Robert H. Pietrzak, PhD, MPH

Robert H. Pietrzak, PhD, MPH, completed a BA in Psychology from Clark University, and an MPH with specialization in Psychiatric Epidemiology and PhD in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in Clinical Neuropsychology from the University of Connecticut.     He currently serves as the Director of the Translational Psychiatric Epidemiology Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and as a Professor of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine and Professor of Public Health at Yale School of Public Health. His primary research interests include the psychosocial and genetic epidemiology of trauma-related disorders, veteran mental health, and psychosocial determinants of mental health. His work in these areas has examined various social determinants of mental health, including homelessness, loneliness, and traumatic stress across the lifespan.

References

  1. Lewis, C., Fischer, I. C., Tsai, J., Harpaz-Rotem, I., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2024). Barriers to mental health care in US military veterans. Psychiatric Quarterly. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-024-10078-7
  2. Bulanchuk, N., Edwards, E., Pietrzak, R. H., & Tsai, J. (2024). The mediating role of social support in associations between childhood adversity, military sexual trauma, and homelessness in a nationally representative sample of US veterans. Journal of Community Psychology, 52(2), 399-414. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.23105
  3. Pijnenburg, L. J., Velikonja, T., Pietrzak, R. H., DePierro, J., de Haan, L., Todd, A. C., Dasaro, C. R., Feder, A., & Velthorst, E. (2024). Perceived social support and longitudinal trajectories of depression and anxiety in World Trade Center responders. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 59(8), 1413-1424. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-023-02569-y
  4. Na, P. J., Lim, Y. Y., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2023). Loneliness as a risk factor for dementia and other adverse health outcomes. International Psychogeriatrics, 35(6), 271-274. https://doi.org/10.1017/S104161022300011X
  5. Kowalchyk, M., Chernoff, E., Brinkman, H. R., Brown, A. D., Pietrzak, R. H., & Feder, A. (2023). Perceived social support moderates the relation between forward-focused coping and PTSD symptoms in World Trade Center trauma survivors. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 159, 130-134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.01.018
  6. Na, P. J., Jeste, D. V., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2023). Social disconnection as a global behavioral epidemic—A call to action about a major health risk factor. JAMA Psychiatry, 80(2), 101-102. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.4162
  7. Na, P. J., Bommersbach, T., Pietrzak, R. H., & Rhee, T. G. (2022). Durkheim’s theory of social integration and suicide revisited: Is it diversity of social networks or perceived strength of social support that matters? Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 84(1), 22m14477. https://doi.org/10.4088/JCP.22m14477
  8. Tamman, A. J. F., Nagamatsu, S., Krystal, J. H., Gelernter, J., Montalvo-Ortiz, J. L., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2023). Psychosocial factors associated with accelerated GrimAge in male U.S. military veterans. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 31(2), 97-109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2022.09.002
  9. Na, P. J., Tsai, J., Southwick, S. M., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2022). Provision of social support and mental health in U.S. military veterans. npj Mental Health Research, 1(1), 4. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44184-022-00004-9
  10. Na, P. J., Straus, E., Tsai, J., Norman, S. B., Southwick, S. M., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2022). Loneliness in U.S. military veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic: A nationally representative, prospective cohort study. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 151, 546-553. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.05.042
  11. Nichter, B., Tsai, J., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2023). Prevalence, correlates, and mental health burden associated with homelessness in U.S. military veterans. Psychological Medicine, 53(9), 3952-3962. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291722000617
  12. Neppala, G. K., Terkuhle, I., Wagner, A., Lepow, L., Shaik, R. B., Freed, R., Kimhy, D., Pietrzak, R. H., Velthorst, E., Feder, A., Ivanov, I., & Parvaz, M. A. (2022). Social isolation-mediated exacerbation of negative affect in young drinkers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Brain Sciences, 12(2), 214. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12020214
  13. Edwards, E. R., Dichiara, A., Gromatsky, M., Tsai, J., Goodman, M., & Pietrzak, R. (2021). Understanding risk in younger veterans: Risk and protective factors associated with suicide attempt, homelessness, and arrest in a nationally representative veteran sample. Military Psychology, 34(2), 175-186. https://doi.org/10.1080/08995605.2021.1982632
  14. Na, P. J., De Angelis, F., Nichter, B., Wendt, F. R., Krystal, J. H., Southwick, S. M., Levey, D. F., Gelernter, J., Polimanti, R., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2022). Psychosocial moderators of polygenic risk for suicidal ideation: Results from a 7-year population-based, prospective cohort study of U.S. veterans. Molecular Psychiatry, 27(2), 1068-1074. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-021-01352-2
  15. Straus, E., Norman, S. B., Tripp, J. C., Tsai, J., Sippel, L. M., Jeste, D. V., Southwick, S. M., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2022). Behavioral epidemic of loneliness in older U.S. military veterans: Results from the 2019-2020 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 30(3), 297-310. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2021.07.006
  16. Tsai, J., Pietrzak, R. H., & Szymkowiak, D. (2021). The problem of veteran homelessness: An update for the new decade. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 60(6), 774-780. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2020.12.012
  17. Tsai, J., Shen, J., Southwick, S. M., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2021). Is there more public support for U.S. veterans who experience homelessness and posttraumatic stress disorder than other U.S. adults? Military Psychology, 33(1), 15-22. https://doi.org/10.1080/08995605.2020.1842036
  18. Tsai, J., Schick, V., Hernandez, B., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2020). Is homelessness a traumatic event? Results from the 2019-2020 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. Depression and Anxiety, 37(11), 1137-1145. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.23098
  19. Tsai, J., Szymkowiak, D., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2020). Delayed homelessness after military discharge: Examination of a sleeper effect. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 59(1), 109-117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2020.03.001
  20. Tsai, J., Lee, C. Y. S., Shen, J., Southwick, S. M., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2019). Public exposure and attitudes about homelessness. Journal of Community Psychology, 47(1), 76-92. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.22100
  21. Sippel, L. M., Watkins, L. E., Pietrzak, R. H., Hoff, R., & Harpaz-Rotem, I. (2018). The unique roles of emotional numbing and arousal symptoms in relation to social connectedness among military veterans in residential treatment for PTSD. Psychiatry, 81(3), 271-282. https://doi.org/10.1080/00332747.2017.1395313
  22. Tsai, J., Trevisan, L., Huang, M., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2018). Addressing veteran homelessness to prevent veteran suicides. Psychiatric Services, 69(8), 935-937. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201700482
  23. Tsai, J., Lee, C. Y. S., Byrne, T., Pietrzak, R. H., & Southwick, S. M. (2017). Changes in public attitudes and perceptions about homelessness between 1990 and 2016. American Journal of Community Psychology, 60(3-4), 599-606. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12198
  24. Weiner, M. R., Monin, J. K., Mota, N., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2016). Age differences in the association of social support and mental health in male U.S. veterans: Results from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 24(4), 327-336. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2015.11.007
  25. DeViva, J. C., Sheerin, C. M., Southwick, S. M., Roy, A. M., Pietrzak, R. H., & Harpaz-Rotem, I. (2016). Correlates of VA mental health treatment utilization among OEF/OIF/OND veterans: Resilience, stigma, social support, personality, and beliefs about treatment. Psychological Trauma, 8(3), 310-318. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0000075
  26. Kuwert, P., Knaevelsrud, C., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2014). Loneliness among older veterans in the United States: Results from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 22(6), 564-569. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2013.02.013
  27. Tsai, J., Harpaz-Rotem, I., Pietrzak, R. H., & Southwick, S. M. (2012). The role of coping, resilience, and social support in mediating the relation between PTSD and social functioning in veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Psychiatry, 75(2), 135-149. https://doi.org/10.1521/psyc.2012.75.2.135
  28. Pietrzak, R. H., Russo, A. R., Ling, Q., & Southwick, S. M. (2011). Suicidal ideation in treatment-seeking veterans of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom: The role of coping strategies, resilience, and social support. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 45(6), 720-726. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2010.11.015
  29. Pietrzak, R. H., Johnson, D. C., Goldstein, M. B., Malley, J. C., Rivers, A. J., Morgan, C. A., & Southwick, S. M. (2010). Psychosocial buffers of traumatic stress, depressive symptoms, and psychosocial difficulties in veterans of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom: The role of resilience, unit support, and postdeployment social support. Journal of Affective Disorders, 120(1-3), 188-192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2009.04.015
  30. Pietrzak, R. H., Johnson, D. C., Goldstein, M. B., Malley, J. C., & Southwick, S. M. (2009). Psychological resilience and postdeployment social support protect against traumatic stress and depressive symptoms in soldiers returning from Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Depression and Anxiety, 26(8), 745-751. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.20558