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Trauma

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Research Brief
Standards for Delivering High-Quality Care to Veterans with Invisible Wounds
Depression, PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and substance use disorders interfere with veterans' employment, family life, community engagement, and well-being. There are effective treatments but also barriers to accessing them. A set of standards can help identify providers who serve veterans and deliver high-quality care.
May 9, 2022
Commentary
Intelligence Work Is Exciting. And Traumatizing
The intelligence community needs to communicate to its workforce about the varied forms of trauma, how it affects individuals, and what resources exist to help. Protecting the intelligence workforce can help protect us all.
Nov 30, 2022

Explore Trauma

Journal Article
Stress-induced Changes in Autonomic Reactivity Vary with Adolescent Violence Exposure and Resting-state Functional Connectivity
Exposure to violence during childhood can lead to functional changes in brain regions. This study examined whether changes in autonomic responses varied with whole brain resting-state functional connectivity as a function of violence exposure.
May 18, 2023
Blog
RAND Turns 75: A Look Through the Decades At World-Changing Research
From anticipating the Space Age in the 1940s to studying gun policy and COVID-19 responses in the 2020s, RAND is celebrating 75 years of research that has made a difference.
May 8, 2023
Report
Dementia in the National Security Workforce Could Create a Security Threat
Challenges associated with cognitive impairment in the workplace will increase as people continue to live longer and retire later. Individuals who work in national security and intelligence could become a security threat if they develop dementia and unwittingly share government secrets.
Apr 4, 2023
Commentary
The Ripples of War Are Only Beginning to Spread. Is America Ready?
There are now more than 1.9 million U.S. veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. More than 50,000 were physically injured and around 15 percent have experienced PTSD. Perhaps all were exposed to burn pits and other toxins. What are the long-term impacts of the wars on those who fought them?
Mar 23, 2023
Journal Article
The Role of Pre-Treatment Traumatic Stress Symptoms in Adolescent Substance Use Treatment Outcomes
This study assesses the association between traumatic stress symptoms and substance use treatment outcomes among trauma-exposed adolescents, using methods to reduce potential confounding from factors such as baseline substance use severity.
Feb 21, 2023
Report
Psychological Harms and Treatment of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment in Adults: Systematic and Scoping Reviews to Inform Improved Care for Military Populations
Researchers conducted three evidence reviews on interventions for victims of sexual assault and harassment in military settings, barriers and facilitators to accessing care, and associations between victims and specific mental health conditions.
Jan 9, 2023
Research Brief
Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault in Military Settings
Members of the military who have been victims of sexual assault or sexual harassment often experience PTSD, depression, and substance use disorders. What therapies are effective at treating these conditions? And what barriers prevent service members from getting the care that they need?
Jan 9, 2023
Blog
Protests in China, Negotiating with Russia, L.A.'s 'Mansion Tax': RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on protests in China amid the government's zero-COVID policy, the potential harm in negotiating with Russia, building more affordable housing in Los Angeles, and more.
Dec 2, 2022
Blog
Racism and Patient Safety, Abortion After Dobbs, Homelessness: RAND Weekly Recap
This week, we discuss racism and patient safety, abortion in America after the Dobbs ruling, how to address homelessness in Los Angeles, and more.
Oct 28, 2022
Report
Trauma in the U.S. Intelligence Community
Intelligence Community members work under strenuous conditions, face violent and difficult problems, and are bound by law to secrecy. Such responsibility heightens their risk of experiencing trauma and limits their recourse in managing it. Addressing their mental health needs is essential to their well-being and to the IC's quality of work.
Oct 11, 2022
Commentary
Setting Standards for Delivering High-Quality Care to Veterans with Invisible Wounds
Posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, traumatic brain injury, and substance use disorders are common among post-9/11 veterans and can interfere with their employment, family life, engagement with their communities, and overall well-being. A shared definition and standards for high-quality care can help organizations better support veterans.
Sep 12, 2022
Report
Recommended Standards for Delivering High-Quality Care to Veterans with Invisible Wounds
The authors identified ten standards for the delivery of high-quality care for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, substance use disorders, and mild traumatic brain injury.
May 9, 2022
Blog
A Peacekeeping Operation in Ukraine, Synthetic Opioids, Geoengineering: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on why it may be time to consider a peacekeeping operation in northern Ukraine, supporting veterans with traumatic brain injury, a new response to synthetic opioids, and more.
Apr 29, 2022
Research Brief
How to Improve Long-Term Outcomes for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury
Treatment for veterans with TBI has improved since the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq began. But today's veteran population is more diverse than ever, and improving outcomes requires a better understanding of how TBI affects veterans' lives over the long term, what they may need as they age, and effective treatments.
Apr 28, 2022
Report
Improving Care for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury Across the Lifespan
This report presents findings from a study designed to identify the long-term outcomes of traumatic brain injury for veterans, the future needs of this population, effective treatments, and the availability of community-based resources.
Apr 28, 2022
Blog
Supporting America's Veterans: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on helping veterans experiencing homelessness, better care for veterans with brain injuries and PTSD, and easing transitions to the civilian workforce.
Nov 12, 2021
Essay
Advances in Care for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injuries or PTSD
A new standard of care proposed by RAND researchers aims to redefine high-quality care for veterans with a traumatic brain injury or posttraumatic stress disorder. But it also could serve as a template for making health care more effective, more consistent, and more responsive for more patients.
Nov 8, 2021
Periodical
RAND Review: November-December 2021
The cover story highlights how RAND is helping to redefine high-quality care for service members with a TBI or PTSD. The Q&A with two Marines who work at RAND sheds light on how their military service informs their research and analysis.
Nov 1, 2021

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Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Alison Athey

Associate Behavioral/Social Scientist

Alison Athey (she/her) is an associate behavioral/social scientist at RAND and a licensed clinical psychologist. Her research interests include suicide prevention programs and policies, traumatic bereavement, and the development of scalable and equitable mental health services for high-risk,…
Lynsay Ayer

Senior Behavioral and Social Scientist

Lynsay Ayer (she/her) is a senior behavioral and social scientist at the RAND Corporation. The overarching goals of her research are (a) to prevent violence and trauma (e.g., child maltreatment, suicide, disasters) and (b) prevent and treat behavioral health problems caused by…

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