About the National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Scientific and clinical interest in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has
grown exponentially in the past 20 years. It is no longer considered an
isolated problem for Vietnam veterans. PTSD is recognized as a major public
health problem and a behavioral health problem for military veterans and active
duty personnel subject to the traumatic stress of war, dangerous peacekeeping
operations, and interpersonal violence.
Moreover, due to the surprisingly high prevalence of assault, rape, child
abuse, disaster, and severe accidental and violent trauma in the civilian
arena, PTSD is a serious public health problem in the general population. It is estimated that PTSD affects more than
ten million American children or adults at some point in their lives.
The National Center for PTSD is a world leader in research and education
programs focusing on PTSD and other psychological and medical consequences of
traumatic stress.
History
The National Center for PTSD was created in 1989 within the Veterans’
Administration (which has since become the Department of Veterans Affairs) in
response to a Congressional mandate to address the needs of veterans with
military-related posttraumatic stress disorder. Under this mandate, the new
agency would "serve as a resource center for, and promote and seek to
coordinate the exchange of, information regarding all research and training
activities carried out by the Veterans’ Administration, and by other Federal
and non-Federal entities, with respect to PTSD."
The National Center was created with the ultimate purpose of improving the
well-being, status, and understanding of veterans in American society. After a
VA-wide competition determined that no single VA site could adequately serve
this unique mission, the Center was established as a consortium among seven VA
centers across the U.S., with headquarters in White River Junction, VT.
Mission
The mission of the National Center
for PTSD is to advance the clinical care and social welfare of America’s
veterans through research, education, and training in the science, diagnosis,
and treatment of PTSD and stress-related disorders.
While the Center does not provide direct clinical care, the Center’s
research, educational, and consultation initiatives have unquestionably
affected the clinical treatment of veterans with PTSD in a positive way. The Center’s efforts have also contributed
to the world’s most comprehensive body of literature on the subject. Since its
inception, in fact, the Center has made significant progress in furthering the
understanding and treatment of PTSD both within the VA and in the larger
society.
As a leading authority on PTSD, the Center serves and collaborates with many
different agencies and constituencies, including veterans and their families,
government policymakers, scientists and researchers, doctors and psychiatrists,
journalists, and the lay public.
Areas of Activity
The Center is the clearinghouse
for all information and activity related to PTSD, and many people utilize the
research, education, and consultation expertise offered.
Research: The Center has emerged
as one of the foremost PTSD research programs in the world. Because of its
research publications, methodological breakthroughs, development of new
assessment strategies, consortium projects, and promotion of innovative and
collaborative research, it plays a major role in setting the agenda for
research on trauma and its aftermath. Moreover, Center research programs are
often integrated with education and consultation activities, which leads to
improved care for both veterans and civilians.
Education: The ultimate objective
of the Center’s educational efforts is to enhance the quality and
cost-effectiveness of PTSD care for both veterans and civilians. The Center’s
educational initiatives aim to assimilate information and coordinate
communication among top scientists in the field of PTSD and to bring that
information to clinicians and policymakers both inside and outside the VA.
Information is rapidly disseminated through multiple channels and a diverse
group of users can access the information through publications, presentations,
training programs, teleconferences, satellite broadcasts, and the Center’s
computerized bibliographic database and website.
Consultation: As the severity and
prevalence of PTSD and its consequences demand greater attention, Center
expertise has been increasingly sought by the leadership, policymakers, and
program directors in the VA and in other government agencies and branches. In
recent years, as PTSD has become recognized as a major public health problem
affecting not just military personnel but survivors of many types of trauma,
the Center has been called upon for consultation by a growing number of
academic and nongovernmental organizations. Since PTSD is a global problem,
Center consultation has also been sought by the United Nations as well as many
specific foreign governments. Some of
these governments have requested help in establishing similar centers in other
countries.
Divisional Centers
The National Center comprises seven centers of excellence in PTSD, each
distinguished by a particular area of expertise while also sharing common
interests and concerns.
Executive Division, White River
Junction, VT, directs the overall operations of the Center. This division also
houses the PTSD Resource Center, the largest collection of PTSD materials in
the world, and manages the website.
Behavioral Science, Boston, MA,
has expertise in assessment, psychotherapy, psychophysiology, and information
processing.
Clinical Neurosciences, West
Haven, CT, specializes in pharmacotherapy, neurobiology, brain imaging, and
genetic epidemiology.
Education and Clinical Laboratory,
Palo Alto, CA, specializes in education and dual diagnosis treatment, and
houses a sleep laboratory.
Women’s Health Sciences, Boston,
MA, emphasizes women veterans’ issues, including physical health, sexual
assault, and Gulf War veterans.
Pacific Islands, Honolulu, HI,
has special expertise in ethnocultural issues and active-duty personnel.
Evaluation, West Haven, CT,
provides evaluation of clinical programs for PTSD.
