Kate Walsh

Research areas
Clinical
Gender & Women’s Studies
Institute for Diversity Science

I WILL be accepting doctoral students for Fall 2024.

Lab website: https://pivotlab.psych.wisc.edu

Research interests
Dr. Walsh’s interdisciplinary program of research focuses on the intersection of trauma exposure, mental health conditions, and substance misuse with a particular focus risk factors for and outcomes of sexual violence.

One line of research addresses risk factors for sexual violence perpetration and victimization in multiple contexts, including in college and the military. This research focuses on understanding risk factors at multiple ecological levels (individual, interpersonal, and broader environmental/societal) with the goal of developing multi-level prevention programs that are tailored to specific environments. Some work also uses daily diary methods to better understand proximal risk factors for drinking and sexual behavior.

A second line of research focuses on secondary prevention and treatment of negative sequelae associated with sexual violence victimization including posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and substance use disorders. Dr. Walsh has been an investigator on a brief intervention delivered to women presenting to the Emergency Department for a rape-related medical exam that has been associated with reductions in PTSD symptoms and substance use over a 6-month follow-up. She also is interested in understanding psychobiological mechanisms underlying the development of psychopathology, including emotion dysregulation and cortisol reactivity, with the goal of translating this knowledge into more effective treatment programming.

Representative Publications
Walsh, K., Gilmore, A. K., Jaffe, A. E., Frazier, P., Ledray, L., Acierno, R., … & Resnick, H. S. (2023). A preliminary examination of sexual and physical victimization 6 months after recent rape. Archives of women’s mental health, 1-7.

Walsh, K., Mehta, A. H., Buehler, Z., Wall, M., Santelli, J., Hirsch, J. S., & Mellins, C. A. (2023). The socio-ecological context of US college student drinking: A latent class analysis. Addictive behaviors, 141, 107666.

Walsh, K., Gilmore, A. K., Barr, S. C., Frazier, P., Ledray, L., Acierno, R., Ruggiero, K.J., Kilpatrick, D.G., & Resnick, H. S. (2022). The role of discrimination experiences in postrape adjustment among racial and ethnic minority women. Journal of interpersonal violence, 37(19-20), NP17325-NP17343.

Walsh, K., Gilmore, A.K., Frazier, P., Ledray, L., Acierno, R., Ruggiero, K.J., Kilpatrick, D.G., & Resnick, H.S. (2017). A randomized clinical trial examining the effect of video-based prevention of alcohol and marijuana use among recent sexual assault victims. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 41, 2163-2172.

Walsh, K., Zinzow, H., Badour, C., Ruggiero, K.J., Kilpatrick, D., & Resnick, H.S. (2016). Understanding disparities in service seeking following forcible versus drug or alcohol facilitated/incapacitated rape. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 31, 2475-2491.

Walsh, K., Keyes, K.M., Koenen, K.C., & Hasin, D. (2015). Lifetime prevalence of gender-based violence in US women: Associations with mental and substance use disorders. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 62, 7-13.

Walsh, K., Galea, S., Cerda, M., Richards, C., Liberzon, I., Tamburrino, M., Calabrese, J., & Koenen, K. (2014). Unit support protects against sexual harassment and assault among National Guard soldiers. Women’s Health Issues, 24, 600-604.

Walsh, K., Nugent, N.R., Kotte, A., Amstadter, A.B., Wang, S., Guille, C., Acierno, R., Kilpatrick, D.G., & Resnick, H.S. (2013). Cortisol at the emergency room rape visit as a predictor of PTSD and depression symptoms over time. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 38, 2520-8.

Walsh, K., Koenen, K., Aiello, A.E., Uddin, M., & Galea, S. (2013). Prevalence of sexual violence and posttraumatic stress disorder in an urban African-American population. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 1-4.

Walsh, K., Danielson, C.K., McCauley, J., Saunders, B.E., Kilpatrick, D.G., & Resnick, H.S. (2012). National prevalence of PTSD among sexually revictimized adolescent, college, and adult women. Archives of General Psychiatry, 69, 935-942.