Bryce RobinsonIssue 14: Spring 2021

Bryce Robinson has been in the Interactive Measurement Group since the spring of 2019. During his time in the lab, Bryce has taken leadership roles such as teaching exploratory factor analysis and the statistical software SPSS. Bryce has also co-authored a poster on the topic of uncovering the factors that underlie the Perceived Social Intelligence Scales, which was presented at the American Association for Behavioral and Social Science conference 2020.

After my acceptance into the McNair Scholars Institute in the spring of 2020, I sought to build upon my research skills through the McNair Scholars Summer Research Institute. During the summer of 2020, I worked with Dr. Shane Kraus, who runs the Behavioral Addictions Lab. Through our collaboration, I became an author of a manuscript that examines the associations between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mental health in a national survey of U.S. veterans. In this manuscript, I sought to understand the demographic and clinical characteristics of U.S. veterans who endorse symptoms of PTSD. I also sought to inform resource allocation and policy decisions that can help veterans obtain quality mental health services.

Through my McNair research, I discovered that the perceived stigma of seeking mental health counselling contributed, albeit weakly, to the prediction of probable PTSD, after adjusting for demographic, military, and mental health factors. Our finding suggests that perceived stigma could help identify veterans with probable PTSD. Further work is needed to help veterans combat stigma through community-based efforts such as mental health outreach in the veteran community.

I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the McNair Scholars Summer Research Institute because it helped me grow as a researcher. As a result of this research, I learned to use new measures, such as the Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5; I became proficient in various statistics, such as chi-square and logistic regression; and I developed strong communication and time management skills. I also collaborated with researchers at Yale University and now plan to submit my research to an academic journal. I hope to use my experience in the McNair Scholars Institute to continue my research on the veteran population in graduate school.