Patricia A. Resick, Ph.D.
Patricia A. Resick, Ph.D.
University of Missouri-St. Louis
Department of Psychology
Center for Trauma Recovery
8001 Natural Bridge Road
St. Louis, MO 63121-4499
e-mail: Resick@umsl.edu
Licensed to Practice Clinical Psychology in Missouri
Please Note:
As of 9/1/03 I am on leave of absence from U.M. - St. Louis
and have taken a position as the
Director of Women's Health Sciences Division
National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
VA Boston Healthcare System
& Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry
Boston University
Index
Credentials
Other links
Center
for Trauma Recovery
National Violence Against Women Prevention Research Center
Credentials
Educational Background
1972 B.A. Kent State University
Majors: Psychology and English, Cum Laude
Minor: Secondary Education
1974 M.A. University of Georgia
Major: Clinical Psychology
1976 Ph.D. University of Georgia
Major: Clinical Psychology
Minor: Learning
Professional Experience
1976 - 1979: Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology
University of South Dakota
1977 - 1980: Adjunct Research Associate, Department
of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Medical University of South Carolina
1978
- 1980: Assistant Director of Clinical Training, Department of Psychology,
University of South Dakota
1979 - 1980: Associate Professor, Department
of Psychology, University of South Dakota
1980 - 1981: Visiting Associate
Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Medical University
of South Carolina
1981 - Present: Faculty, University of Missouri St. Louis
1981 - 1987: Associate
Professor, Department of Psychology
1981 - 1992: Fellow, Center for Metropolitan
Studies
1987 - Present: Professor, Department of Psychology
1991 Interim Director,
Community Psychological Service,
1992 - Present: Director, Center for Trauma
Recovery,
1998 - 2002: Co-director, National Violence Against Women
Prevention Center
2000 - Present: Curators’ Professor
Professional Affiliations
1974 - Present: Association for Advancement of Behavior
Therapy:
- Chair, Women’s Special Interest Group, 1978-1981
- Coordinator, Special Interest Group Program, 1984-1987
- Program Committee, 1988-1989, 1991, 1995
- Representative-at-Large, 1992-1995
- Board of Directors, 1992-1995
1977 - Present: American Psychological Association Divisions 9, 12 & 35:
- Program Committee, Division 35, 1987-1990
1979 - 1980 - South Dakota Psychological Association
1981 - 1985 - Association for Behavior Analysis
1981 - 1985 - National Coalition Against Sexual
Assault
1981 - Present - Licensed to Practice Clinical Psychology
in Missouri, License #R0078
1981 - Present - Metropolitan St. Louis Sexual Assault
Task Force Facilitator, 1983
1987 - 1993 - St. Louis Bi-State Victim Coalition
1988 - Present - Missouri Organization of Victim
Assistance
1988 - 1994 - National Organization of Victim Assistance
1989 - Present: International Society for Traumatic Stress
Studies:
- Nominating Committee, 1993, 1995, 1999
- Program Committee, 1994, 1999, 2000
- Board of Directors, 1997-2001
- Secretary, 1999-2000
Honors
1971 Mortarboard
1972 Graduated from Honors College with
distinction
1974 Doctoral preliminary examination passed with distinction
1978 Outstanding
Young Women of America
1978 Sigma Xi
1984 Phi Kappa Phi
1988 Stephen Schafer Award for outstanding research contributions
to the victims assistance field (presented by the National Organization
of Victim Assistance)
1988 Concurrent resolution expressing congratulations
and recognition for outstanding victim assistance on behalf of victims
of
crime (passed by the Missouri House of Representatives)
1993 Fellow, American
Psychological Association, Division 35
1995 Chancellor’s Award for
Excellence in Research and Creativity, University of Missouri- St. Louis
1998
President’s Award for Research and Creativity,
University of Missouri System System
2000 Curators Professorship, University
of Missouri System
2000 Founding Fellow, Academy of Cognitive Therapy
2001 Trailblazer, Office
of Equal Opportunity, University of Missouri-St. Louis
Editorial Boards
1985 - 1992 Women and Therapy
1984 - 1994 Behavior Modification
1995 - Present Journal of Traumatic Stress
1997 - Present Journal
of Aggression, Maltreatment, & Trauma
1998 - 1999 Behavioral Interventions
1998 - Present Cognitive and Behavioral Practice
1999 - Present Trauma,
Abuse, & Violence: A Journal
of Reviews
2000 - Present Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
Research Program
For the past two decades, Dr. Resick has focused most of
her research attention on the problem of traumatic victimization. Beginning
during graduate school, she played an active role in the design and development
of two grant proposals, one at the Medical University of South Carolina
and one at the University of Georgia. Both grants were funded and became
pivotal studies in demonstrating that rape was indeed traumatic, and
that victims were often unable to recover after extended periods of time.
Upon moving to St. Louis, Dr. Resick began two lines of research, one
regarding victim reactions and one on treatment.
Dr. Resick’s first major project at UM-St. Louis was a five-year project comparing the psychological reactions of rape and robbery victims. Because the two crimes are rather similar by definition except for the sexual assault, Dr. Resick hoped to determine whether rape reactions observed were primarily due to being attacked or whether the sexual component of the assault was a crucial component of the trauma. She also compared the reactions of male and female robbery victims because male reactions to victimization had never been studied. She found that all three groups were substantially affected by their crimes but that the robbery victims recovered more quickly. While female robbery victims reported greater distress than male robbery victims soon after the assault, they recovered just as quickly as the men. When Dr. Resick eliminated the effects of some of the assault variables (rapes last longer, include more threats, etc.), some of the differences in recovery between rape and robbery victims were reduced but not eliminated entirely. The most profound differences between the two groups appeared to revolve around the rape victims’ greater perception of imminent death and within-crime victim reactions. This finding, along with her findings on treatment, led Dr. Resick to begin to develop a new course of research on the theory of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Subsequent to these first prospective studies on patterns of reactions, recovery, and risk factors, Dr. Resick began to examine risk factors for PTSD based on information processing models including such variables as the woman’s prior history; her reactions during the assault; her beliefs and appraisals about what happened to her specifically; her beliefs about the world in general; her coping strategies; and the amount of social support she receives. These factors were studied in a prospective study with female rape and assault victims. Another part of the project was to develop more objective measures of PTSD. Based on pilot research, Dr. Resick proposed that PTSD can be assessed behaviorally and physiologically. Although physiological research has been conducted with Vietnam veterans with PTSD, there was little information available on the physiological reactivity of crime victims with PTSD. The results of her research have demonstrated that rape victims with PTSD have higher skin conductance and heart rate similar to combat veterans. She and her colleagues have also discovered an interesting exception to the usual pattern of findings in a small group of women who dissociated a great deal during the crime. When reminded of the rape, instead of an increase in heart rate and electrical activity (skin conductance), the high dissociators exhibit a decrease in physiological responses. These findings may have important implications in treatment.
Most recently, Dr. Resick and her colleagues have begun extending their findings regarding single traumatic incidents to the more complex problem of chronic trauma such as is found in domestic violence. They are currently testing a model of historical, cognitive, and coping behaviors to predict PTSD among domestic violence victims. This study is also examining physiological reactivity and cortisol levels under challenge conditions. This grant project will include the assessment of 350 battered women who are one to six months post-crime. Fifty of the women will be tracked and reassessed after six months. Thus far, with the project nearly complete, 315 women have been assessed.
The second line of research is concerned with therapy for rape victims. Dr. Resick conducted, over a period of several years, a comparative outcome study of three types of therapy for rape victims. She studied three therapies that currently existed but had not been applied to victims of rape before. She found that all were equally but only moderately effective. Because of the lack of differences between these therapies, Dr. Resick began to explore theoretically b the commonalities of these different modalities. As a result, she began to develop a different theory of reactions and intervention. In response to this line of thinking, she developed a new therapy specifically tailored to treat PTSD and depression in victims of rape. This therapy, cognitive processing therapy (CPT), was tested in one outcome study which was published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. She also developed the treatment manual and findings into a book that was published by Sage Publications as part of their interpersonal violence series.
Dr. Resick received a five-year grant in 1994 to conduct a controlled trial of cognitive processing therapy in comparison with prolonged exposure, another therapy that also has been found promising in the treatment of PTSD in rape victims. The study also includes a minimal attention waiting-list control group to control for the effects of time alone. This study is complete and analyses of this project indicate that both treatments are quite effective, but on some measures cognitive processing therapy appears to be superior to prolonged exposure. This findings are currently being written up for publication. Dr. Resick will be receiving another five-year grant July, 2000 to conduct a dismantling study of cognitive processing therapy. The components of CPT will be compared with the total treatment package. Another purpose of the study is to extend the therapy to assault victims. Both female physical assault victims and rape victims will be included in the treatment study. Plans for future research include extending the findings further to male crime victims and to adolescents.
Grants
1977 - 1979 Consulting Investigator
Co-Principal Investigators:
Dean G. Kilpatrick, Ph.D. & Lois
J. Veronen, Ph.D.
Treatment of Fear and Anxiety in Victims of Rape
National Institute of Mental Health, $970,904
1980 - 1981 Investigator
Treatment of Fear and Anxiety in Victims of Rape
National Institute of Mental Health, $970, 904
1977 - 1980 Consulting
Investigator and Co-author
Co-Principal Investigators: Karen S. Calhoun,
Ph.D. & Beverly
M. Atkeson, Ph.D.
Rape-Induced Depression: Normative Data
National Institute of Mental Health, $157,180
1977 - 1980 Consulting Investigator and Co-author
Principal
Investigator: Julian M. Libet, Ph.D.
Functional Analysis of Problem Solving in Marital Conflict
Veterans Administration, $132,500
1977 - 1979 Principal Investigator
Discriminators of Conflict, Accord and Problem Solving
in Marital Communication
University of South Dakota, $1,500
1980 - 1981 Investigator
Program Directors: Darlene Shaw,
Ph.D. & Dean G. Kilpatrick,
Ph.D.
Longitudinal Study of Clinical Performance Predictors
National Institute of Mental Health
1982 - 1983 Principal Investigator
Group Comparison Study of the Treatment of Fear in Rape
Victims
University of Missouri-St. Louis, $14,258
1982 - 1984 Investigator
Principal Investigator: Nancy M.
Shields, Ph.D.
Victim Reaction to Marital Rape and Battering
National Institute of Mental Health, $130,000
1982 - 1985 Principal Investigator
Psychological Reactions of Victims of Rape or Robbery
National Institute of Mental Health, $264,000
1984 - 1986 Principal Investigator
Group Therapy for Rape Victims: A Comparative Outcome
Study
University of Missouri-St. Louis, $18,524
1985 - 1988 Principal Investigator
Reactions of Female and Male Victims of Rape or Robbery
National Institute of Justice, $74,950
1989 Principal Investigator
Improved Quality Research: PTSD Psychophysiology Laboratory
University of Missouri-St. Louis, $4,124
1989 - 1991 Principal Investigator
Psychophysiological Reactions of Crime Victims
University of Missouri-St. Louis, $12,000
1989 Principal Investigator
Attributions Among Rape Victims with PTSD or Depression
National Institute of Mental Health
$3,616,894 (Approved but not funded)
1991 - 1992 Site Coordinator
PTSD Field Trial for the DSM-IV
National Institute of Mental Health, $15,000
1991 Principal Investigator
Improved Quality Research: Cognitive Processing Therapy
University of Missouri-St. Louis, $4,978
1991 - 1998 Principal Investigator
Cognitive Processes in PTSD: Etiology and Treatment
National Institute of Mental Health, $1,747,752
1993 - 1994 Principal Investigator
Marital Violence in the Wake of the Great Flood of 1993
National Institute of Mental Health, $71,266
1994 - 1995 Principal Investigator
Biochemical Changes in Rape-Related PTSD
University of Missouri-St. Louis, $7,240
1994 - 1999 Principal Investigator
Cognitive Processes in PTSD: Treatment
National Institute of Mental Health, $1,766,018
1997 - 2000 Principal Investigator
Cognitive Processes in PTSD: Focus on Domestic Violence
National
Institute of Mental Health, $1,374,843
1998 - 2003 Co-Principal Investigator
National Violence Against Women Prevention Research
Center
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, $2,700,000
1999 Principal Investigator
ITV Training for Violence Prevention Agencies
University of Missouri - St. Louis Urban Extension, $4240
2000 - 2005 Principal Investigator
Cognitive Processes in PTSD: Treatment
National Institute of Mental Health, $1,926,885
2000 - 2003 Principal Investigator
Psychological Services for Homicide Survivors
Missouri Department of Public Safety, $23,500
Publications: Last Five Years
Book
Resick, P. A. (2001). Stress and Trauma. London,
England: Psychology Press Ldt.
Book Chapters
Resick, P. A., & Mechanic,
M. B. (1995). Brief cognitive therapies for rape victims. In A. R. Roberts
(Ed.), Crisis intervention
and time-limited cognitive treatment (pp. 91-126). Newbury Park,
CA: Sage Publications.
Resick, P. A., & Calhoun, K. S. (1996). PTSD. In C. Lindemann (Ed.), Handbook of the anxiety disorders. (pp. 189-216). New York: Jason Aronson.
Chapter condensed into essay for Psychotherapy Book News: A Journal of Essays and Reviews, 32, 1998, 41-44.
Resick, P. A., & Nishith, P. (1997). Sexual assault. In R. C. Davis, A. J. Lurigio, & W. G. Skogan (Eds.), Victims of crime (second edition) (pp. 27-52). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Griffin, M. G., Nishith, P., Resick, P. A. Yehuda, R. (1997). Integrating objective indicators of treatment outcome in PTSD. In R. Yehuda & A. C. McFarlane (Eds.), Psychobiology of PTSD (pp. 388-410). Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, Volume 821.
Astin, M. C., & Resick, P. A. (1997). Tratamiento cognitivo-conductual del trastorno por estres postraumatico. In V. E. Caballo (Ed.), Manual para el tratamiento cognitivo-conductual de los trastornos psicologicos, vol. 1. (pp. 171-209). Madrid, Spain: Siglo XXI.
Nishith, P., & Resick, P. A. (1997). Cognitive therapy for sexual assault victims. In A. Maercker (Ed.), Treatment of PTSD. (Pp. 193-228). Berlin: Springer.
Kilpatrick, D. G., Resnick, H. S., Freedy, J. R., Pelcovitz, D., Resick, P. A., Roth, S., & van der Kolk, B. (1998). The posttraumatic stress disorder field trial: Evaluation of the PTSD construct: Criteria A through E. In T.A. Widiger, A. J. Frances, H.A. Pincus, M.B. First, R. Ross, & W. Davis (Eds.) DSM-IV sourcebook (volume IV). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press.
Weaver, T. L., Chard, K. M., & Resick, P. A. (1998). Issues in treating rape and sexual assault. In N. Tarrier, A. Wells, & G. Haddock (Eds.), Treating complex cases: The cognitive processing therapy approach. London, UK: John Wiley & Sons.
Nishith, P., Weaver, T. L., Resick, P. A., & Uhlmansiek, M. H. (1998). General memory functioning at pre- and post-treatment in female rape victims with posttraumatic stress disorder (pp. 47-55). In L. M. Williams & V. L. Banyard (Eds.), Trauma and memory. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Resick, P. A., Nishith, P., & Astin, M. C. (1999). Empirically based therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder. In H. Van Bilsen (Ed.), Effective interventions in mental health: Cognitive behavior therapy introduced. Wellington, New Zealand: Central Institute of Technology Press.
Chard, J. M., Resick, P. A., & Wertz, J. J. (1999). Group treatment of sexual assault survivors. In B. H. Young & D. D. Blake (Eds.), Group treatments for post-traumatic stress disorders: Conceptualization, themes, and processes. Philadelphia, PA: Brunner/Mazel.
Nishith, P., & Resick, P. A. (in press). Cognitive-behavioral intervention. In D. J. Miller (Ed.), Handbook of Posttraumatic Disorders. New York, NY: Plenum Publishing Corporation.
Rothbaum, B.O., Meadows, E.A., Resick P.A., & Foy, D.W. (in press). Cognitive Behavior Therapy. In E.B. Foa, T.M. , Keane & M.J. Friedman (Eds.), Effective Treatments for PosttraumatiStress Disorder: Practice Guidelines from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. New York: Guilford.
Dana Cason, Anouk Grubaugh, Patricia Resick. (in press). Gender and PTSD Treatment: Efficacy and Effectiveness. In R. Kimmerling & P. Crosby Ouimette (Eds.), Gender and PTSD. Guilford Publications, Inc.
Bennice, J. A., & Resick, P. A. (in press). Treatment of posttrauma sequelae in sexual assault survivors. In J. Petrak & B. Hedge (Eds.), The trauma of sexual assault: Treatment, prevention, and policy. London: John Wiley & Sons Limited.
Resick, P.A. & Calhoun, K.S. (in press). PTSD. In D. H. Barlow (Ed.), Clinical handbook of psychological disorders, Second Edition. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Feuer, C., Jefferson, D.L., Resick, P.A. (in press). Post-traumatic stress disorder. In J. Worell (Ed.). Encyclopedia of gender. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
Publications in Scientific Journals
Falsetti, S. A., & Resick, P. A. (1995). Causal attributions,
depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder in victims of crime. Journal
of Applied Social Psychology, 25, 1027-1042.
Pelcovitz, D., van der Kolk, B., Roth, S., Mandel, F., Kaplan, S., & Resick, P.A. (1997). Development of a criteria set and a structured interview for disorders of extreme stress (SIDES). Journal of Traumatic Stress, 10(1), 3-16.
Chard, K. M. Weaver, T. L., & Resick, P. A. (1997).
Adapting cognitive processing therapy
for work with survivors of child sexual abuse. Cognitive and Behavioral
Practice, 4, 31-52.
Griffin, M. G., Resick, P. A., & Mechanic, M. B. (1997). Objective assessment of peritraumatic dissociation: Psychophysiological indicators. American Journal of Psychiatry, 154, 1081-1088.
Weaver, T. L., Nishith, P., & Resick, P. A. (1998). Prolonged exposure therapy and irritable bowel syndrome: A case study examining the impact of a treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder on a physical condition. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 5. 103-122.
Kimball, M.A., Resick, P.A. (1998). Predictors and Correlates of Alexithymia: A Multidimensional Approach. The Missouri Psychologist, 1(3). 9-16.
Mechanic, M.B., Resick, P.A., & Griffin, M.G.(1998). A comparison of normal forgetting, psychopathology, and information processing models of reported amnesia for recent sexual trauma. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66(6). 948-957.
Nishith, P., Mechanic, M.B., & Resick, P.A. (2000). Prior Interpersonal Trauma: The Contribution to Current PTSD Symptoms in Female Rape Victims. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 109, 20-25.
Mechanic, M.B., Weaver, T.L., & Resick, P.A. (2000). Intimate Partner Violence and Stalking Behavior: Exploration of Patterns and Correlates in a Sample of Acutely Battered Women. Violence and Victims.
Nishith, P., Resick, P.A. & Mueser, K.T. (2001). Sleep disturbances and alcohol use motives in female rape victims with posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 14 (3) 469-479.
Cason, D., Resick, P.A., & Weaver, T.L. (in press). Schematic Integration of Traumatic Events. Clinical Psychology Review.
Clum, G.A., Nishith, P., & Resick, P.A. (in press). Trauma-related sleep disturbance and physical health symptoms in treatment seeking rape victims. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease.
Feuer, C.A., Nishith, P., & Resick, P.A. (in press). Prediction of PTSD: Effortful avoidance and numbing in female sexual assault survivors. Journal of Traumatic Stress.
Resick, P.A. (in press). Cognitive therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Jourrnal of Cognitive Psychotherapy.
Messman-Moore, T.L. & Resick, P.A. (in press). Brief Treatment of complicated PTSD and peritraumatic responses in a client with repeated sexual victimization. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice.
Waldrop, A.E. & Resick, P.A. (in press). Coping among adult female victims of domestic violence. Journal of Family Violence.