Robert Pietrzak, PhD, MPH
Research & Publications
Biography
News
Research Summary
Dr. Pietrzak is Director of the Translational Psychiatric Epidemiology Laboratory of the Clinical Neurosciences Division of the National Center for PTSD. His research focuses on the epidemiology of trauma-related disorders across the lifespan. His most recent work has examined a broad range of topics related to civilian and military trauma, including health and psychosocial correlates of partial and full PTSD; dimensional structure and neurobiological correlates of trauma-related psychopathology; protective effects of psychological resilience and social support; and posttraumatic growth. He also maintains an active interest in geriatric mental health, the role of stress in dementia, and cognitive assessment methodology.
Extensive Research Description
"Risk and Resilience Factors in Iraq Combat Veterans" - This study aims to improve understanding of the needs, symptoms, and strengths of Connecticut OIF/OEF Veterans.
"Mental Health, Resilience, and Soldier's Perceptions about Psychotherapy, Medication, and Barriers to Care in the U.S. Military" - This study aims to determine characteristics that differentiate symptomatic soldiers who seek mental health treatment and symptomatic soldiers who do not seek professional mental health treatment.
"National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study" - The purpose of this NCPTSD-funded study is to characterize genetic, environmental, and gene x environmental determinants of longitudinal trajectories of posttraumatic stress disorder and related mental health outcomes in a nationally representative sample of U.S. veterans.
"Trajectories of Psychological Risk and Resilience in World Trade Center Responders" - This CDC/NIOSH-funded study aims to characterize the nature and correlates of trajectories of posttraumatic stress symptoms of a large cohort of World Trade Center responders.
"Biomarkers of Psychological Risk and Resilience in World Trade Center Responders" - This CDC/NIOSH-funded study aims to examine genetic, epigenetic, and neuroendocrine factors associated with posttraumatic stress disorder in World Trade Center responders.
Coauthors
Research Interests
Anxiety Disorders; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Stress Disorders, Traumatic; Resilience, Psychological
Selected Publications
- Factors protecting against the development of suicidal ideation in military veterans.Pietrzak RH, Pitts BL, Harpaz-Rotem I, Southwick SM, Whealin JM. Factors protecting against the development of suicidal ideation in military veterans. World Psychiatry : Official Journal Of The World Psychiatric Association (WPA) 2017, 16: 326-327. PMID: 28941099, PMCID: PMC5608823, DOI: 10.1002/wps.20467.
- Functional significance of a novel 7-factor model of DSM-5 PTSD symptoms: results from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans study.Pietrzak RH, Tsai J, Armour C, Mota N, Harpaz-Rotem I, Southwick SM. Functional significance of a novel 7-factor model of DSM-5 PTSD symptoms: results from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans study. Journal Of Affective Disorders 2015, 174: 522-6. PMID: 25556669, DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2014.12.007.
- Association Between Functional Polymorphism in Neuropeptide Y Gene Promoter rs16147 and Resilience to Traumatic Stress in US Military Veterans.Watkins LE, Han S, Krystal JH, Southwick SM, Gelernter J, Pietrzak RH. Association Between Functional Polymorphism in Neuropeptide Y Gene Promoter rs16147 and Resilience to Traumatic Stress in US Military Veterans. The Journal Of Clinical Psychiatry 2017, 78: e1058-e1059. PMID: 29099554, DOI: 10.4088/JCP.17l11646.
- Amyloid-β, anxiety, and cognitive decline in preclinical Alzheimer disease: a multicenter, prospective cohort study.Pietrzak RH, Lim YY, Neumeister A, Ames D, Ellis KA, Harrington K, Lautenschlager NT, Restrepo C, Martins RN, Masters CL, Villemagne VL, Rowe CC, Maruff P. Amyloid-β, anxiety, and cognitive decline in preclinical Alzheimer disease: a multicenter, prospective cohort study. JAMA Psychiatry 2015, 72: 284-91. PMID: 25629787, DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.2476.
- Apolipoprotein E gene polymorphism, trauma burden, and posttraumatic stress symptoms in U.S. military veterans: Results from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study.Mota NP, Han S, Harpaz-Rotem I, Maruff P, Krystal JH, Southwick SM, Gelernter J, Pietrzak RH. Apolipoprotein E gene polymorphism, trauma burden, and posttraumatic stress symptoms in U.S. military veterans: Results from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. Depression And Anxiety 2018, 35: 168-177. PMID: 29172227, PMCID: PMC5794529, DOI: 10.1002/da.22698.
- Support for a novel five-factor model of posttraumatic stress symptoms in three independent samples of Iraq/Afghanistan veterans: a confirmatory factor analytic study.Pietrzak RH, Tsai J, Harpaz-Rotem I, Whealin JM, Southwick SM. Support for a novel five-factor model of posttraumatic stress symptoms in three independent samples of Iraq/Afghanistan veterans: a confirmatory factor analytic study. Journal Of Psychiatric Research 2012, 46: 317-22. PMID: 22154134, DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2011.11.013.
- Psychiatric comorbidity of full and partial posttraumatic stress disorder among older adults in the United States: results from wave 2 of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions.Pietrzak RH, Goldstein RB, Southwick SM, Grant BF. Psychiatric comorbidity of full and partial posttraumatic stress disorder among older adults in the United States: results from wave 2 of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. The American Journal Of Geriatric Psychiatry : Official Journal Of The American Association For Geriatric Psychiatry 2012, 20: 380-90. PMID: 22522959, PMCID: PMC3334850, DOI: 10.1097/JGP.0b013e31820d92e7.
- Medical comorbidity of full and partial posttraumatic stress disorder in US adults: results from Wave 2 of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions.Pietrzak RH, Goldstein RB, Southwick SM, Grant BF. Medical comorbidity of full and partial posttraumatic stress disorder in US adults: results from Wave 2 of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Psychosomatic Medicine 2011, 73: 697-707. PMID: 21949429, PMCID: PMC3188699, DOI: 10.1097/PSY.0b013e3182303775.
- Posttraumatic growth in Veterans of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.Pietrzak RH, Goldstein MB, Malley JC, Rivers AJ, Johnson DC, Morgan CA, Southwick SM. Posttraumatic growth in Veterans of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Journal Of Affective Disorders 2010, 126: 230-5. PMID: 20399504, DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2010.03.021.
Clinical Trials
Conditions | Study Title |
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Mental Health & Behavioral Research | Imaging SV2A in mood disorders |