Women’s Health

Women Veterans are a rapidly growing VA patient population with complex care needs. Several 3DI investigators are engaged in research that aims to improve women Veterans’ health and health care.

3DI investigators are engaged in understanding unique risk factors, clinical presentation, and optimal management approaches for women with chronic physical and mental health conditions including Functional Neurological Disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, PTSD, and substance use disorders.

3DI investigators are adapting, developing, and evaluating screening tools to identify health risk behaviors and clinical diagnoses that may be more common in or look different in women compared to men. Examples include establishing women-specific thresholds for problematic alcohol use in the AUDIT-C, with application across the VA health care system; developing and validating a screen for disordered eating; and using VA data and patient-reported outcomes to develop and validate a women-specific screener for obstructive sleep apnea.

3DI investigators are examining the effects of military experiences, including traumatic and environmental exposures, on health and mental health across the lifespan. Primary outcomes examined include moral injury and posttraumatic stress disorder, reproductive and sexual health, and menopause.

3DI investigators are developing and evaluating women-specific interventions and clinical care models to improve health, symptom experiences, and overall well-being. Current projects focus on midlife and the menopause transition, chronic pain, and primary care-mental health integration.

3DI Investigators engaged in research related to Women’s Health:
-    Anna Blanken, PhD
-    Carolyn Gibson, PhD, MPH
-    Lizabeth Goldstein, PhD
-    Katherine Hoggatt, PhD, MPH
-    Sabrina Islam, PhD, MS
-    Shira Maguen, PhD, MA
-    Francesca Nicosia, PhD, MA