Benjamin Trachik is a behavioral scientist and licensed clinical psychologist at RAND. Trachik's career spans various roles, including serving in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and as an active duty Army research psychologist. He has led several large-scale research efforts in the areas of suicide prevention, leadership strategy, and organizational reform with the goal of improving psychological health and wellbeing. Trachik’s work has been instrumental in shaping policies related to mental health and military readiness with his research cited in various media outlets and congressional policy recommendations.
Trachik also maintains a robust publication record and serves as a scientific advisor for DARPA and The Military Health and Readiness Consortium. He also actively engages in collaborations with government organizations, universities, and private industry.
Collectively, the goal of Trachik’s research is to identify organization and policy level strategies that promote protective factors with downstream effects on psychological health. His ongoing research and clinical work continue to influence both military and civilian sectors, aiming to improve therapeutic outcomes and facilitate mental health through organization and systems level approaches. Trachik's scholarly contributions are enriched by his teaching roles and his participation in numerous conferences and working groups aimed at disseminating research findings and improving mental health interventions.
Education
Ph.D. in clinical psychology, University of Central Florida; M.A. in educational psychology, Columbia University- Teachers College; B.A. in psychology, University of Montana
Selected Work
- Trachik, B., Oakey‐Frost, N., Ganulin, M. L., Adler, A. B., Dretsch, M. N., Cabrera, O. A., & Tucker, R. P., "Military suicide prevention: The importance of leadership behaviors as an upstream suicide prevention target," Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior , 51(2), 2021
- Trachik, B., Fawver, B., Trapp, S. K., Goldberg, S. B., Ganulin, M. L., Kearns, N. T., McKeon, A. B., Dretsch, M. N., & Sowden, W. J., "Measurement validity of the six-factor model of psychological well-being in a military sample: Implications for measuring well-being in service members.," Psychological Assessment, 35(9), 2023
- Trachik, B., Elliman, T. D., Ganulin, M. L., Dretsch, M. N., Riviere, L. A., Cabrera, O. A., ... & Hoge, C, "Order effects in PTSD network analysis: Important implications for diagnostic conceptualization, treatment refinement, and research," Psychological Medicine, 52(13), 2022
- Gruber, C. W. & Trachik, B., , Fostering Innovation in the Intelligence Community: Scientifically-Informed Solutions to Combat a Dynamic Threat Environment, Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2023
- Trachik, B., Moscardini, E. H., Ganulin, M. L., McDonald, J. L., McKeon, A. B., Dretsch, M. N., ... & Sowden, W. J., "Perceptions of purpose, cohesion, and military leadership: A path analysis of potential primary prevention targets to mitigate suicidal ideation," Military psychology, 34(3), 2022