USF Nursing researchers discuss RESTORE LIVES at USF Health event

University of South Florida College of Nursing’s researchers discussed RESTORE LIVES and the Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) study during an “An Evening with Our Veterans” USF Health event, which Stephen Klasko, MD, MBA, Senior Vice President of the USF Health, hosted as part of USF Health’s “An Evening with….” series.

Dianne Morrison-Beedy, PhD, RN, WHNP-BC, FNAP, FAANP, FAAN, Dean at the USF College of Nursing, provided an overview of the College’s military focus area which includes academic, service, and research programs. The evening’s event highlighted the veterans’ research being conducted at the College of Nursing’s RESTORE LIVES Center.

Kevin Kip, PhD, FAHA, Associate Professor, Executive Director of Research Center, and Principle Investigator for RESTORE LIVES at USF Nursing spoke throughout the evening discussing two of RESTORE LIVES’s five sub-studies, and the College’s efforts to help create opportunities for veterans and their families.

Carrie Elk, PhD, LMHC, CTE, Assistant Professor and Co-Investigator for the Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) study which treats symptoms of “Psychological Trauma in Veterans,” spoke on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a promising new therapy for treating the trauma.

Kip & Elk proudly introduced veterans and their families whose lives have been impacted by the study which aims to help improve the lives of veterans coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Josh Thomas, a veteran who had been diagnosed with PTSD, shared his experience as a participant in the ART study. The study is one of RESTORE LIVES five sub-studies, which the College of Nursing established to develop evidence-based methods to help veterans and service members overcome psychological stress resulting from combat operations overseas.

“This therapy changed my life and has since July 2011,” said Thomas. “I believe in this therapy and recommend it for veterans!”

Thomas’s mother, Jodi Harner, said her son remarkably improved after participating in two sessions of the ART study in 2011 and has not needed any further treatment for PTSD.

“His PTSD maintains to be managed at the same level as the second and last session in July,” Harner said. “The ART study has been amazing, and would be beneficial to anyone with PTSD, especially veterans suffering from more than one trauma like my son.”

At the “An Evening with Our Veterans” event, Maureen E. Groer, RN, PhD, FAAN, Gordon Keller Professor and Director of the Center for Women’s Health Research, reported on the second RESTORE LIVES sub-study which is focused on Female Veterans Health.

During her speech, she also talked about the Empowering Women Veterans she hosted during USF Veterans Week at the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) on Nov. 12, and the results from the information provided by the female veterans’ attendees. She announced she now has 50 participants for her Nursing Health Initiative for Empowering Women Veterans study.

For more information on RESTORE LIVES and the five sub-studies visit: www.RESTORE-LIVES.org