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Research Areas

  • Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

  • Chronic pain interventions 

  • Chronic pain and couples 

  • DBT for PTSD and borderline personality traits 

  • Suicidality in military, veteran, and police populations

Current Projects

Residual Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder After Evidence-Based Trauma Treatment

Impact of Group Based Unlearn Your Pain Method on Military and Veterans with Chronic Pain: A Prospective One Arm Cohort Study

 

The Interaction of PTSD Symptoms and Concurrent Pain in Canadian Armed Forces Veterans

Childhood Abuse and Suicidality in a Clinical Sample of Military, Paramilitary, and Veterans

2021

  • Holens, P., Rock, L., Buhler, J., Southall, M., Imbrogno, L., Désorcy-Nantel, C., Romaniuk, A. (2021) An initial program evaluation of a group-based pain reprocessing therapy for military and veterans. Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health. (Invited for revision)

2019

  • Sommer, J. L., Roy, R., Holens, P. L., & El-Gabalawy, R. (In press). Military Stress, Chronic Pain, and Comorbidity. In M. Incayawar, S. Maldonado-Bouchard, & M. R. Clark (Eds.) Overlapping Pain and Psychiatric Syndromes. Oxford University Press. http://www.runajambi.org/pain-psychiatry/index.html

  • Larsen, S., Bellmore, A., Gobin, R., Holens, P.L., Lawrence, K., Pacella, M. (in press). An initial review of residual symptoms after empirically supported trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral psychological treatment. Journal of Anxiety Disorders.

  • Libbrecht, A., Paluszek, M., Romaniuk, A., Holens, P. L. Qualitative Review of an Online Chronic Pain Treatment for Military, Police and Veterans. Canadian Journal of Pain (submitted)

2018

  • Averill, L.A., Smith, N.B., Holens, P.L., Sippel, L.M., Bellmore, A.R., Mota, N.P., Sareen, J., Southwick, S.M., Pietrzak, R.P. (2018). Sex differences in correlates of risk and resilienceassociated with military sexual trauma in US Veterans: Preliminary results from theNational Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, & Trauma. doi: 10.1080/10926771.2018.1522408

  •  Sareen, J., Holens, P., Turner, S., et al. (2018). Report of the 2016 Mental Health Expert Panel on Suicide Prevention in the Canadian Armed Forces. Journal of Military, Veteran, and Family Health (4), 70-89. doi:10.3138/jmvfh.2017-004

  • Holens, P. L., Klassen, K., Buhler, J., & Paluszek, M. (2018). Predictors of Completion of an Online Chronic Pain Management Program for Military and Police. Abstract in Canadian Journal of Pain, Vol. 2, No. 1.

  • Holens, P. L., Buhler, J., Paluszek, M., Klassen, K., Imbrogno, L., Librecht, A., & Joyal, B. (2018). Preliminary Analyses of a Randomized Controlled Trial of an Online Chronic Pain Treatment for Military and Police. Abstract in Canadian Journal of Pain, Vol. 2, No. 1.

2017

  • Holens, P. L., Buhler, J. N., Klassen, K., Sharpe, D., (2017). Preliminary trial of an online acceptance-based behavioural treatment for military, police, and veterans with chronic pain. Journal of Military, Veteran, and Family Health, 3(2), 12-21. doi:10.3138/jmvfh.4315

  •  Sareen, J., Holens, P. L., Turner, S. (2017). Report of the 2016 Mental Health Expert Panel
    on Suicide Prevention in the Canadian Armed Forces. National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces, Government of Canada. http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/about-reports-pubs-health/report-suicide-expert-panel-caf-2016.page

2015

  • Averill, L., Fleming, C., Holens, P., & Larsen, S. (2015). Research on PTSD prevalence in OEF/OIF Veterans: Expanding investigation of demographic variables. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 6(1), Article 27322.

  • Averill, L., Eubanks Fleming, C., Holens, P., & Larsen, S. (2015, July 16). Why demographics –
    including sexual orientation – matter in PTSD research [Web log post by Alisic, E.]. https://trauma-recovery.net/2015/07/16/why-demographics-including-sexual-orientation-matter-in-ptsd-research/.

2013

  • Holens, P.L., Gilberto, A., Simister, H., & Klassen, K. (2013). Treating Chronic Pain in a Military Population . . . When it Hurts Too Much to Attend a Session. Psynopsis, 35(4),p. 14-15

Selected Conference Presentations

  • Holens, P., Southall, M., Desorcy-Nantel, C., Libbrecht, A., Buhler, J., Rock, L. (2020, November). A Comparison of Results of a Pain Reprocessing Group Intervention Offered In Person Versus Via Video Conferencing: The Impact of COVID-19. Accepted by the Canadian Pain Society for the 2021 Virtual Scientific Meeting.

  • Joyal, B., Holens, P., Buhler, J., Desorcy-Nantel, C., Rock, L., Southall, M. (2019, November). The Development of a Measure for Examining Cannabis Use in Trauma-Affected Populations. 35th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Boston, MA, USA. 

  • Holens, P. L., Buhler, J. N., Libbrecht, A., Klassen, K. The Impact of a DBT Skills Group for Military and Veterans with PTSD and Borderline Personality Traits. Poster presented at the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies Annual Conference in Washington, DC in November 2018.

  • Buhler, J., & Holens, P.  A randomized controlled trial of an online chronic pain treatment for military, police, and veterans. Poster presented at the 29th International Congress of Applied Psychology, Montreal, QC. in June 2018.

  • Holens, P., Buhler, J., Paluszek, M. M., Klassen, K., Imbrogno, L., Libbrecht, A., & Joyal, B. (May 2018). Preliminary results of a randomized control trial for chronic pain for military and RCMP.  Poster presented at The Canadian Pain Society Annual Scientific Meeting, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.

  • Holens, P., Buhler, J., Klassen, K., & Paluszek, M. M. (May 2018). Predictors of Completion of an Online Chronic Pain Management Program for Military and Police. Poster Presented at The Canadian Pain Society Annual Scientific Meeting, Montréal, Quebec, Canada. 

  • Averill, L. A., Smith, N.B., Holens, P.L., Sippel, L. M., Bellmore, A. R., Mota, N.P., Sareen, J.,Southwick, S.M., Pietrzak, R.H., (2017, November).Sex Differences in Correlates of
    Risk and Resilience Associated with Military Sexual Trauma in U.S. Veterans: Preliminary Results from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. Poster presented at 33rdAnnual Meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

  • Holens, P. L., Sareen, J, & Tuner, S. (2017, September).  Report of the 2016 Mental Health Expert Panel on Suicide Prevention in the Canadian Armed Forces. Podium presentation.Canadian Institute of Military and Veteran Health Research Annual Conference. Toronto, Ontario.

  • Buhler, J. & Holens, P. L. (2017, June). Efficacy of Online Chronic Pain Treatment for Military, RCMP, and Veterans. Poster presentation. Canadian Psychological Association National
    Convention, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

  • Holens, P. L., Klassen, K., & Buhler, J. (2016, November). Factors Impacting Treatment Retention in an Online Chronic Pain Management Program for Military and Veterans.Poster presented at 32nd Annual Meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Dallas, Texas, USA.

  • Holens, P. L., Buhler, J., & Klassen, K. (2015, November). Results from a Pilot Study of an Online Chronic Pain Treatment for Military, RCMP, and Veterans. Paper presented at the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research Forum 2015, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.

  • Holens, P. L., Buhler, J., & Klassen, K  (2015, May). A Pilot Study of an Online Chronic Pain Treatment for Military, RCMP, and Veterans. Poster presentation. Canadian Pain Society Annual Conference. Charlottetown, PEI, Canada.

  • Holens, P. L., Klassen, K., & Chaulk, S. (2014, November). Child Abuse History and Suicidality among Military and RCMP at an Outpatient Mental Health Clinic. Poster presentation. International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. Poster presented at the meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Miami, Florida.

  • Holens, P. L., Simister, H., Klassen, K., & Gilberto, A. (2013, May). Development of an Online Chronic Pain Program for Individuals with a Military/RCMP Background. Poster presentation. Canadian Pain Society Annual Conference. Winnipeg, Manitoba.

  • Holens, P. L., Simister, H., Klassen, K., & Gilberto, A. (November, 2012). Creating an Online Acceptance-Based Behavioural Therapy for Chronic Pain in a Military Population. Poster presentation. Canadian Institute of Military and Veteran Health Research 3rd Annual Conference. Kingston, Ontario.

  • Whitney, D.L., Laforce, J.C., Klassen, K., Enns, C.J., Walsh, T., & Holens, P. (November, 2012). Expanding the Delivery of Evidence-based Treatment for Service-related PTSD using Video Teleconferencing. Paper presented at the International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies 28th Annual Meeting. Los Angeles, CA.

  • Holens, P. L., & De Luca, R. V. (November, 2011). The Impact of Early Trauma on Adult Attachment Relationships. Poster presentation. International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. Baltimore, Maryland.

  • Holens, P. L., Gilberto, A., & Klassen, K. (November, 2011). Co-occurring Chronic Pain and Operational Stress Injuries: Can an Acceptance Approach to Group Treatment be Effective? Winnipeg Regional Health Authority Pain Day Conference. Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Selected Publications

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