Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Connecting to Research and Resources

June is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month, organized by the National Center for PTSD at the Department of Veterans Affairs. PTSD is a mental health condition that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event, such as combat, an accident, a disaster, or an assault. People who have experienced recent events like the COVID pandemic and episodes of violence in the community may be at risk of developing PTSD. PTSD can be a disabling mental health condition for some individuals, and it can affect many areas of life. Researchers and developers in the NIDILRR community and elsewhere have created a myriad of resources to help people with PTSD and their families stay safe and connected to their community and to support the important work of the professionals who provide care and treatment.

Get the facts

• The NIDILRR-funded Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center factsheets explain how PTSD is linked to anxiety and pain after traumatic brain injury (TBI) and burn injury.
• The NIDILRR-funded Mid-Atlantic ADA Regional Center hosted a webinar with a first responder to the Pentagon on 9/11 who shared their personal perspective on PTSD.
• The National Center for PTSD offers resources to help understand the basics of PTSD and its history, triggers and avoidance, and much more.
• The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission offers information about the rights of people with PTSD and other mental health conditions in the workplace.

Connect with Apps

• The BreatheWell app for Android watches, designed with assistance from the NIDILRR-funded App Factory, is designed to assist people with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and PTSD in managing stress through diaphragmatic breathing.
• The National Center for PTSD has curated a collection of apps for self-help, treatment companions, and other related issues.
• The NARIC collection includes a factsheet, originally published by the AbleData project, describing even more apps for managing PTSD symptoms.

Explore the Research

• Our Research In Focus series has highlighted NIDILRR-funded research on Who Is Most Likely to Develop PTSD After Spinal Cord Injury.
• The Focal Point series published by the NIDILRR-funded Rehabilitation Research and Training Center for Pathways to Positive Futures covered Trauma Informed Care and Traumatic Stress and Child Welfare.
• Our reSesearch series of literature reviews Employment and Veterans, Psychiatric Disability and Supported Employment, Intimate and Domestic Partner Violence, and Service Animals and Animal-Assisted Therapy. Each issue features abstracts from the NARIC collection, PubMed, ERIC, and other literature databases.
• Dive deeper into the NARIC collection of research literature abstracts with these searches:
  • PTSD research from the NIDILRR grantee community
  • PTSD and treatment, intervention, or therapy
  • PTSD and employment
  • PTSD and independence or participation
  • PTSD and education, learning, school, or college
  • PTSD and families or caregivers

Try your own search using the REHABDATA Advanced Search page.

If you or someone you care for is experiencing PTSD and needs support, please reach out to one of these resources to find help in your community:

• Find support and counseling through SAMHSA’s National Helpline or its Disaster Distress Helpline, or the Veterans Crisis Line from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
• After July 16, 2022, individuals can dial 988 to reach a nationwide crisis helpline.
• Community-level information and referral is available through 211.org, where a specialist can connect patrons to local support services and organizations.