Geisinger Health System investigator receives federal grant to study PTSD

Aug. 6, 2009, DANVILLE – Geisinger Health System senior investigator Joseph Boscarino, PhD, MPH has received a $436,700 award from the National Institutes of Health to help clinicians better identify people who are most at risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Recent research has identified key factors related to psychological problems in trauma victims. However, researchers still have not conclusively determined why some people experience PTSD following a traumatic event, while others have few signs of PTSD, Dr. Boscarino said.

As part of the two-year study, Dr. Boscarino and his study team will analyze data from 2,400 New York City residents who witnessed the Sept. 11 terror attacks and were followed for two years afterwards. The team will also examine a group of 225 Geisinger trauma patients and a group of 700 chronic pain patients seen in Geisinger outpatient clinics; both groups have high PTSD rates.

The goal of the work is to identify common trauma exposure, medical, personality, social, and genetic factors that can be used to predict the onset and course of PTSD. 

This information will allow clinicians to better recognize risk factors that contribute to PTSD susceptibility and ultimately to offer more precisely-focused psychological care that is specific to the needs of patients following traumatic incidents, Dr. Boscarino said.

Common PTSD symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares and sleeping and memory problems.

“We want to better identify patients who are at risk for PTSD so we can prevent these problems from surfacing in the first place, if at all possible,” Dr. Boscarino said. 

About Geisinger Health System
Founded in 1915, Geisinger Health System (Danville, PA) is one of the nation’s largest integrated health services organizations.  Serving more than two million residents throughout central and northeastern Pennsylvania, the physician-led organization is at the forefront of the country's rapidly emerging electronic health records movement. Geisinger is comprised of two medical center campuses, three hospitals, a 740-member group practice, a not-for-profit health insurance company and the Henry Hood Center for Health Research—dedicated to creating innovative new models for patient care, satisfaction and clinical outcomes. For more information, visit www.geisinger.org