Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
VA’s PTSD research is based on a definition of PTSD framed to address the types of traumatic experiences common among Veterans. The condition begins with a service member’s “exposure to a life-threatening experience or to an event that either involves a threat to life or serious injury.” PTSD’s psychological and physiological symptoms develop after this exposure, persist over time, and impair daily living. Essentially, PTSD is a chronic alteration of the body’s stress response systems. According to a 2023 VA report, 23 percent of Veterans using VA care have had PTSD at some point in their lives.
VA’s health systems researchers study how PTSD affects different aspects of Veterans’ lives; evaluate VA treatment, including specialized PTSD programs and integrated approaches for Veterans with co-occurring conditions; explore PTSD’s origins and potential prevention strategies; develop and test diagnostic and screening tools; and improve access to PTSD care, especially for rural Veterans.
Each section below is populated by a search of the HSR website. Search results are generated based on the search term "PTSD" . Results are updated as new data are available.
VIEW: Citations | Publication Briefs | Studies | HSR Briefs, Reports, Newsletters | Cyberseminars | Videos | Podcasts | Other Resources
|
Citations
(recent PTSD publications)
- Carlson GC, Kelly MR, Erickson AJ, Saldana K, Gomez G, Carlson KJ, Lee D, Pigeon WR, McCarthy E, DeViva JC, McGowan SK, Josephson KR, Alessi CA, Yano EM, Martin JL, Hamilton AB. Trauma-Informed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia in Women Veterans: An Intervention Development Study. Cognitive and behavioral practice. 2026 May 1; 33(2):417-430, DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpra.2025.03.002.
- Carlson GC, Gold AI, Erickson AJ, Kelly MR, Mitchell MN, Josephson KR, Carlson KJ, McGowan SK, MacCabe CHG, Zeidler MR, Fung CH, Alessi CA, Yano EM, Neylan TC, Martin JL. Experiential Avoidance is Associated with Insomnia Symptoms and Related Consequences Among Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Behavioral sleep medicine. 2026 Apr 15; 1-12, DOI: 10.1080/15402002.2026.2658812.
- Grubbs KM, Matteo RA, Ranney RM, Hamblen JL, Larsen SE. What would feeling better mean to you? Understanding patient language used for PTSD treatment improvement. Psychiatry Research. 2026 Apr 8; 361:117154, DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2026.117154.
- Hubbard A, Cottonham Mason D, Huggins J, Purcell N, Burkman K, Ranney RM, Akman E, Maguen S. Addressing Race-Based Trauma for Black Veterans Engaged in PTSD Evidence-Based Psychotherapy. Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities. 2026 Apr 2 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-026-02899-y.
- Hampton BN, Weber MC, Jendro AM, Haltom TM, Grubbs KM, Griffin BJ, Fischer EP, Pyne JM. Toward a strengths-based approach to evidence-based psychotherapy for PTSD: A qualitative comparison of veterans' and clinicians' perspectives. Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy. 2026 Mar 12 DOI: 10.1037/tra0002137.
» View more Citations
|
↑ Top
|
Publication Briefs
(recent PTSD Publication Briefs )
- Veterans’ Use of VA Whole Health Care Is Associated with Increased Completion of Psychotherapy for PTSD
This quality improvement study examined the relationship between VA Whole Health (WH) care—comprised of WH services (e.g., health coaching, wellness groups) and complementary and integrative health (CIH) therapies—and evidence-based psychotherapy (EBP) completion (i.e., completing 8 EBP sessions within 14 weeks). Findings showed that use of Whole Health care at various points in the EBP treatment ...
Date: October 24, 2025
- Moral Injury is Independently—and Significantly—Associated with Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among Veterans
Using the Moral Injury and Distress Scale (MIDS), this study investigated the connection between moral injury—the distressing psychological, behavioral, social, and sometimes spiritual aftermath of witnessing, failing to prevent, or participating in events that contradict one’s values and beliefs—and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Findings showed that overall, 6% of the sample screened positive ...
Date: August 1, 2025
- VA’s Telehealth Program for Bipolar Disorders Is Associated with Improved Symptoms, Suicide Risk, Quality of Life, and Prescription Quality
This study examined VA clinical, administrative, and survey data to evaluate outcomes (including symptoms, mood episodes, positive suicide screens, and mental health-related quality of life) for Veterans who were referred to the Bipolar Disorders Telehealth (BDTH) program from 2011 to 2021. Findings showed that Veterans who completed the program reported reductions in manic and depressive symptoms...
Date: October 18, 2024
- Telehealth Mindfulness-Based Interventions Improve Pain-Related Function and Biopsychosocial Outcomes Among Veterans with Chronic Pain
This randomized clinical trial aimed to test the effectiveness of two scalable, 8-week telehealth mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) – group and self-paced – compared to usual care. Findings showed that both the group and self-paced MBI significantly improved pain-related function and biopsychosocial outcomes compared to usual care. Group and self-paced MBIs performed similarly. Averaged acros...
Date: August 19, 2024
- Women Veterans with PTSD More Likely Than Men to Receive Guideline Discordant Medication
This study examined potential confounders in incident prescribing of guideline discordant medications (GDM) in Veterans with PTSD. Findings showed that women Veterans with PTSD were 67% more likely than men to initiate a GDM, where more than half of this effect was explained by bipolar disorder diagnosis, age, and the number of distinct psychiatric medications prescribed in the prior year. After a...
Date: June 5, 2024
» View more Publication Briefs
|
↑ Top
|
Studies
| Project No. |
Title |
PI |
Funding End |
|
CDA 23-054
|
Recovery-oriented group therapy for Veteran men with military sexual trauma |
Yahalom, Jonathan |
2029-12-31 |
|
IIR 23-012
|
Advancing Health Equity by Understanding the Impact of Race on PTSD Symptom Improvement Following Evidence-Based Psychotherapy |
Maguen, Shira |
2029-02-28 |
|
IIR 22-221
|
Complementary and Integrative Health Approaches to Improve TBI Outcomes in Veterans |
Zeng, Qing |
2028-08-31 |
|
RCS 17-297
|
Research Career Scientist Award |
Pugh, Mary Jo |
2028-06-30 |
|
IIR 21-200
|
Gaps in Identification, Referral and Treatment of Cannabis Use in VA Primary Care |
Keyhani, Salomeh |
2028-05-31 |
» View more Studies
|
↑ Top
HSR Briefs, Reports, Newsletters
» View more Publications
↑ Top
↑ Top
Videos
There are currently no videos for this topic. |
↑ Top
↑ Top
Other Resources
- Visit the VA Office of Research and Development’s PTSD topic page to see selected highlights and publications about PTSD research.
- Visit the VA Office of Mental Health’s PTSD section to learn more about what resources are available for Veterans.
- Visit the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Mental Health to find mental health research resources.
|
↑ Top
