For Students

Project Summary

The Trauma Research, Education, and Consultation at K-State (TRECK) Team began over 5 years ago through the Marriage and Family Therapy Program in the School of Family Studies and Human Services at Kansas State University. The TRECK Team, which is registered as a university student organization, focuses on developing research programs, providing education, and clinical consultation about issues related to trauma and traumatic stress. TRECK team members include graduate and undergraduate students in the School of Family Studies and Human Services and related programs at Kansas State University.

What is trauma?

Trauma can result from an injury, event, or situation that causes an emotional wound to an individual. This can create significant lasting damage and distress to the psychological development of a person. Traumatic events include:

War/Terrorist attacks
Sexual abuse/assault
Physical abuse/assault
Severe accidents/deaths
Natural disasters
Other overwhelming events

Current TRECK projects include:

1. Marriage and family therapy for trauma survivors, including individual, couple, family, and group services for children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families. Research projects on traumatic stress, secondary traumatic stress, the interpersonal effects of trauma, and related issues.
2. Community education and consultation.
3. Presentations at state, national, and international professional conferences.

Current research projects of the Team include:

The Interpersonal Effects of Trauma in Couples

Phase 1: Data from 14 clinical couples was collected and is currently being analyzed. Preliminary data has been presented at national conferences.

Phase 2: Data has been collected with 50 military couples who recently returned from an overseas deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan. Preliminary data has been analyzed, with qualitative interview data currently being analyzed by the TRECK Team.

Phase 3: Currently, data is being collected with additional military couples who recently returned from an overseas deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan. This phase of the project is exclusively web-based, with an increased number of participants that will include male and female soldiers, as well as active dute and reserve/guard members.

TRECK Students are involved in participant recruitment, transcribing interviews, data collection and data entry, preliminary analyses, and other project responsibilities for the project. Initially, the primary responsibilities will involve transcribing qualitative interviews; however, with continued involvement on the TRECK Team projects, students could be involved with a team of graduate and undergraduate students analyzing the data and writing the results for presentations and publications. Students will be actively involved with the TRECK Team, attend meetings (1-2 times per month), have access to a research office with computer, and will be directly engaged in learning the research process (from preliminary data collection through dissemination of results). Interested undergraduate students may take FSHS 300 as an independent research study course for their work on the TRECK Team.

The TRECK Team meets approximately 2 times per month. Please contact Dr. Nelson Goff for more information.

Faculty Advisor:

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