The Stress, Trauma, and Recovery Lab
Western Kentucky University
Meet the Team
- Dr. Matt Woodward is a clinical psychologist and Associate Professor at Western Kentucky University. Dr. Woodward is the head of the Stress, Trauma, and Recovery lab. Dr. Woodward received his Ph.D. from the University of Memphis and completed his internship at the Medical University of South Carolina/Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center. He conducts research on the psychological impact of trauma and related mental health issues such as PTSD, anxiety, depression, and substance use. For more info, please see this link.
- Lily Milam is a 2nd year graduate student from Johnson City, TN. She completed her undergraduate degree in psychology with a clinical concentration at ETSU in Johnson City and was working in the PETAL lab, before coming here to WKU and the STAR Lab. Her current research interests involve understanding the influence of coping motives within substance use among trauma exposed individuals. During the Spring and Summer, she enjoys going on hikes in the mountains with her friends and family. She is currently planning to obtain her PhD in Clinical Psychology and work with populations of substance use and trauma throughout her research and career.
- Hanna Forrest is a senior who transferred to Western Kentucky University after receiving her Associate’s Degree, from Owensboro, KY. She is now in her 4th semester with the STAR Lab. She has an interest in trauma-related research and gender/women's studies. She is also a barista and loves to get Spencer's coffee! She currently plans on earning her Master's degree with a Clinical concentration to then become a therapist and continue doing research.
- Cassie Barrett is a senior from La Grange, KY. They are currently majoring in Psychological Sciences with concentrations in Clinical and Developmental Psychology and a minor in Neuroscience. They are starting their second semester in the STAR lab. They are involved in the marching band and music fraternity Delta Omicron. They are interested in Neuropsychology and the effects of brain trauma. They currently plan on earning their Master's degree and eventually a PhD focusing on Clinical Neuropsychology. They would like to work with individuals who have experienced brain injuries and continue researching in that area.
About Us
The primary focus of the Stress, Trauma, and Recovery lab is in to conduct research aimed at improving our understanding and treatment of trauma.
Many of our projects are aimed at understanding how to increase resilience and improve treatment outcomes for those exposed to abuse, violence, and other traumatic experiences.
Our work generally focuses on trauma-related mental health conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, and substance use.
Recent Projects
Using technology and peer support to improve outcomes in trauma survivors
This is an ongoing clinical trial aimed at testing a digital intervention augmented with peer support to improve treatment outcomes for interpersonal trauma survivors.
The Inter-generational family trauma treatment clinic
This project is a partnership with the Lifeskills Child Welfare Education and Research Center and Kentucky’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services to improve services for families in the child welfare system. The purpose of this clinic is to provide free mental health services to parents and children and examine how this impacts outcomes for families. For more info, click here.
The impact of social media use on mental health
This project aims to understand the relationship between technology use and well-being including the impact of smartphone and social media use on mental health.
the influence of social support
This project was a laboratory study to examine how friendship influences stress response and memories when exposed to an upsetting film clip. To check out some of the results, click here.
Recent Presentations
- Woodward, M. J., Teeters, J. B., McGettrick, C. M., Forrest, H., Schueler, A., Dick, O. G., & Milam, L. (April, 2024). A trauma-informed, peer-supported digital intervention for heavy drinkers with interpersonal trauma. In L. Holt (Chair), Harnessing digital technologies to prevent substance misuse in young adults. Symposium to be presented at the annual meeting of the Collaborative Perspectives on Addiction conference.
- To view a poster overview, click here
- Hoskins, K. A., Milam, L. C., & Woodward, M. J. (April, 2024). The relationship between alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems is stronger for college student service members/veterans compared to traditional college students. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Collaborative Perspectives on Addiction Conference.
- To view full poster, click here
- McGettrick, C. M., Dick, O. G., Teeters, J. B., & Woodward, M. J. (April, 2024). Relationships between substance use motives, PTSD, and alcohol-related problems across two samples. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Collaborative Perspectives on Addiction Conference.
- To view the full poster, click here
- Milam, L. C., Traxler, S., Teeters, J. B., & Woodward, M. J. (March, 2024). Cannabis coping motives moderate the relationship between recent cannabis use and suicide ideation. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Kentucky Idea Network of Biomedical Research Excellence Conference.
- To view full poster, click here
- McGettrick, C. M, Milam, L. C., Moskal, K. R., Teeters, J. B, & Woodward, M. J. (November, 2023). The relationship between PTSD and sleep quality is moderated by cannabis use frequency. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Kentucky Academy of Sciences.
- To view full poster click here
- Dick, O. G., Milam, L. C., Forrest, H., Woodward, K. C., & Woodward, M. J. (November, 2023). Comparing associations between child sexual assault, adult sexual assault, and negative network orientation. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Kentucky Academy of Sciences.
- To view full poster, click here
- Kreuzer, G. L., McGettrick, C. M., Teeters, J. B., & Woodward, M. J. (March, 2023). The relationship between PTSD and alcohol use is moderated by membership in a sorority. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Collaborative Perspectives on Addiction conference.
- To view full poster, click here
- Dick, O. G., Brown, J. B., McGettrick, C, M., & Woodward, M. J. (November, 2022). Instabad? Examination of popular social media platforms and their associations with mental health problems in young adults. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Kentucky Academy of Sciences.
- To view full poster, click here
- McGettrick, C, M., Dick, O. G., & Woodward, M. J. (November, 2022). The relationship between smartphone addiction and PTSD: The role of avoidance coping. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Kentucky Academy of Sciences.
- To view full poster click, here
- Kreuzer, G. L., Dick, O. G., Brown, J. B., Rodriguez, J., Aguirre, R., Teeters, J. B., & Woodward, M. J. (November, 2022). The utility of the PTSD Checklist as a screener of trauma symptomology. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Kentucky Academy of Sciences.
- To view full poster, click here
- Dick, O. G., Benningfield, C. J., Mills, E. G., Woodward, K. C., Ellis, A. E., & Woodward, M. J. (November, 2021). Examining the effects of COVID-19 infection on mental health in a sample of young adults. Poster presented at the 55th annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, New Orleans, LA.
- To view the full poster, click here
Recent Publications
- Woodward, M. J., Griffith, E. L., Free, B. L., Bowen, M. E., Majeed, R., Beyer, M. S., & Beck, J. G. (2024). Do latent profiles of self-reported anxiety, depression, and PTSD map onto clinician ratings? An examination with intimate partner violence survivors. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 101, 102806. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2023.102806
- McCollum, D. C., Teeters, J. B., Moskal, K. R., & Woodward, M. J. (2024). Does social support moderate the association between adverse childhood experiences and substance-related problems? Substance Use & Misuse, 59(2), 269–277. https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2023.2269570
- Cassity-Caywood, W., Griffiths, A., Woodward, M. J., & Hatfield*, A. (2023). The benefits and challenges of shifting to telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic: Qualitative feedback from Kentucky’s sexual violence resource centers and children’s advocacy centers. Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science. 8(1), 87–99. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41347-022-00296-w
- Woodward, M. J., Clapp, J. D., Cotney, S. E., & Beck, J. G. (2022). Interacting with a friend after a trauma film reduces anxiety and intrusive memories. Psychological trauma: Theory, Research, Practice and Policy, 10.1037/tra0001381. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001381
- Teeters, J. B., Woodward, M. J., Meshesha, L. Z., Tripp, J. C. (2020). Cannabis use in civilian college students and college student service members/veterans: The moderating effect of anxiety. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 46(6), 777-783. https://doi.org/10.1080/00952990.2020.1753758
What our Alumni are up to!
Caitlin McGettrick (2024)
Cailtin currently plans on entering the workforce as a project coordinator with future plans to purse a PhD in Community Psychology with a focus on trauma and substance use.
Olivia Dick (2024)
Olivia is also entering the workforce for a time before applying to PhD programs in Clinical Psychology.
Anne Schueler (2024)
Anne is currently in her second year in WKU’s Master’s in Counseling program, thanks to the JUMP program here at WKU, and plans to become a Licensed Professional Counseling Associate.
Kaitlyn Hoskins (2024)
Cailtin is currently applying to masters of social work programs with a concentration in Military Behavioral Health, with the hopes of working as a behavioral health provider in the military
Grace Salloum (2023)
Grace is currently working as a Project Coordinator with plans to apply to PhD programs in Experimental Psychology.
If you’re an undergrad, you can earn course credit for working in the lab! And it’s a great resume builder for graduate school or employment.
You may be able to join the lab if you are:
- A student at Western Kentucky University
- Majoring in Psychological Sciences
Interested in Joining the Lab?