For current and former members of the military who experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), one of the central difficulties of the disorder is the ability to manage, or down-regulate, their negative emotions. Among other symptoms, people with PTSD are prone to being triggered by stimuli in their environments that remind them of past traumatic events, resulting in escalating negative emotional responses.

What if a tool to help people with PTSD regulate their emotions was as accessible as a smartphone or portable music player?

This is a question being addressed by a study getting underway later this year, led by Drexel University’s Joke Bradt, PhD. Bradt, an associate professor in Drexel’s College of Nursing and Health Professions, is a board certified music therapist and accomplished researcher on the efficacy of music therapy. She has teamed up with collaborators from the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) at the Walter Reed…