Robert H. Pietrzak, PhD, MPH, is Director of the Translational Psychiatric Epidemiology Laboratory at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD, Professor of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine and Professor of Public Health at the Yale School of Public Health. His research focuses on psychiatric epidemiology, with particular emphasis on trauma-related disorders, resilience, and mental health among military veterans and other high-risk populations. He has authored more than 700 peer-reviewed publications, which have been cited more than 50,000 times. Dr. Pietrzak is widely recognized for leading large-scale, nationally representative longitudinal studies, including the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study (NHRVS), and for integrating genetic, neuroimaging, and psychosocial approaches to advance understanding of traumatic stress and resilience across the lifespan.
PTG-related Publications
Gower, T., Fischer, I. C., Tsai, J., Kang, H., Na, P. J., Tedeschi, R. G., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2024). Functional significance of posttraumatic growth in U.S. military veterans. Journal of Affective Disorders, 356, 267–273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2024.04.046
Kang, H., Fischer, I. C., Dickinson, S., Na, P. J., Tsai, J., Tedeschi, R. G., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2024). Posttraumatic growth in U.S. military veterans: Results from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. Psychiatric Quarterly, 95(1), 17–32. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-023-10061-8
Spiller, T. R., Na, P. J., Merians, A. N., Duek, O., Ben-Zion, Z., Tsai, J., von Känel, R., Harpaz-Rotem, I., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2023). Changes in mental health among U.S. military veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic: A network analysis. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 165, 352–359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.08.003
Kang, H., Na, P. J., Fischer, I. C., Tsai, J., Tedeschi, R. G., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2023). Pandemic-related posttraumatic psychological growth in U.S. military veterans: A 3-year, nationally representative, longitudinal study. Psychiatry Research, 326, 115370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115370
Feingold, J. H., Hurtado, A., Feder, A., Peccoralo, L., Southwick, S. M., Ripp, J., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2022). Posttraumatic growth among health care workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Affective Disorders, 296, 35–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2021.09.032
Na, P. J., Tsai, J., Southwick, S. M., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2021). Factors associated with post-traumatic growth in response to the COVID-19 pandemic: Results from a national sample of U.S. military veterans. Social Science & Medicine, 289, 114409. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114409
Pietrzak, R. H., Tsai, J., & Southwick, S. M. (2021). Association of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder with posttraumatic psychological growth among US veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic. JAMA Network Open, 4(4), e214972. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.4972
Greenberg, J., Tsai, J., Southwick, S. M., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2021). Can military trauma promote psychological growth in combat veterans? Results from the national health and resilience in veterans study. Journal of Affective Disorders, 282, 732–739. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.12.077
Whealin, J. M., Pitts, B., Tsai, J., Rivera, C., Fogle, B. M., Southwick, S. M., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2020). Dynamic interplay between PTSD symptoms and posttraumatic growth in older military veterans. Journal of Affective Disorders, 269, 185–191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.03.020
Martz, E., Livneh, H., Southwick, S. M., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2018). Posttraumatic growth moderates the effect of posttraumatic stress on quality of life in U.S. military veterans with life-threatening illness or injury. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 109, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2018.03.004
Tsai, J., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2017). Trajectories of posttraumatic growth among US military veterans: a 4-year nationally representative, prospective cohort study. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 136(5), 483–492. https://doi.org/10.1111/acps.12800
Sharma, V., Marin, D. B., Koenig, H. K., Feder, A., Iacoviello, B. M., Southwick, S. M., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2017). Religion, spirituality, and mental health of U.S. military veterans: Results from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. Journal of Affective Disorders, 217, 197–204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2017.03.071
Southwick, S. M., Satodiya, R., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2016). Disaster mental health and positive psychology: An afterward to the special issue. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 72(12), 1364–1368. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22418
DeViva, J. C., Sheerin, C. M., Southwick, S. M., Roy, A. M., Pietrzak, R. H., & Harpaz-Rotem, I. (2016). Correlates of VA mental health treatment utilization among OEF/OIF/OND veterans: Resilience, stigma, social support, personality, and beliefs about treatment. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 8(3), 310–318. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0000075
Tsai, J., Mota, N. P., Southwick, S. M., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2016). What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger: A national study of U.S. military veterans. Journal of Affective Disorders, 189, 269–271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2015.08.076
Tsai, J., Sippel, L. M., Mota, N., Southwick, S. M., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2016). Longitudinal course of posttraumatic growth among U.S. military veterans: Results from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. Depression and Anxiety, 33(1), 9–18. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22371
Tsai, J., El-Gabalawy, R., Sledge, W. H., Southwick, S. M., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2015). Post-traumatic growth among veterans in the USA: results from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. Psychological Medicine, 45(1), 165–179. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291714001202
Knaevelsrud, C., Böttche, M., Pietrzak, R. H., Freyberger, H. J., Renneberg, B., & Kuwert, P. (2014). Integrative testimonial therapy: An Internet-based, therapist-assisted therapy for German elderly survivors of the World War II with posttraumatic stress symptoms. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 202(9), 651–658. https://doi.org/10.1097/NMD.0000000000000178
Kuwert, P., Glaesmer, H., Eichhorn, S., Grundke, E., Pietrzak, R. H., Freyberger, H. J., & Klauer, T. (2014). Long-term effects of conflict-related sexual violence compared with non-sexual war trauma in female World War II survivors: A matched pairs study. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 43(6), 1059–1064. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-014-0272-8
Pietrzak, R. H., Goldstein, M. B., Malley, J. C., Rivers, A. J., Johnson, D. C., Morgan, C. A., 3rd, & Southwick, S. M. (2010). Posttraumatic growth in Veterans of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Journal of Affective Disorders, 126(1–2), 230–235. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2010.03.021
