors (baby care, well-being, and work) demonstrated good reliability (Cronbach's α = .74) and concurrent validity with the PSS-4 (r = .53; p < .001) in the current sample. The stressors total score was negatively associated with social support (p < .001) and was positively associated with depression symptoms (p < .001). The early psychometric results on this measure are promising and associated with postpartum social support and depressive symptoms. With additional research to enhance external validity, this measure could be used and tested in an intervention study at the 6-week postpartum visit to identify women at risk for distress.
• Psaros, C., Kagan, L., Shifren, J. L., Willett, J., Jacquart, J., Alert, M. D., Macklin, E. A., Styer, A. K., Denninger, J. W., LaRoche, K. L., & Park, E. R. (2015). Mind-body group treatment for women coping with infertility: a pilot study. Journal of psychosomatic obstetrics and gynaecology, 36(2), 75-83.
  More info

  To evaluate the feasibility of a 10-week mind-body intervention (MBI) for women coping with fertility challenges, examine the impact of an MBI on psychological distress and cortisol levels, and assess adherence to MBI skills 12-months after completion of the intervention.
• Scult, M., Haime, V., Jacquart, J., Takahashi, J., Moscowitz, B., Webster, A., Denninger, J. W., & Mehta, D. H. (2015). A healthy aging program for older adults: effects on self-efficacy and morale. Advances in mind-body medicine, 29(1), 26-33.
  More info

  As of 2012, 810 million people worldwide were older than 60 y, accounting for 11% of the population. That number is expected to rise to 2 billion by 2050 or to 22% of the overall population. As a result, a growing need exists to understand the factors that promote mental and physical health in older populations.
• Jacquart, J., Miller, K. M., Radossi, A., Haime, V., Macklin, E., Gilburd, D., Nelson Oliver, M., Mehta, D. H., Yeung, A., Fricchione, G. L., Benson, H., & Denninger, J. W. (2014). The effectiveness of a community-based, mind-body group for symptoms of depression and anxiety. Advances in mind-body medicine, 28(3), 6-13.
  More info

  The prevalence of depression and other mental health conditions is on the rise, with an estimated 350 million people affected. Populations with lower socioeconomic status are at higher risk for mental health problems, including depression and anxiety. Community health centers (CHCs) often have wait lists for individual counseling. Group mind-body interventions (MBIs) that are based on the relaxation response (RR) are plausible options for treating mental health conditions at CHCs.
• Schuyler, B. S., Kral, T. R., Jacquart, J., Burghy, C. A., Weng, H. Y., Perlman, D. M., Bachhuber, D. R., Rosenkranz, M. A., Maccoon, D. G., van Reekum, C. M., Lutz, A., & Davidson, R. J. (2012). Temporal dynamics of emotional responding: amygdala recovery predicts emotional traits. Social cognitive and affective neuroscience, 9(2), 176-81.
  More info

  An individual's affective style is influenced by many things, including the manner in which an individual responds to an emotional challenge. Emotional response is composed of a number of factors, two of which are the initial reactivity to an emotional stimulus and the subsequent recovery once the stimulus terminates or ceases to be relevant. However, most neuroimaging studies examining emotional processing in humans focus on the magnitude of initial reactivity to a stimulus rather than the prolonged response. In this study, we use functional magnetic resonance imaging to study the time course of amygdala activity in healthy adults in response to presentation of negative images. We split the amygdala time course into an initial reactivity period and a recovery period beginning after the offset of the stimulus. We find that initial reactivity in the amygdala does not predict trait measures of affective style. Conversely, amygdala recovery shows predictive power such that slower amygdala recovery from negative images predicts greater trait neuroticism, in addition to lower levels of likability of a set of social stimuli (neutral faces). These data underscore the importance of taking into account temporal dynamics when studying affective processing using neuroimaging.
• Yeung, A., Slipp, L. E., Niles, H., Jacquart, J., Chow, C. L., Fava, M., Denninger, J. W., Benson, H., & Fricchione, G. L. (2014). Effectiveness of the relaxation response-based group intervention for treating depressed chinese american immigrants: a pilot study. International journal of environmental research and public health, 11(9), 9186-201.
  More info

  This study examined the feasibility, safety and efficacy of an 8-week Relaxation Response (RR)-based group.
• Alert, M. D., Rastegar, S., Foret, M., Slipp, L., Jacquart, J., Macklin, E., Baim, M., Fricchione, G., Benson, H., Denninger, J., & Yeung, A. (2013). The effectiveness of a comprehensive mind body weight loss intervention for overweight and obese adults: a pilot study. Complementary therapies in medicine, 21(4), 286-93.
  More info

  This pilot study evaluated the effectiveness of a comprehensive mind body intervention for weight loss in overweight and obesity and the maintenance of weight loss at 6-month follow-up.
• Yeung, A., Slipp, L. E., Jacquart, J., Fava, M., Denninger, J. W., Benson, H., & Fricchione, G. L. (2013). The treatment of depressed chinese americans using qigong in a health care setting: a pilot study. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2013, 168784.
  More info

  Background. This pilot study examined the feasibility and efficacy of providing Qigong treatment in a health center to Chinese Americans with major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods. Fourteen Chinese Americans with MDD were enrolled, and they received a 12-week Qigong intervention. The key outcome measurement was the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D17); the Clinical Global Impressions-Severity (CGI-S) and -Improvement (CGI-I), the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire, Short Form (Q-LES-Q-SF), and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) were also administered. Positive response was defined as a decrease of 50% or more on the HAM-D17, and remission was defined as HAM-D17 ≤ 7. Patients' outcome measurements were compared before and after the Qigong intervention. Results. Participants (N = 14) were 64% female, with a mean age of 53 (±14). A 71% of participants completed the intervention. The Qigong intervention resulted in a positive treatment-response rate of 60% and a remission rate of 40% and statistically significant improvement, as measured by the HAM-D17, CGI-S, CGI-I, Q-LES-Q-SF, and the family support subscale of the MSPSS. Conclusions. The Qigong intervention provided at a health care setting for the treatment of primary care patients with MDD is feasible. Further studies with larger sample sizes are warranted.