Dekel Laboratory

The Dekel Laboratory studies women’s mental health following the landmark event of childbirth, including traumatic childbirth, and the mechanisms responsible for postpartum adjustment.

Silhouettes of a woman at three stages: not pregnant, heavily pregnant, and holding a baby.

Explore This Research Lab

Overview

Ensuring the well-being of women from the very early postpartum period is important for mother and child health. Research in the Dekel lab at Massachusetts General Hospital is focused on identifying the factors that are implicated in optimal adaptation as well as psychopathology of mothers following childbirth. To this end, we combine psychological, physiological and neuroimaging tools to prospectively study women from pregnancy across childbirth. Ultimately our goal is to develop novel tools for early detection of mothers at risk for postpartum mental disorders and preventive treatments that are effective and safe.

Although childbirth is usually considered a uniformly happy event, some women may experience a traumatic childbirth. Some will go on to develop a postpartum posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a condition we know very little about. We study the psychological and biological mechanisms underlying the various mental health trajectories in the wake of a traumatic delivery and what allows some women to be resilient and even grow psychologically. We are also interested in learning the ways in which distress in the mother may influence child development.

Researcher in front of a research poster

Dr. Dekel sitting across from a pregnant patient

Dekel and colleague looking at image on a computer

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Follow us on Twitter at @Dr_Dekel

Lab Presentations

See Dr. Dekel present her research into childbirth trauma and maternal PTSD.

Watch more videos

Dr. Dekel presents her research on maternal wellness during COVID-19 as part of a symposium on perinatal trauma at the Marce of North America (MONA) 2021 Biennial Conference on Perinatal Mental Health.

Dr. Dekel presents her neuroimaging research on maternal PTSD at Harvard’s 2021 Mind Brain Behavior Interfaculty Initiative virtual showcase.

Podcast: The Joint Committee on the Status of Women (JCSW) Show: Mental Health After Childbirth with Assistant Professor Sharon Dekel

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Through the Magnifying Glass: The Dekel Lab and the Psychiatry of Childbirth

Podcast: The Joint Committee on the Status of Women (JCSW) Show: Mental Health After Childbirth with Assistant Professor Sharon Dekel

Clinical Research

We are interested in studying women who are pregnant or recently gave birth at MGH or another Harvard-affiliated hospital. If this applies to you and you are interested in participating in research, please email MothersStudy@partners.org.

If you gave birth at MGH within the last three months and are interested in participating in research, please visit https://rally.massgeneralbrigham.org/study/maternal_brain.

Current Lab Studies

Impact of Coronavirus on Mother’s Birth Experience and Wellbeing – Follow-up Study

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has turned the lives of millions of people upside down all over the globe and is affecting our wellbeing. Our mothers wellness coronavirus project is an international study and is open to ALL women (in the U.S. and other countries) who have completed the first survey. This follow-up study is being done to understand the impact of COVID-19 on women’s birth experience and mental health. The knowledge gained can help inform appropriate care of women during their stay in hospital postpartum units and afterwards. Over 3,200 new mothers have enrolled in our study as of December 28, 2020.

Please see the study ad below:

Calling all moms for our follow-up study! Have you given birth just before or during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak? Harvard and Mass General Hospital researchers are examining the impact of COVID-19 on mothers’ childbirth experience and wellbeing. If you completed the first study survey, we are excited to invite you to participate in our second assessment. Click here to take the survey.

Preventing Postpartum Depression with Oxytocin

Our NIH funded clinical trial introduces a novel therapeutic approach with the use of oxytocin administered to mothers at risk immediately following childbirth. We are testing whether oxytocin, an anxiolytic and pro-social hormone, can reduce postpartum depression and anxiety and boost mother-infant bonding as well as breastfeeding to the ultimate benefit of the child’s health. Boosting mother-infant bonding at a critical stage for infant development can modify the long-term health trajectory of the child. This study is done in collaboration with an interdisciplinary team of Mass General researchers and the Mass General Obstetrics Program. Women who plan to deliver at Mass General are being recruited for this study. Clinical Trial

Predicting Peripartum Depression Using Machine Learning

Peripartum depression (PPD) occurring during pregnancy or after childbirth is the most common complication surrounding childbirth, and in extreme cases, can result in maternal suicide and infanticide. Currently, there are no accurate screening methods to identify women at risk before the condition fully develops. In this NIH funded study, we are using advanced computational methods and integrating the massive health and sociodemographic information in women’s medical records to improve the prediction of a debilitating maternal mental illness. Our model can lay the foundation for effective screening methods using big data. It could be developed into a low-cost screening protocol useful in clinical settings to provide highly informative guidance for clinicians making diagnostic and treatment decisions. This in turn could reduce treatment costs, avoid a potentially preventable disease, and ultimately, improve the quality of care for mothers and their children.

The Maternal Brain: Examining Neural Alterations Following Traumatic Childbirth

As much as a third of women experience a traumatic childbirth and a significant portion can go on to develop PTSD. Nevertheless, research on the underling biological mechanism of this maternal condition that can detect disease biomarkers is completely lacking. Neuroimaging is currently the only technique that provides direct non-invasive access to the living human brain. This NIH funded study is the first of its kind to examine potential changes in the maternal brain associated with traumatic childbirth and the development of PTSD. We use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tasks to reveal the core neural abnormalities of childbirth-related PTSD and how these abnormalities can mediate problems in early mother-infant attachment and impair healthy child development. Elucidating the neural correlates of postpartum PTSD and yielding clinically relevant biomarkers could translate into the development of new therapies and improve clinical diagnosis. This study is open for enrollment.

Childbirth-induced Postpartum Psychological Outcomes

Identifying at risk women for postpartum mental health disorders is crucial for implementing preventive treatment tailored to different symptoms. In this large-scale prospective, longitudinal study, we are examining women’s mental health trajectories from pregnancy through childbirth into the early postpartum period. We study the experience of childbirth and subsequent heterogeneous psychological responses to better capture the dynamic nature of postpartum coping over time. We assess negative as well as positive mental health outcomes induced by the childbirth experience and the factors predicting these responses. Women who plan to deliver at Mass General are recruited for this study, which is conducted in collaboration with Mass General Obstetrics Program. To learn more, contact our team at MothersStudy@partners.org.

Traumatic Childbirth: A Physiological Approach to Study Maternal Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

In this study we are examining the validation of maternal PTSD. To this end, we are using the same experimental methods that have been developed to establish the recognition of combat-related PTSD. We ask whether the memory of childbirth can trigger heightened physiological responses, similarly to the well-documented physiological reactivity seen in veterans diagnosed with PTSD. This study may call for expanding the formal DSM definition of postpartum conditions to include disorders of traumatic stress. Clinical Trial

International Study of Childbirth Characteristics and Subsequent PTSD

We recently completed a study of nearly 700 postpartum women from around the globe, targeting posttraumatic stress symptoms following childbirth. We have found that as much as 12% of women are expected to experience PTSD symptoms at a clinical level after giving birth to a healthy baby at term. Women who have an unscheduled Cesarean are three times more likely to suffer from PTSD.

Overall, our findings show that objective stressors in birth such as mode of delivery and obstetrical complications as well as the woman’s subjective traumatic experience of childbirth predict the development of subsequent PTSD. Socioeconomic disadvantage also increases vulnerability. Furthermore, having symptoms of PTSD can interfere with the mother’s ability to bond with her baby.

How was your childbirth experience?

We at Harvard University and Mass General Hospital are collaborating with other investigators around the globe to improve maternal mental health following childbirth. For this purpose, we would like to learn about your recent childbirth experience.
Let’s work together to collect critical information to ensure that women will receive all the support they deserve around childbirth.

Click here to complete an anonymous survey. It will take ~15 minutes to complete. Please note, this study is only open to those who gave birth at a Harvard-affiliated Hospital within the past 6-12 weeks.

Research Team

Sharon Dekel, PhD | Principal Investigator

Dr. Sharon Dekel is an assistant professor of Psychology of Harvard Medical School. She earned a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University and completed her clinical internship training at Columbia Medical Center followed by a research postdoctoral fellowship in a lead international trauma lab. Dr. Dekel is also a licensed clinical psychologist.

Dr. Dekel has been studying biological and psychological factors associated with ways of coping with stressful events. Her work on the positive outlook of traumatic stress is considered pioneering in the field. Rather than viewing trauma outcomes as exclusively negative, her studies have increased our understanding of the human capacity to thrive in the wake of trauma (see Dekel’s publication record).

Since joining Massachusetts General Hospital in 2013, Dr. Dekel has expanded her research with the investigation of childbirth as a potentially traumatic event. This represents a new frontier in trauma studies. She developed a multidisciplinary research model involving both the Mass General Psychiatric and OB/GYN Departments that has allowed her to study over 4,000 postpartum women. Dr. Dekel is defining the overlooked condition of childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder and working to better understand the transmission of the disorder’s effects to the offspring. By studying childbirth as a model of traumatic stress, she hopes to translate the knowledge gained to improve clinical care of trauma-exposed individuals.

Dr. Dekel is a two time recipient of the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation’s Young Investigator Award, Mass General’s Claflin Distinguished Scholar Award for Women in Science, the MGH’s Executive Committee On Research ISF funding, the Harvard Mind Brain Behavior Faculty Award, and a recent recipient of Postpartum Support International Susan A. Hickman Memorial Research Award for excellence in scientific work on postpartum mental health. She has been continually supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Dekel is on the Editorial Board of PLOS ONE, Frontiers in Psychology, where she edited a special volume on childbirth-PTSD, and Journal of Psychological Trauma, the American Psychological Association’s lead traumatic stress journal. Dr. Dekel is also Chair of the Postpartum Trauma Special Interest Group of the International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies, which is the largest professional organization in the field.

Our Team

Karen Vasquez, MD | Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Karen received her medical degree in Bogota, Colombia. She is primarily working on the Maternal Brain Study to reveal biomarkers of impairment in maternal-infant bonding and assists Dr. Dekel in initiatives to increase representation of minority women in research. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, hiking and experiencing different cultures.

Kathleen Jagodnik, PhD | Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Kathleen earned her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University. Her work focuses on using Machine Learning to identify risk factors of childbirth-associated PTSD (CB-PTSD) and developing computational models to estimate women’s risk for CB-PTSD in developed and developing countries. In her free time, she enjoys reading, composing electronic music, conducting completist music reviews, and pursuing various creative projects.

Gabriella Hamlett, MA | PhD Graduate Student

Gabriella is a Clinical Psychology Ph.D. student at Harvard University. She is interested in emotion regulatory processes underlying the onset and maintenance of PTSD, anxiety, and OCD, particularly in peripartum women. Gabriella is conducting her first year Ph.D. project in the Lab where she plans to use network analysis to study the dynamic relationships between trauma symptoms, emotion regulation, and external factors across the perinatal period. Gabriella completed her M.A. at Teachers College, Columbia University in 2020 and her B.S. at the UC Davis in 2017.

Megan Rausch, BS | Graduate Student

Megan earned her B.S. in Psychology from University of Idaho and is now pursuing her master's degree at Harvard Extension School in Biological Sciences. She is preforming her Master’s thesis in the Lab where she is studying postpartum psychiatric illnesses in Black and Hispanic women and how racial discrimination contributes to adverse birth outcomes. In the future, Megan hopes to become a Physician Assistant and work in psychiatry or neurology wards. In her free time, she enjoys exploring New England, hiking, painting, and making creative content for social media.

Sabrina Chan, BS | Clinical Research Coordinator

Sabrina earned a B.S. in Behavioral Neuroscience from Northeastern University and conducted her honors thesis in the lab on the effect of intranasal oxytocin on postpartum depression and maternal infant bonding. Over the course of her four years at the Lab, she has authored 9 publications, of which two are first author (PMID: 32480118, PMID: 35640702) and 1 is co-first author (PMID: 35772629), and has presented her work in two poster presentations at ISTSS (2019, 2020). In her free time, she enjoys painting, reading, and learning how to box.

Rachel Reich, BS | Clinical Research Coordinator

Rachel is a recent graduate of Cornell University where she studied Human Development and Inequality Studies. In the lab, she coordinates the Maternal Wellbeing and BIRTH Studies. She is also involved in the lab’s international collaboration to study postpartum women in Nigeria. She hopes to one day become a doula. In her free time, Rachel enjoys going to the public library and baking birthday cakes for her friends.

Georgia Woscoboinik, BS | Clinical Research Coordinator

Georgia is a recent graduate from Yale University, where she earned a B.S. in Cognitive Science and a Certificate of Advanced Language Study in French. In the lab, she coordinates the Maternal Brain Study and a clinical trial targeted at preventing CB-PTSD. In her free time, she enjoys travelling and cooking for her family and friends. After her time at MGH, Georgia hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.

Adi Titelman Ashkenazy, MA Student | Clinical Research Coordinator

Adi recently moved to Boston from Israel with her husband and baby daughter. She has bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Philosophy and is expected to receive her master’s in clinical psychology in the very near future. In the lab, she is involved with manuscript writing and assessments of mothers and infants. Adi loves animals (especially cats), and if she wasn't on the path to completing her certifications as a psychologist, she would likely work in wildlife conservation.

Ananya Iyengar, BS | Clinical Research Coordinator

Ananya recently graduated from Northeastern University, where she earned a B.S. in Biology. She joined the Lab in the spring of 2021, as part of Northeastern’s co-op program, and has primarily worked on studying mothers and babies as part of the Maternal Brain Study. She is first author on a recent publication, PMID: 35598158. She currently applying to medical schools. Outside of school and research, Ananya enjoys photography and cooking.

Kayla Paul | Research Student

Kayla is a senior at Boston University majoring in Neuroscience. She has been working on her senior thesis with the lab and is involved in both the Maternal Brain Study and the Nigeria Project. After she graduates, she hopes to continue a path in medicine. During her free time, she enjoys painting.

Reet Kaur | Research Student

Reet is an undergraduate student majoring in Neuro-Philosophy at Boston University. She helps to recruit participants and input data from the Mother’s Wellbeing study. Reet thoroughly enjoys SoulCycle and loves to travel whenever she can.

Sargam Choudhury | Research Student

Sargam is a junior studying Neuroscience and Medical Anthropology while partaking in the dual degree BA/MPH program at Boston University. She is involved in the Maternal Wellbeing Study and takes part in recruitment and data entry. Sargam hopes to become a surgeon one day, while also working in health policy and law. Outside of school and research, she enjoys cooking and reading.

Mor Breger | Research Volunteer

Mor moved to Boston with her family a year ago after completing her master's degree in Neuroscience. She is also a licensed clinical psychologist in Israel and is involved in philanthropy activities and data coding in the Lab. Whenever she has free time, you'll probably find her doing CrossFit, listening to music, or spending time with friends and family.

Devin Merriman | Research Student

Devin is a 4th year student at Northeastern University pursuing a major in Psychology with a minor in Behavioral Neuroscience. As a Co-Op Intern in the Lab, Devin is contributing to various research activities and is involved in both the BIRTH and INTERSECT Studies. She hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. In her free time, Devin enjoys horseback riding and cooking.

Salma Mokhtar | Research Student

Salma is a sophomore at Northeastern University majoring in Behavioral Neuroscience. As a Co-Op Intern in the Lab, Salma is assisting with the recruitment and assessments of mothers in the Maternal Brain Study and is also involved in the BIRTH Study and NIGERIA Project. She hopes to pursue a career in psychiatry in the future. In her free time, Salma enjoys watching films and documentaries and loves drawing.

Rosa Hahn | Research Student

Rosa is a 4th year undergraduate student at Northeastern University majoring in Health Science and minoring in Psychology. In the Lab, she is completing a Co-Op Internship. She plans to attend medical school after graduating and become an OBGYN. Outside of school and research, Rosa is a Team USA figure skater and also enjoys traveling.

Isha Arora | Research Student

Isha is currently pursuing master’s in data science from Northeastern University. She is completing her Co-Op Internship in the Lab. Her work focuses on using machine learning to improve the early identification of women at risk for mental illness following childbirth. In her free time, Isha enjoys reading, dancing, and trying out different recipes and cuisines.

Collaborators

Roger Pitman, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Scott Orr, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Anjali Kaimal, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Elizabeth Lawson, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Linda Mayes, MD, Yale University
Lauren Hanley, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Sara Bates, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Ahmed Tawakol, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
George Bonanno, PhD, Columbia University
Peter Tsvetkov, PhD, Broad Institute
Lisa Shin, PhD, Tufts University
Zahava Solomon, PhD, Tel Aviv University, Israel
Ruth Feldman, PhD, Interdisciplinary Center, Israel
Tsachi Ein Dor, PhD, Interdisciplinary Center, Israel
Rachel Yehuda, PhD, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Jeffery Rosen, PhD, University of Delware

Research Positions

We have ongoing research opportunities in our lab. To learn about postdoctoral and research fellowship positions, please contact Dr. Sharon Dekel at sdekel@mgh.harvard.edu

Research Volunteers: We are seeking student volunteers to assist with the operation of ongoing clinical research studies in our lab. Primarily responsibilities will involve screening candidates and recruiting subjects, data entry, and assisting with conducting the biological and psychological assessments of subjects as needed. Ideal candidates will be highly motivated with the strong interpersonal skills necessary to interact with patients and succeed in a dynamic work environment. If you are interested, please send your cover letter and resume to our clinical research coordinator, Ms. Rachel Reich at RREICH@mgh.harvard.edu.

News and Achievements

Lab Achievements

Bravo!!! Dr. Dekel has been award a 5-year NIH R01 grant to study 1,000 pregnant women and reveal the risk factors and course of PTSD following childbirth and its impact on the developing child. Thank you NICHD for supporting science to promote maternal mental health.
Dr. Dekel is the recipient of the 2022 MGH ECOR ISF Research Award in support of her work on PTSD following childbirth
Dr. Dekel was awarded in June 2021 an NIH grant to promote diversity in health related-research. Congratulations!
Great news! Our lab has received Harvard’s 2020-2021 Mind Brain Behavior Research Relief Faculty Award!
Dr. Dekel was awarded an NIH grant entitled “Neural underpinnings of postpartum adaptation following traumatic delivery and implications for infant development"
Dr. Dekel was awarded an NIH grant entitled “Predictive modeling of peripartum depression”
Dr. Dekel has been awarded the Harvard’s 2020 Mind Brain Behavior Interfaculty Initiative faculty award!
Congratulations to Dr. Dekel for receiving Mass General's Executive Committee On Research Award, 2019 Deliberative Interim Support Funding
Congratulations to Dr. Dekel for receiving the 2019 CFD Award

Highlighted Mentions in News

2018

Q&A with Dr. Sharon Dekel: Understanding Postpartum PTSD, Advances in Motion
Nearly Dying In Childbirth: Why Preventable Complications Are Growing In U.S., NPR
Mass General Awards and Honors, Mass General News

2017

Severe Complications for Women During Childbirth are Skyrocketing - And Could Often be Prevented, ProPublica
105 Questions That Could Predict PTSD Risk, Science Magazine
PTSD Affects 1 in 11 New Moms… So Why Don’t We Hear More About It? NBC Today

2016

The Mothers Who Can’t Escape the Trauma of Childbirth, The Atlantic

Publications

View all publications of the Dekel Lab

Selected Publications (Most recent first)

Peripartum effects of synthetic oxytocin: The good, the bad, and the unknown. Rashidi M, Maier E, Dekel S, Sütterlin M, Wolf RC, Ditzen B, Grinevich V, Herpertz SC. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 141. 2022, 104859. PMID: 36087759. DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104859

Identifying Women with Post-Delivery Posttraumatic Stress Disorder using Natural Language Processing of Personal Childbirth Narratives. Bartal A, Jagodnik KM, Chan MSJ, Babu MMS, Dekel S. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM. 2022 Dec 9;:100834. doi: 10.1016/j.ajogmf.2022.100834. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 36509356; NIHMSID:NIHMS1856600.

Identifying women with post-delivery posttraumatic stress disorder using Natural Language Processing of personal childbirth narratives. Bartal A, Jagodnik KM, Chan SJ, Babu MS, Dekel S. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM. 2022 December 8. doi: 10.1016/j.aojgmf.2022.100834. Preprint. DOI: DOI: 10.1101/2022.08.30.22279394

Traumatic childbirth during COVID-19 triggers maternal psychological growth and in turn better mother-infant bonding. Babu MS, Chan SJ, Ein-Dor T, Dekel S.. J Affect Disord. 2022 Jun 27; 313:163-166. PMID: 35772629. PMCID: PMC7889625

Validation of Childbirth-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Using Psychophysiological Assessment. Chan SJ, Thiel F, Kaimal AJ, Pitman RK, Orr SP, Dekel S.. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2022 May 28. PMID: 35640702.

Increased traumatic childbirth and postpartum depression and lack of exclusive breastfeeding in Black and Latinx individuals. Iyengar AS, Ein-Dor T, Zhang EX, Chan SJ, Kaimal AJ, Dekel S. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2022 May 22. PMID: 35598158.

COVID‑19 positivity associated with traumatic stress response to childbirth and no visitors and infant separation in the hospital. Mayopoulos GA, Ein-Dor T, Li KG, Chan SJ, Dekel S. Scientific Reports. 2021, 11:1353; doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-92985-4

Association of sexual assault history with traumatic childbirth and subsequent PTSD. Berman Z, Thiel F, Kaimal AJ, Dekel S. Archives of Women’s Mental Health. 2021. DOI: 10.1007/s00737-021-01129-0.

COVID-19 is associated with traumatic childbirth and subsequent mother-infant bonding problems. Mayopoulos GA, Ein-Dor T, Dishy GA, Nandru R, Chan SJ, Hanley LE, Kaimal AJ, Dekel S. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2021; DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.12.101

Traumatic memories of childbirth relate to maternal postpartum posttraumatic stress disorder. Thiel F, Berman Z, Dishy GA, Chan SJ, Seth H, Tokala M, Pitman RK, Dekel S. Journal of Anxiety Disorders. 2021;77: 102342. DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102342.

Maternal psychological growth following childbirth. Berman Z, Thiel F, Dishy GA, Chan SJ, Dekel S. Archives of Women’s Mental Health. 2020. DOI: 10.1007/s00737-020-01053-9.

Risk factors for developing posttraumatic stress disorder following childbirth. Chan SJ, Ein-Dor T, Mayopoulos P, Mesa M, Sunda R, McCarthy B, Kaimal A, Dekel S. Psychiatry Research. May 2020;290: 113090. 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113090

Beyond postpartum depression: Posttraumatic stress-depressive response following childbirth. Dekel S, Ein-Dor T, Dishy G, Mayopoulos P. Archives of Women’s Mental Health. 2020;23: 557-564. DOI:10.1007/s00737-019-01006-x. PMID: 31650283

Peritraumatic dissociation in childbirth-evoked posttraumatic stress and postpartum mental health. Thiel F, Dekel S. Archives of Women’s Mental Health. 2019; 23: 189-197. PMID: 31115689. DOI: 10.1007/s00737-019-00978-0

Delivery mode is associated with maternal mental health following childbirth. Dekel S, Ein-Dor T, Berman Z, Barsoumian I, Agarwal S, Pitman RK. Archives of Women’s Mental Health. 2019; 22: 817–824. PMID: 31041603. DOI: 10.1007/s00737-019-00968-2

Dynamic course of peripartum depression across pregnancy and childbirth. Dekel S, Ein-Dor T, Ruohomäki, A, Lampi J, Voutilainen S, Tuomainen TP, Heinonen S, Kumpulainen K, Pekkanen J, Keski-Nisula L, Pasanen M, Lehto SM. Journal of Psychiatric Research. 2019; 113:72-78. PMID: 30921631.

Is childbirth-induced PTSD associated with low maternal attachment? Dekel S, Thiel F, Dishy G, Ashenfarb A. Archives of Women’s Mental Health. 2019; 22:119-122. PMID: 29786116. DOI: 10.1007/s00737-018-0853-y

Examining symptom clusters of childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder. Thiel F, Ein-Dor T, Dishy G, King A, Dekel S. The Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders. 2018; 20(5). PMID: 30277674.

Differences in cortisol response to trauma activation in individuals with and without comorbid PTSD and depression. Dekel S, Ein-Dor T, Rosen JB, Bonanno GA. Frontiers in Psychology. 2017; 8:797. PMID: 28572779.

Childbirth induced posttraumatic stress syndrome: A systematic review of prevalence and risk factors. Dekel S, Stuebe C, Dishy G. Frontiers in Psychology. 2017; 8:560. PMID: 28443054. DOI: 10.1007/s00737-018-0853-y

Peripartum depression, traditional culture, and Israeli society. Dekel S, Stanger V, Georgakopoulos ER, Stuebe CM, Dishy GA. Journal of Clinical Psychology. 2016; 72(8):784-94. PMID: 27487164.

PTSD symptoms lead to modification in the memory of the trauma: a prospective study of former prisoners of war. Dekel S, Solomon Z, Ein-Dor T. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 2016; 77(3):e290-6. PMID: 26796992.

Posttraumatic stress disorder and depressive symptoms: joined or independent sequelae of trauma? Dekel S, Solomon Z, Horesh D, Ein-Dor T. Journal of Psychiatric Research. 2014; 54:64-9. PMID: 24703578.

Cortisol and PTSD symptoms among male and female high-exposure 9/11 survivors. Dekel S, Ein-Dor T, Gordon KM, Rosen JB, Bonanno GA. Journal of Traumatic Stress. 2013; 26(5):621-5. PMID: 24030869.

Changes in trauma memory and patterns of posttraumatic stress. Dekel S, Bonanno G. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice and Policy. 2013; 5(1):26-34.

Secondary salutogenic effects in veterans whose parents were Holocaust survivors? Dekel S, Solomon Z, Rozenstreich E. Journal of Psychiatric Research. 2013; 47(2):266-71. PMID: 23168139.

Self-enhancement among high-exposure survivors of the September 11th terrorist attack: resilience or social maladjustment? Bonanno GA, Rennicke C, Dekel S. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2005; 88(6):984-98. PMID:15982117.

Pioneering Psychiatry Research

The integration of patient care and clinical research has been a hallmark of the Department of Psychiatry for more than 30 years. Today, the department has the largest clinical research program in the hospital, with studies at the forefront of neuroscience, molecular biology and genetics.

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