Measuring the Long Arc of Trauma on Veteran Health
Overview
Altarum fields the LIGHT study for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD, one of the few longitudinal surveys of Veterans in the nation. By following the same cohort across multiple waves, the study examines the way Veterans' experiences accumulate and affect their health.
Challenge: Tracking Trauma Over Time
The VA National Center for PTSD set out to understand the cumulative effects of lifetime and ongoing trauma on Veterans' mental and physical health. Answering that requires following the same people across years, not one-time snapshots.
Solution: A Cohort Followed Across Six Waves
ltarum has followed a cohort of 3,654 Veterans across six survey waves since 2018, using a mail protocol with pre-notification, survey packets, reminders, and incentives to sustain participation. What began as survey fielding grew into a research partnership that included sample design, advanced statistical analysis including structural equation modeling, and manuscript development.
Results: Evidence on How Experience Connects to Health
The findings reveal how Veterans' lifetime experiences and current communities shape their health outcomes. Analyses examine questions such as how community violence relates to the recurrence of PTSD and how social support and neighborhood cohesion affect well-being. Findings appear in peer-reviewed publications and strengthen VA's understanding of what drives Veteran mental health.