According to the National Institute of Mental Health, almost one in five adults in the United States have had an anxiety disorder, such as generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, or social anxiety, in the past year. These disorders can cause a significant impact on work, relationships, or daily activities with 22% of adults with anxiety disorders experiencing serious impairment.
Trauma and stress-related disorders are disorders which are triggered by a stressful or traumatic life event. The most well-known trauma and stress-related disorder is posttraumatic stress disorder, which occurs when a person has difficulty recovering from witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event, such as childhood maltreatment, sexual assault, combat, or natural disasters. Approximately 7% of people will have PTSD in their lifetime, with 8 million people having PTSD in the past year.
Research faculty in our department engage in basic and applied research related to anxiety, trauma, and stress-related disorders. Areas of interest include the effects of psychosocial stress on brain maturation, function, and behavior, psychological and behavioral consequences of minority stress, and the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral treatments on trauma-related disorders. We are also working on establishing genetic and epigenetic markers of early-life trauma and associated psychopathology.
Faculty
Houck, Carl, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Areas of Interest
- Anxiety Disorders
- Depression
- Psychosomatic Medicine
Ford, Charles, M.D.
Professor
Areas of Interest
- Anxiety Disorders
- Somatoform Disorders
- Medical Legal Issues