Arash Javanbakht

Articles by: Arash Javanbakht

The aching blue: Trauma, stress and the invisible wounds of those in law enforcement

14th October 2020

Arash Javanbakht M.D. - Wayne State University

OPINION: The cumulative trauma suffered by police and other first responders regularly exposed to serious injury, death and immediate threat can cause high levels of PTSD as well as depression, anxiety, stress, and suicidal thoughts; but as psychiatrist Professor Arash Javanbakht explains, help is out there – and first responders and their families deserve to be happy.

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Arash Javanbakht
Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Wayne State University
Email:
[email protected]

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Arash Javanbakht, M.D., serves as the director of the Stress, Trauma, and Anxiety Research Clinic (STARC; https://www.starclab.org). He is a board certified psychiatrist and completed his residency at the University of Michigan. His clinical work is mainly focused on anxiety and trauma related disorders, and PTSD. He often helps civilians and first responders with PTSD. His clinic utilizes pharmacotherapy (medication), psychotherapy, exercise, and lifestyle modification to help patients achieve their full capacity for a fulfilling life. His research is also focused on anxiety disorders and trauma. Several research studies at the STARC examine the impact of exposure to war trauma in adults and children Syrian and Iraqi refugees, and biological and psychological factors of risk and resilience. This research examines genetic and inflammation correlates of trauma as well. Also, use of art, dance and movement, and yoga and mindfulness in helping refugee families overcome stress. STARC also works on utilization of augmented reality and telemedicine to develop a method of providing in vivo treatment for anxiety disorders and PTSD. He also as a special interest in the "personal meaning" of trauma: how does personal interpretation of a traumatic experience affect the way an individual is affected by it. His work has been featured on the CNN, Aljazeera, NPR, Washington Post, Smithsonian, PBS, American Psychiatric Association Press Briefing, Anxiety and Depression Association of America, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, STAT News, and Psychiatric Times among others.