Research

Evaluate a condensed cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for PTSD that can be implemented by mental health providers working in an integrated primary care setting. Determine whether this treatment delivery method is well received by military personnel; its efficacy in reducing PTSD symptoms; and the level of PTSD severity that is appropriate for this form of treatment.

Examine how evidence-based therapies for PTSD can be successfully disseminated and implemented among Army mental health providers by comparing two training models for Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy. Determine whether extended provider training in PE increases both its use and quality of delivery by providers and its efficacy with patients.

Review and analyze data collected from military blast-injury patients in Iraq to disentangle the symptoms of traumatic brain injury (TBI), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and acute stress disorder (ASD); use analyses to develop and then prospectively evaluate a clinical TBI/PTSD/ASD assessment battery that can be used by the military for accurate assessment of future blast-injury patients in deployed settings.

Evaluate the efficacy of a brief cognitive-behavioral intervention for managing suicidal behaviors in military mental health patients, with the ultimate goal of decreasing suicide and self-harm behaviors among service members.

Utilize the comprehensive dataset developed from all STRONG STAR trials to perform a variety of analyses aimed at providing knowledge to inform decisions about how best to prevent problems in those most at risk for PTSD and tailor treatments for maximum benefit.

In light of the significant overlap between PTSD and fibromyalgia, determine whether it is important to assess for this painful rheumatic disorder in active-duty military personnel with PTSD. Screen volunteers from other STRONG STAR treatment studies and their spouses to determine the prevalence of fibromyalgia, observe its influence on patients’ prognosis, and look for secondary familial consequences of PTSD.

Use assessments and biological data from service members prior to and following deployment to examine the interaction and influence of genetic and environmental factors on PTSD susceptibility. Identify genetic risk factors and determine how they contribute to the development of PTSD with the ultimate aim of improving prevention and treatment efforts.

Conduct a pilot investigation to evaluate the treatment outcomes of deployed service members who show symptoms of combat operational stress reactions, including PTSD and acute stress disorder, and who receive CPT or PE therapy from military mental health providers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Follow treatment gains over time to provide much-needed insight on the efficacy of the leading non-pharmacologic treatments for stress-related disorders when delivered “in theater” and to guide the development of a larger, randomized clinical trial.

Identify the comorbidity of orthopedic trauma and traumatic stress in an active-duty military population and evaluate a preventive behavioral health treatment strategy aimed at helping to retard or halt the development of PTSD and chronic pain.

Apply advanced neuroimaging methods to study PTSD in the context of ongoing treatment trials to address 1) the underlying neuroanatomical pathology of PTSD (changes in the anatomy of the nervous system or nervous tissue that accompany the development of PTSD); 2) the underlying pathophysiology of PTSD (functional changes in the brain that are associated with the disorder); and 3) neurobiological changes corresponding with successful PTSD treatment. The ultimate goal is to shed light on the underlying neurobiology of PTSD in hopes of developing more effective, targeted treatment interventions.