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Alan Peterson, Ph.D.

Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Alan Peterson

Contact

Research Interests

  • Combat-Related PTSD
  • Sleep Disorders
  • Chronic Pain
  • Traumatic Brain Injury
  • Suicide
  • Tic and Habit Disorders
  • Tobacco Cessation
  • Weight Management

Degrees

  • PhD, Clinical Psychology, Nova University (APA Accredited)
  • MS, Clinical Psychology, Nova University
  • BA, University of Central Florida

Presentations

Title: Enhancing prolonged exposure for PTSD in veterans with the innovative integration of a stellate ganglion block

Venue: 39th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Los Angeles, CA
Date: 2023 

Title: Assessment and Treatment of Adjustment Disorders

Venue: American Physician Institute, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Date: 2023 

Title: Adapting Prolonged Exposure Therapy for Combat-Related PTSD: Two Decades of Clinical and Research Experience

Venue: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
Date: 2022 

Title: In-office, in-home, and telehealth cognitive processing therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder in veterans: A randomized clinical trial

Venue: 38th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies, Atlanta, GA
Date: 2022 

Title: Evidence-Based Treatments for Combat-Related PTSD in Post-9/11 Service Members and Veterans

Venue: Navy SEAL Foundation Annual Impact Forum, Torrey Pines, CA
Date: 2021 

Title: STRONG STAR and the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD: Shaping the Future of Combat-Related PTSD

Venue: Mid-West Regional Trauma & Acute Care Surgery Symposium, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Date: 2019 

Title: Assessment and treatment of combat-related PTSD and comorbid disorders: Results from the STRONG STAR Consortium and Consortium to Alleviate PTSD

Venue: World Congress of Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies, Berlin, Germany
Date: 2019 

Title: Risk and resiliency in women warriors

Venue: The Association of Health Care Journalism, Baltimore, MD
Date: 2019

Title: Cracking the Code to DoD Research Funding.  Research Translation for Military and Veteran Health

Venue: Society of Behavioral Medicine Annual Conference, San Diego, CA
Date: 2017

Title: Enhancing resiliency after combat trauma exposure

Venue: Mental Health and Human Resiliency Conference, London, UK
Date: 2017

Title: Advances in the Treatment of Combat-Related PTSD

Venue: Combat Wounded Veteran Challenge Reveille Summit, Tampa, FL
Date: 2015 

Title: The Blister-Callus Model of Psychological Resiliency: Enhancing Resiliency in Student Warriors

Venue: American College Health Association’s Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL
Date: 2015

Title: STRONG STAR and CAP: Shaping the Future of Combat-Related PTSD

Venue: Johns Hopkins Service Members and Veterans: Risk Factors and the Continuum of Care—PTSD and Suicide Meeting, Baltimore, MD
Date: 2015 

Title: It’s all about the blast: Psychological consequences of combat blast exposure

Venue: American Psychological Association, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Date: 2015

Title: Intensive outpatient comprehensive behavioral intervention for tics

Venue: 1st World Congress on Tourette Syndrome & Tic Disorders, London, UK
Date: 2015

Title: Combating the stigma of seeking behavioural health care

Venue: Defence Mental Health Symposium, Shrivenham, England
Date: 2013

Title: Risk and resiliency in deployed military medical personnel

Venue: Defence Mental Health Symposium, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, UK
Date: 2012

Title: PTSD with returning military combatants

Venue: Association of Psychologists in Academic Medicine, St. Louis, MO
Date: 2009

Grants, Patents and Clinical Trials

Grant Title: A Randomized Clinical Trial of Quetiapine Monotherapy versus Treatment as Usual Polypharmacy for Post Concussive Syndrome in Veterans (PI: Baig)

Duration: 09/2023-08/2027
Total Dollars: 2,000,000
Role: Co-Investigator

Grant Title: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Integrated Vestibular Rehabilitation for mTBI: A Randomized Controlled Trial (PI: Kontos)

Duration: 09/2023-08/2027
Total Dollars: 2,000,000
Role: Co-PI 

Grant Title: Brain Risk Assessment for Individual Neurological (BRAIN) Health: Understanding and Preventing Long Term Consequences (PI: Kontos)

Duration: 09/2023-08/2027
Total Dollars: $1,672,000
Role: Co-PI 

Grant Title: Contribution of Psychological Health Comorbidity to Personalized Treatment for Headache Attributable to Mild TBI (PI: McGeary)

Duration: 09/2023-08/2027
Total Dollars: $5,000,000
Role:  Co-Investigator

Grant Title: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia vs Brief Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia in Military Personnel with Postconcussive Symptoms following Mild TBI (PI: Pruiksma)

Duration: 09/2023-08/2027
Total Dollars: $2,000,000
Role: Co-Investigator 

Grant Title: Implementing and Evaluating a Patient-Centered PTSD Treatment Program for Military Personnel (PI: Peterson)

Duration: 09/2023-08/2027
Total Dollars: $1,526,612
Role: Role: Initiating PI; Early-Career Investigator Partnering PI: Vanessa Jacoby

Grant Title: Accelerated Treatment for Co-Occurring Insomnia, Nightmares, and PTSD (PI: McLean)

Duration: 04/2023-09/2028
Total Dollars: $4,726,999
Role: Co-PI 

Grant Title: Combining Stellate Ganglion Block With Prolonged Exposure For PTSD: A Randomized Clinical Trial (PI: Peterson)

Duration: 09/2022-08/2026
Total Dollars: $3,000,000
Role: PI

Grant Title: Randomized Controlled Trial Of Intensive Multi-Couple Group Therapy For PTSD Versus Relationship Education In Military Couples (PI: Fredman)

Duration: 09/2022-08/2026
Total Dollars: $3,000,000
Role: Co-PI

Grant Title: Written Exposure Therapy For Suicide Prevention (WET-S): A Randomized Clinical Trial (PI: Marx)

Duration: 09/2022-08/2026
Total Dollars: $3,000,000
Role: Co-PI

Grant Title: Assessment and Treatment of Chronic Anger and Aggression Following Military-Related Interpersonal and Institutional Betrayal: A Pilot Investigation (PI: Jacoby)

Duration: 09/2022-08/2026
Total Dollars: $750,000
Role: Partnering PI

Grant Title: Randomized Controlled Trial of Precision Vestibular Rehabilitation Military Personnel with mTBI (PI: Kontos)

Duration: 09/2022-08/2024
Total Dollars: $84,620
Role: Co-PI

Grant Title: Functional Restoration for Chronic Pain Management in Active Duty Military Personnel: An Effectiveness-Implementation Trial (PI: Peterson)

Duration: 09/2022-08/2026
Total Dollars: $2,152,701
Role: PI

Grant Title: A Randomized Pilot Trial of Intramuscular Ketamine and Crisis Response Planning for Suicide Prevention in the Emergency Department (PI: De Lorenzo)

Duration: 09/2022-08/2024
Total Dollars: $50,000
Role: Co-Investigator

Grant Title: Project MARCH: Multisite Advancement of Research on Chronic Posttraumatic Headache (PI: McGeary)

Duration: 09/2021-08/2025
Total Dollars: $13,888,964
Role: Co-Investigator

Grant Title: Web-Based Provider Training for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Nightmares (PI: Pruiksma)

Duration: 09/2021-08/2024
Total Dollars: $2,430,944
Role: Co-Investigator

Publications

Mysliwiec, V., Pruiksma, K. E., Matsangas, P., … Peterson, A. L., Brock, M. S., & STRONG STAR Consortium (2023). Gender differences in US military personnel with insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, or comorbid insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 10.5664/jcsm.10774. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.10774

Taylor, D. J., Pruiksma, K. E., Mintz, J., … Peterson, A. L., & Resick, P. A., on behalf of the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD. (2023). Treatment of comorbid sleep disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder in U.S. active duty military personnel: A pilot randomized clinical trial. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 10.1002/jts.22939. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22939

Back, S. E., Flanagan, J. C., Mintz, J., … & Peterson, A. L. (2023). A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial of Doxazosin for Co-Occurring PTSD and Alcohol Use Disorder in Veterans. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 84(2), 21m14367. https://doi.org/10.4088/JCP.21m14367

Lawrence-Wolff, K. M., Higgs, J. B., Young-McCaughan, S., … & Peterson, A. L., for the STRONG STAR Consortium. (2023). Prevalence of fibromyalgia syndrome in active-duty military personnel. Arthritis Care & Research, 75(3), 667-673. https://doi.org/10.1002/acr.24801

Peterson, A. L., Blount, T. H., Foa, E. B., … & Keane, T. M., for the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD. (2023). Massed versus intensive outpatient prolonged exposure for combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Network Open, 6(1), e2249422. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.49422.

McGeary, D. D., Resick, P. A., Penzien, D. B., … Peterson, A. L., for the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD. (2022). Cognitive behavioral therapy for veterans with comorbid posttraumatic headache and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Neurology, 79(8), 746-757. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaneurol.2022.1567

Foa, E. B., Bredemeier, K., Acierno, R., … Peterson, A. L., & McLean, C. P. (2022). The efficacy of 90-minute versus 60-minute sessions of prolonged exposure for PTSD: A randomized controlled trial in active duty military personnel. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 90(6), 503-512, https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000739

Espil, F.M., Woods, D. W., Specht, M. W., … Peterson, A. L., … & Piacentini, J. (2022). Long-term outcomes of behavior therapy for youth with Tourette Disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 61(6), 764-771. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2021.08.022.

Abdallah, C. G., Roache, J. D., Gueorguieva, R, … Peterson, A. L., Krystal, J. H., for the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD. (2022). Dose-related effects of ketamine for antidepressant-resistant symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder in veterans and active duty military: A Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled multi-center clinical trial. Neuropsychopharmacology, 47(8), 1574-1581. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-022-01266-9

Peterson, A. L., Mintz, J., Moring, J. C., … & Resick, P. A., for the STRONG STAR Consortium. (2022). In-office, in-home, and telehealth cognitive processing therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder in veterans: A randomized clinical trial. BMC Psychiatry. 22, Article 41. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-022-03699-4

Sloan, D. M., Marx, B. P., Resick, P. A., … & Peterson, A. L., for the STRONG STAR Consortium. (2022). Effect of written exposure therapy versus cognitive processing therapy on increasing treatment efficacy among military service members: A randomized noninferiority trial. JAMA Network Open, 5(1), Article e2140911. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.40911

Peterson, A. L., Young-McCaughan, S., Roache, J. D., … & Keane, T. M., for the STRONG STAR Consortium and the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD. (2021). STRONG STAR and the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD: Shaping the future of combat PTSD and related conditions in military and veteran populations. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 110, 106583. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cct.2021.106583

Resick, P. A., Wachen, J. S., Dondanville, K. A., … Peterson, A. L., & Mintz, J., for the STRONG STAR Consortium. (2021). Variable-length cognitive processing therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder in active duty military: Outcomes and predictors. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 141 Article 103846. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2021.103846

McLean, C. P., Foa, E. B., Dondanville, K. A., … & Peterson, A. L., for the STRONG STAR Consortium. (2021). The effects of web-prolonged exposure among military personnel and veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice and Policy, 13(6), 621–631. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0000978

Peterson, A. L., Foa, E. B., Resick, P. A., … & Mintz, J., for the STRONG STAR Consortium. (2020). A nonrandomized trial of prolonged exposure and cognitive processing therapy for combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder in a deployed setting. Behavior Therapy, 51(6), 882-894. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2020.01.003

Fredman, S., J., Macdonald, A., Monson, C. M., … & Peterson, A. L., for the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD. (2020). Intensive, multi-couple group therapy for PTSD:  A nonrandomized trial with military and veteran dyads.  Behavior Therapy, 51(5), 700-714. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2019.10.003

Foa, E. B., McLean, C. P., Brown, L. A., … & Peterson, A. L., for the STRONG STAR Consortium. (2020). The effects of a prolonged exposure workshop with and without consultation on provider and patient outcomes: A randomized implementation trial. Implementation Science, 15, 59. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-020-01014-x

Pruiksma, K. E., Taylor, D. J., Mintz, J., … & Peterson, A. L.; on behalf of the STRONG STAR Consortium. (2020). A pilot randomized controlled trial of cognitive behavioral treatment for trauma-related nightmares in active duty military personnel. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 16(1), 29-40. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.8116

Peterson, A. L. (2018).  I don’t know where we’re going, but I sure know where we’ve been: Continuing the journey of empirically supported treatments in primary care.  Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 25(3), [e12245]. https://doi.org/10.1111/cpsp.12245.

Peterson, A. L., Hale, W. J., Baker, M. T., … & Mintz, J., for the STRONG STAR Consortium.  (2018). Psychiatric aeromedical evacuations of deployed active duty U.S. military personnel during Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn.  Military Medicine, 183, (11-12):e649-e658. https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usy188. 

Foa, E. B., McLean, C. P., Zang, Y., … & Peterson, A. L., for the STRONG STAR Consortium. (2018). Effect of prolonged exposure therapy delivered over 2 weeks vs 8 weeks vs present centered therapy on PTSD severity in military personnel: A randomized clinical trial. Journal of the American Medical Association, 319, 354-364. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2017.21242

Cigrang, J. A., Rauch, S. A., Mintz, J., … & Peterson, A. L., for the STRONG STAR Consortium. (2017). Moving effective treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder to primary care: A randomized controlled trial with active duty military.  Families, Systems, and Health, 35, 450-462. https://doi.org/10.1037/fsh0000315

Taylor, D.J., Peterson, A.L., Pruiksma, K.E., Young-McCaughan, S., Nicholson, K., Mintz, J., & the STRONG STAR Consortium (2017). Internet and in-person cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia in military personnel: A randomized clinical trial. Sleep 40(6). 

Resick, P. A., Wachen, J. S., Dondanville, K. A., … Peterson, A. L., Mintz, J., & the STRONG STAR Consortium (2017). Effect of group vs. individual Cognitive Processing Therapy in active-duty military seeking treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Psychiatry, 74(1), 28-36.

Peterson, A. L., McGuire, J. F., Wilhelm, S., … & Scahill, L. (2016). An empirical examination of symptom substitution associated with behavior therapy for Tourette's Disorder. Behavior Therapy 47, 29-41. doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2015.09.001

Resick, P. A., Wachen, J. S., Mintz, J., … & Peterson, A. L.; on behalf of the STRONG STAR Consortium. (2015). A randomized clinical trial of group Cognitive Processing Therapy compared with group Present-Centered Therapy for PTSD among active duty military personnel. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 83, 1058-1068. doi:10.1037/ccp0000016

Rudd, M. D., Bryan, C. J., Wertenberger, E. G., Peterson, A. L., … & Bruce, T. O. (2015).  Brief cognitive behavioral therapy reduces post-treatment suicide attempts in a military sample: Results of a randomized clinical trial with 2-year follow-up.  American Journal of Psychiatry, 172, 441-449. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2014.14070843

Wilhelm, S., Peterson, A. L., Piacentini, J., … & Scahill, L. (2012). Randomized trial of behavior therapy for adults with Tourette’s disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry 69(8), 795-803.  doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.1528

Piacentini, J., Woods, D. W., Scahill, L., Wilhelm, S., Peterson, A. L., … & Walkup, J. T. (2010).  Behavior therapy for children with Tourette disorder: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of the American Medical Association, 303, 1-9. doi:10.1001/jama.2010.607

Severson, H. H., Peterson, A. L., Andrews, J. A., … & Barckley, M. (2009).  Smokeless tobacco cessation in military personnel: A randomized clinical trial.  Nicotine and Tobacco Research, 11, 730-738. doi:10.1093/ntr/ntp057

Hunter, C. M., Peterson, A. L., Alvarez, L., … & Foreyt, J. P. (2008).  Weight management using the Internet: A randomized controlled trial.  American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 34, 119-126. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2007.09.026

Klesges, R. C., Vander Weg, M. W., DeBon, M., … Peterson, A. L., & Talcott, G. W.  (2006). Efficacy of a tailored tobacco control program on long-term use in a population of U.S. military troops.  Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74, 295-306. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.74.2.295

Wilhelm, S., Deckersbach, T., Coffey, B. J., Bohne, A., Peterson, A. L., & Baer, L. (2003).  Habit reversal versus psychotherapy for Tourette’s disorder: A randomized controlled trial.  American Journal of Psychiatry, 160, 1175-1177.

Azrin, N. H., & Peterson, A. L. (1990).  Treatment of Tourette syndrome by habit reversal:  A waiting-list control group comparison.  Behavior Therapy, 21, 305-318