Research

Identify specific genetic biomarkers that can be used to detect the presence of PTSD, to determine who successfully responds to treatment, and to identify individuals at risk for developing PTSD.

Working with couples in which a partner suffers from chronic musculoskeletal pain, determine the feasibility of Conjoint Therapy for Pain Management. Assess how well the therapy helps to improve pain-related functioning. Measure the therapy’s contribution to couples’ psychological wellbeing, relationship satisfaction, and communication with each other.

Working with service members and veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) delivered in the standard, face-to-face, in-office format as compared to CPT delivered in a patient's home, either in-person or via video teleconference (similar to Skype). Determine whether in-home therapy enhances treatment and improves patient outcomes, and whether it can be delivered to special populations, such as homebound patients and those in rural areas.

Examine whether a form of narrative therapy in which patients write about their trauma is as effective in treating PTSD as a gold-standard form of talk therapy. Examine whether the narrative therapy, with a shorter course of treatment and fewer time demands, leads to increased patient retention and overall treatment satisfaction.

Improve understanding of the psychosocial needs of active duty military families with young children specific to deployment-related separation; adapt and test Strong Families Strong Forces Parenting Program, a preventive intervention to promote resiliency in active duty military families with young children through the deployment cycle, compared to an alternate intervention called Strong Parents Self-Care; compare the costs of achieving benefit from the two programs.

Evaluate the effectiveness of a manualized behavioral health intervention for posttraumatic headache in Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans with co-occurring symptoms of posttraumatic stress.

Evaluate emotion regulation training designed to decrease aggression in combat veterans who suffer from PTSD and impulsive aggression. Examine if the training prepares veterans for initiating PTSD treatment.

Examine whether and how to incorporate a cognitive-behavioral intervention for insomnia and nightmares with PTSD treatment to achieve the greatest treatment benefits in patients suffering from PTSD and sleep problems.

Evaluate the effectiveness of Cognitive Processing Therapy-cognitive only version (CPT-C) for combat-related PTSD when treatment length is adjusted to fit the individual needs of service members. Identify factors that can help predict how quickly an individual will respond to treatment. Determine how well CPT improves related problems (e.g., depression, difficulties in social and family functioning).

Evaluate in-person and Internet-based forms of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia with a military population. Determine the benefits of these interventions on improvement in sleep as well as on common co-morbid conditions such as depression, substance abuse, and PTSD symptoms.