Disclosures of and Responses to Military Sexual Trauma (MST)
Funding – Department of Defense (DoD)
In collaboration with – Dr. Rebecca Blais, Arizona State University
Individuals with a history of military sexual assault (MSA) are more likely to experience distress and difficulty functioning. Research suggests that telling another person about the assault, referred to as “disclosure,” can be an important way for survivors to receive social support, which can be critical for recovery following MSA. Although few people make a formal report, research shows that Unfortunately, almost all the research on informal disclosure of sexual assault has focused on civilians and female survivors. This will be the first large study to examine male and female survivors’ decisions to disclose MSA, reactions they receive, and how this relates to psychological distress.
Military Families Study
Funding – Brain and Behavior Research Foundation NARSAD Grant
Military deployments have an effect on the whole family, including children. However, the mechanisms by which children are affected by parents’ experiences on deployment are not well understood. This study explores the relationships between parent trauma exposure and traumatic stress, parenting styles, parent/child sleep patterns, and child psychological and physical health. Through this study, we hope to learn what makes military families resilient to deployment-related exposures and how this information can be used to develop better services for military families.
To participate in this study, more information can be found here.
Morning Light Treatment for Traumatic Stress
Funding – NIH R61 Grant
In collaboration with – Dr. Helen Burgess, University of Michigan
Exposure to trauma can lead to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety. Although therapies exist for traumatic stress, many individuals fail to receive treatment or remain symptomatic despite treatment. New treatments are needed for traumatic stress that target underlying mechanisms of the pathology and offer a safe and acceptable alternative. Morning bright light has good potential as a novel non-invasive, low-risk treatment for traumatic stress. Morning bright light treatment may reduce traumatic stress by reducing amygdala reactivity. The present study aims to: (a) establish a significant dose-response relationship between the duration of daily morning light pulse and reduction from baseline in amygdala reactivity, and (b) establish change in amygdala reactivity as a predictor of traumatic stress symptom improvement. This project will be the first to establish if anatomical links between the retinal circadian photoreceptors and amygdala translate into clinically meaningful changes in amygdala reactivity using morning bright light therapy.