As first presented at the Annual Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association in Chicago in November 2002, Dr. Bishop's study both confirmed and extended the results obtained by Dr. Davidson and Gidron. When tested 3 months after the workshops were completed, the patients who received training were better off on several fronts than those who received the usual care. For example:

They experienced less psychosocial bad stuff: lower scores on depression (a 60 percent decrease), anger (18 percent), and perceived stress (18 percent). They experienced less biological bad stuff: lower resting heart rate (a 9 percent decrease) and reduced reactivity of blood pressure (56 percent) and heart rate (65 percent) when angered. They experienced more psychosocial good stuff: higher scores for satisfaction with social support (a 14 percent increase) and satisfaction with life (13 percent). These results provide direct evidence that training in coping skills can really change not only people's ability to improve their emotional lives but also their physical prognoses and prospects for future health.

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