MiSSiLe; Military Social Science Laboratory (Blais)
Broadly speaking, Dr. Blais’ program of research focuses on individual (PTSD, depression, suicide, physical health) and interpersonal (relationship satisfaction, sexual function, social support) outcomes associated with military-related traumas, including combat and sexual assault/harassment. The goal of her program of research is to inform the development or augmentation of screening measures aimed at identifying at-risk groups and augmenting existing clinical interventions to provide a more holistic approach to healing from trauma. She has several lines of inquiry open and is excited to attract lab members who can contribute and grow this program of research.
Projects
Mission: Military Sexual Assault, Responses to Disclosure, and Psychological Distress
Despite Adjustment disorder being the most commonly diagnosed mental health disorder in the Department of Defense (DoD), little is known about factors that contribute to its diagnosis. Military Sexual Assault (MSA) is a major public health concern and is associated with a variety of poor outcomes, potentially including Adjustment Disorder. It is possible that responses to disclosure of MSA also relate to Adjustment Disorder. The current study examines the association of Adjustment Disorder symptom severity, MSA exposure, and disclosure of MSA experiences in a sample of US military service members and veterans.
This project is funded by the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program and is done in collaboration with Dr. Alyson Zalta at the University of California, Irvine.
Mission: Preventing Suicide Risk Among Survivors of Military Sexual Violence
Military Sexual Trauma (MST) is associated with greater risk for psychological distress, greater substance and alcohol misuse, and suicide. While associations between MST and suicide risk are established, this study seeks to assess which MST survivors are at particularly high risk. Of particular interest are stigma and institutional responses to MST. The study seeks to identify how these factors influence risk for suicide for current and former military service members.
This project is funded by the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program, and is done in collaboration with Dr. Lindsey Monteith at the Denver MIRECC.
Mission: Military Moms
The transition to motherhood is a complex time and good outcomes are made possible by adequate support, physical well-being, good psychological health, and access to medical care. Pregnancy in the military is widely understudied, which has led to a gap in our understanding of how-to best support mother and child during this time. Military moms are at risk for a number of conditions that complicate pregnancy and childbirth, including increased risk for PTSD, sexual violence, and low work support. The goal of this project is to follow military moms during pregnancy and the immediate post-partum period to understand factors that lead to successful outcomes and triggers that create distress for mother and baby.
This project is funded by the Society for Military Psychology (Division 19) of APA.
| Rebecca BlaisDirector and Principal Investigator |
| Maya Bina Vannini (she/her) - is a second-year doctoral student under the primary mentorship of Dr. Rebecca Blais. Her research interests are centered around mechanisms promoting the co-occurrence of transdiagnostic outcomes following trauma, particularly within underserved veteran and service member populations. Maya Bina graduated from University of California, San Diego in 2021 with a B.S. in Clinical Psychology and a minor in Ethnic Studies. As an undergraduate, Maya Bina worked as a research assistant at the VA San Diego under Dr. Ariel Lang, investigating mindfulness interventions for female service members and veterans. Upon graduation, she completed a post-baccalaureate research assistantship under Dr. Brett Litz in the Massachusetts Veterans Epidemiological Research and Information Center at the VA Boston, investigating treatment for moral injury and traumatic stress in service members and veterans. In her spare time, Maya Bina enjoys reading and spending time with friends and family. |
| Bingyu Xu (she/her) - is a fourth-year third-year doctoral student working with Dr. Rebecca Blais interested in the outcomes of combat and military sexual trauma and ways of promoting resilience and recovery among veterans. Bingyu graduated from Brandeis University in 2019 with a B.A. in Psychology and Economics. As an undergraduate, Bingyu worked as a Research Assistance at Massachusetts General Hospital’s (MGH) Community Psychiatry Program for Research in Implementation and Dissemination of Evidence-Based Therapies (PRIDE) under Dr. Luana Marques, where Bingyu assisted a study assessing the quality of cognitive behavioral therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder in large systems and resource-limited community settings. Upon graduation, Bingyu worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator at the MGH Home Base Program which serves veterans and family members struggling with the invisible wounds of war. In her spare time, Bingyu enjoys hiking with her 4-year-old Shiba Inu and 6-month-old miniature Australian shepherd. Bingyu is looking forward to exploring the mystical hiking trails in Arizona. |
| Nadia Malek (she/her) – is a first-year doctoral student under the primary mentorship of Dr. Rebecca Blais. Her research interests are around identifying risk and protective factors related to the development and maintenance of PTSD in vulnerable populations, including military personnel and veterans. Nadia graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 2021 with a B.A. in Psychological Science. As an undergraduate, Nadia was a research assistant in Dr. Alyson Zalta’s Trauma and Resilience lab, primarily investigating experiences of moral injury in civilian populations. Upon graduation, she completed a full-time post-baccalaureate research assistantship under Dr. Carmen McLean at the Dissemination and Training Division of the National Center for PTSD, VA Palo Alto Health Care System. In this role, she assisted with studies investigating ways to increase the reach of exposure therapy for PTSD by addressing implementation barriers and testing novel approaches (e.g., digital interventions). Nadia also worked part-time as a research assistant under Dr. Anne Richards at the San Francisco VA Medical Center. There, she assisted with a DoD funded study aimed at understanding the biology of nightmares, nightmare enactment, and sleep-related violent behaviors among trauma-exposed individuals. In her spare time, Nadia enjoys watching TV and cooking. |
| Jane Park (she/her) – is a first-year doctoral student under the mentorship of Dr. Rebecca Blais. Her research interests focus broadly on mechanisms underlying PTSD development and treatment and how these may vary across underrepresented groups, with a special emphasis on studying the characteristics and risk factors of sexual violence victimization among military personnel. Jane earned her B.S. in clinical psychology from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) in 2020. As an undergraduate, Jane worked as a research assistant in the psychiatry department under Dr. Amy Lansing, on a study evaluating the efficacy of Seeking Safety in treating juvenile justice involved youth with comorbid substance use disorder and PTSD. Upon graduation, Jane worked as a clinical research coordinator and assessor at the VA San Diego Healthcare System with Drs. Sonya Norman and Peter Colvonen, investigating interventions targeting insomnia, trauma related guilt, and PTSD among Veterans in both inpatient and outpatient settings. In her spare time, Jane enjoys running, practicing Pilates and traveling to new places with friends. |
| Nicole Duby (she/her)- is a post-baccalaureate research assistant with Dr. Rebecca Blais. Nicole is interested in the risks and protective factors of developing psychopathology following trauma exposure, particularly in marginalized community members. Nicole graduated from the University of Arizona with a B.S. in Psychological Sciences and a B.A. in French in 2021. As an undergraduate, Nicole worked as a research assistant in with clinical psychology professor Dr. Daniel Taylor and cognitive science professor Dr. Robert Wilson assessing childhood trauma, psychopathology, and sleep’s relationship to risky decision-making. Upon graduation, Nicole lived abroad in France through the TAPIF program and in Luxembourg as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant. In her spare time, Nicole enjoys traveling to new places and volunteering. |
| Ava Santiago (she/her) - is a student in the Class of 2026 at Arizona State University studying psychology. In 2023, she was selected as a Barrett College Fellow and began working as an undergraduate research assistant in the MiSSiLe Lab under Dr. Blais. Using the two-factor model of depression, Ava examined the effects depression symptoms have on relationship satisfaction in service members and veterans and presented her findings in a poster session at the 2024 annual meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. In 2024, Ava was selected as an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Summer Scholar where she worked in Dr. Gena Glickman’s Chronobiology, Light and Sleep Lab at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) in Bethesda, Maryland, conducting photometric measurements and research on human sleep, circadian rhythms, and the physiological effects of light. Ava is active in the Honors College community, including working as a Barrett recruiting assistant, serving as a Barrett Mentor, and presenting a workshop at the Barrett Leadership Conference. |
- *Xu, B., *Tannahill, H. S., & Blais, R. K. (2024). Negative posttraumatic cognitions about self potentially mediate the relation between sexual revictimization and suicide risk in a sample of military sexual assault survivors. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. 10.1037/tra0001656. Advance online publication.
- Blais, R. K., Xie, Z., Kirby, A., & Marlow, N. (2023). Suicide ideation, plans, and attempts among military veterans vs nonveterans with disability. JAMA Network Open, 6(10), e2337679.
- Blais, R. K., Cruz, R. A., Hoyt, T., & Monteith, L. L. (2023). Stigma for seeking psychological help for military sexual trauma is associated with more frequent suicidal ideation among women service members and veterans. Psychology of Violence, 13(3), 229-238.
- Blais, R. K., *Livingston, W. S., Barrett, T. S., & *Tannahill, H. S. (2023). Sexual violence in military service members/veterans: Individual and interpersonal outcomes associated with single and multiple exposures to civilian and military sexual violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 38(3-4), 2585-2613.
- Blais, R. K., Tirone, V., Orlowska, D., Lofgreen, A., Klassen, B. … & Zalta, A. K. (2021). Self-reported PTSD symptoms and social support in military service members and veterans: A meta-analysis. European Journal of Psychotraumatology.
- Blais, R. K. (2020). Lower sexual satisfaction and function mediate the association of assault military sexual trauma and relationship satisfaction in partnered female service members/veterans. Family Process, 59, 586-596.
- Zalta, A. K., Tirone, V., Orlowska, D., Blais, R. K., Lofgreen, A.,. … & Dent, A. (2020, e-pub ahead of print). Examining moderators of the relationship between social support and self-reported PTSD symptoms: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin.
- Blais, R. K., Livingston, W. S., & Fargo, J. D. (2020). Higher depression severity mediates the association of assault MST and sexual function in partnered female service members/veterans. Journal of Affective Disorders, 261, 238-244.
- Tannahill, H., *Livingston, W. S., Fargo, J. D., Brignone, E., Gundlapalli, A. V., & Blais, R.K. (2020). Gender moderates the association of military sexual trauma and risk for psychological distress in VA-enrolled veterans. Journal of Affective Disorders, 268, 215-220.
- Livingston, W. S., Fargo, J. D., Gundlapalli, A. V., Brignone, E., & Blais, R. K. (2020). Comorbid PTSD and depression diagnoses mediate the association of military sexual trauma and suicidal ideation/behavior in VHA-enrolled Iraq/Afghanistan veterans. Journal of Affective Disorders, 274, 1184-1190.
- Blais, R. K. (2020). Lower intimate relationship satisfaction among partnered female service members/veterans is associated with the presence of suicidal ideation. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 76, 1353-1361.
- Blais, R. K., Brignone, E., Fargo, J. D., Andresen, F. J., & Livingston, W. S. (2019). The importance of distinguishing between harassment and assault military sexual trauma during screening. Military Psychology, 31(3), 227-232.
- Kugler, J., Andresen, F., Bean, R. & Blais, R. K. (2019). Couple-based interventions for PTSD among military veterans: An empirical review. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 75, 1737-1755.
- Blais, R. K., Monteith, L., & Kugler, J. (2018). Sexual dysfunction is associated with suicidal ideation in female service members and veterans. Journal of Affective Disorders, 226, 52-57.
- Andresen, F. J., Monteith, L. L., Kugler, J., Cruz, R. A., & Blais, R. K. (2019). Institutional betrayal following military sexual trauma is associated with more severe depression and specific PTSD symptom clusters. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 75, 1305-1319.
- Brignone, E., Gundlapalli, A. V., Blais, R. K., Carter, M. E., Ying, S., Samore, M. H., Kimerling, R., & Fargo, J. D. (2016). Differential risk for homelessness among U.S. male and female veterans with a positive screen for military sexual trauma. JAMA Psychiatry, 73, 582-589.
- Dr. Blais invited to speak on PBS Arizona: Rising Concerns Over Military Suicides
- Dr. Blais given the 2023 Distinguished Mentor Award by APA’s Division 19 (Society for Military Psychology)
- Dr. Blais named the inaugural Vice President for Research by APA’s Division 19 (Society for Military Psychology)
- Whitney Livingston named 2021 USU CEHS Graduate Student Researcher of the Year!
- Dr. Blais given the 2018 Award for Outstanding Contribution to Trauma Psychology by an Early Career Psychology by APA’s Division 56 (Trauma Psychology)
- Dr. Blais given the 2018 Charles S. Gersoni Military Psychology Award by APA’s Division 19 (Society for Military Psychology)
- Dr. Blais given the 2016 Arthur W. Melton Award for Early Career Achievement by APA’s Division 19 (Society for Military Psychology)
Contact Us
If you have questions or concerns, please contact Dr. Blais at Rebecca.Blais@asu.edu or the lab manager Nicole Duby at Nicole.Duby@asu.edu. Dr. Blais will not be accepting graduate students for the fall 2025 semester.