Beth Mechlin, Ph.D.

About me

I teach courses such as Health Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, Psychoactive Drugs and Behavior, Racism and Public Health, and Cross-Cultural Psychology.

Although I was educated at large universities, I have found teaching at liberal arts schools to be much more rewarding. I teach at Earlham because I like getting to know my students and developing relationships with them. I love how diverse Earlham’s student body is, it enriches the discussions students and professors have both inside and outside the classroom.

I love to travel and learn about different cultures. In 2019 I lead a group of 10 students on an Epic Advantage experience that involved traveling around Sweden for 3 weeks examining factors that influence health.

Education

• Ph.D., University of North Carolina
• M.A., University of North Carolina
• B.S., The Ohio State University

Scholarly interest

Stressed? I have something to say about that.  My research explores stress, pain and the relationship between the two. The majority of my research has focused on the influence race and socioeconomic status have on stress and pain.

Published works

Gordon JL, Johnson J, Nau S, Mechlin B, Girdler SS. (2017). The role of chronic psychosocial stress in explaining racial differences in stress reactivity and pain sensitivity.  Psychosomatic Medicine, 79(2), 201 – 212.

Roberts MH, Klatzkin RR, Mechlin B. (2015). Social support attenuates physiological stress responses and experimental pain sensitivity to cold pressor pain. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 49(4), 557 – 569.

Rowell LN, Mechlin B, Ji E, Addamo M, Girdler S. (2011). Asians differ from non-Hispanic Whites in experimental pain sensitivity. European Journal of Pain, 5(7), 764 – 771.

Mechlin B, Heymen S, Edwards CL, Girdler SS. (2011). Ethnic differences in cardiovascular-somatosensory interactions and in the central processing of noxious stimuli. Psychophysiology, 48(6), 762 – 773.

Klatzkin RR, Mechlin B, Girdler SS. (2010). Menstrual cycle phase does not influence gender differences in experimental pain sensitivity. European Journal of Pain, 14(1), 77 – 82.

Heymen S, Maixner W, Whitehead WE, Klatzkin R, Mechlin B, Light K. (2010). Diffuse Noxious Inhibitory Controls (DNIC) are compromised in patients with irritable bowel syndrome compared to healthy controls. Clinical Journal of Pain, 26(2), 104 – 109.

Grewen KM, Light KC, Mechlin MB, Girdler SS. (2008). Ethnicity is associated with alterations in oxytocin relationships to pain sensitivity in women. Ethnicity & Health, 13(3), 219 – 241.

Klatzkin RR, Mechlin B, Bunevicius R, Girdler SS. (2007). Race and histories of mood disorders modulate experimental pain tolerance in women. The Journal of Pain, 8(11), 861 – 868.

Mechlin B, Morrow AL, Maixner W, Girdler SS. (2007). The Relationship of Allopregnanolone Immunoreactivity and HPA-Axis Measures to Experimental Pain Sensitivity: Evidence for Ethnic Differences. Pain, 131(1-2), 142 – 152.

Girdler SS, Mechlin MB, Light KC, Morrow AL. (2006). Ethnic differences in allopregnanolone concentrations in women during rest and following mental stress. Psychophysiology, 43(4), 331 – 336.

Mechlin MB, Maixner W, Light KC, Fisher JM, Girdler SS. (2005). African Americans show alterations in endogenous pain regulatory mechanisms and reduced pain tolerance to experimental pain procedures. Psychosomatic Medicine, 67(6), 948-956.