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Funded Projects

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Therapy for Wisconsin Prison Inmates

Awarded in 2019
Collaborative Health Sciences Program
Updated Sep 12, 2023

At a Glance

Through a unique partnership between UW–Madison and the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, this study will provide group cognitive processing therapy to prison inmates. The study will also evaluate the impact of the therapy, with the goal of improving mental health and outcomes for prison inmates as well as informing public policy related to mental healthcare in prisons.

The Challenge

Many of Wisconsin’s prison inmates have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a mental health disorder that develops in people who have experienced emotionally traumatic events, such as neglect or abuse. In fact, rates of PTSD among prison inmates are estimated to be more than 10-fold higher than in the general population. Untreated PTSD is linked to dire outcomes like higher suicide, victimization and recidivism rates. Thus, better treatment is needed in order to improve mental health and ensure better outcomes for inmates.

Project Goals

The study will also evaluate the impact of the therapy, with the goal of improving mental health and outcomes for prison inmates as well as informing public policy related to mental healthcare in prisons.

More about the Collaborative Health Sciences Program

More Funded Projects

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COVID-19 Response Grant

Predicting Patient Outcomes in Wisconsin and Nationwide Using the University of Wisconsin’s COVID-19 EHR Cohort Database

Outcome Report
Awarded in 2022
Using the COVID EHR Cohort at the University of Wisconsin (CEC-UW), this project aimed to analyze the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on racial and ethnic minority groups in Wisconsin, compare disease outcomes between UW Health and other health systems and test associations between risk factors, treatments and vaccine status with disease outcomes. CEC-UW has been collecting electronic health record (EHR) data from all COVID-19 patients across 21 participating health systems and, as of September 2021, has compiled more than 250 EHR elements from 1.1 million COVID-19 patients. This data has the potential to help target high-risk individuals, improve treatment, guide variant management and enhance response to future disease outbreaks. The results revealed that Black and Hispanic communities, along with low-income groups, faced significantly higher infection rates and more severe COVID-19 outcomes. Comparison of outcomes between health systems showed that UW Health patients had better recovery rates and lower mortality due to more effective health strategies, including advanced treatment protocols and higher vaccination rates. Finally, the project found that early treatments and full vaccination greatly improved outcomes, while those with underlying conditions or lack of vaccine access faced worse outcomes.
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Maternal and Child Health

Development of a OB Nurse Navigator Program in a Rural Critical Access Hospital

Outcome Report
Awarded in 2022
St. Croix Regional Medical Center received a 2022 Maternal and Child Health Grant for the project Development of an OB Nurse Navigator Program in a Rural Critical Access Hospital (St. Croix and surrounding counties). The project was successful in creating a comprehensive program to address patients’ prenatal and postpartum needs and provided social supports and resources for underserved families in this six-county rural area.