The Veterans Study Program at the James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) provides assistance to veterans, while also conducting research to expand general knowledge about your readjustment needs. Our division is comprised of experienced psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, and social workers dedicated to offering care to veterans.

Persons who have experienced a stressful event commonly undergo a range of emotional and behavioral changes. Ignoring these experiences increases your risk for more severe readjustment problems in the future.

Our Mission:

The experienced staff at the Veterans Study Program at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and the James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center is dedicated to providing quality care and support for our participants while developing and expanding our field through focused research.

Do You Qualify?

We are currently enrolling veterans from all periods of service. You may qualify for this study if you are a veteran who is having difficulty adjusting to daily life as a result of the stressful experiences during combat.

Some common signs of readjustment needs:

o Irritability
o Difficulty sleeping
o Always on guard
o Bad memories
o Less interest in activities
o Problems with relationships
o Anxiety

If you are interested in assistance, you may be eligible for our treatment study. Study participants are provided with confidential counseling at no cost, and/or may join the clinic at the James J. Peters VAMC.

Why participate?

If you have readjustment needs as a result of combat-related stress, you have the opportunity to seek assistance, as well as to help many others who are going through a similar experience. Research is important for the understanding of combat-related stress, so that we may learn the best ways to support people who are dealing with these issues.

What Is Involved?

Study participants are randomly placed into one of two counseling conditions, both involving weekly appointments with a clinical psychologist for 10 weeks. The first counseling condition is Prolonged Exposure (PE). In the study treatment, participants will speak about and confront their trauma with the clinician. The second condition is phone counseling. In the phone counseling condition, the clinical psychologist provides support and encourages coping skills through weekly phone calls.

For more information about participation in the study, please feel free to contact research coordinator Casey Sarapas at (718) 741-4000 ext. 6567 or by e-mail at casey.sarapas@va.gov.