E. Alison Holman
Professor of Nursing | UC Irvine
Irvine, CA, UNITED STATES
E. Alison Holman studies the early post-event predictors of co-morbid trauma-related mental and physical health problems.
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Biography
E. Alison Holman's research focuses on understanding the early post-event predictors of comorbid trauma-related mental and physical health problems. She seeks to identify predictors of, contributions of, and interactions between acute responses to trauma (biological, cognitive, emotional, social, environmental, behavioral) that increase vulnerability to trauma-related health problems, especially cardiovascular disease. Toward this end, Holman examines gene-environment interactions and the roles of several biological systems in acute/posttraumatic stress response: renin-angiotensin-aldosterone, endocannabinoid, and oxytocin systems as well as hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis response. The ultimate goal is to identify targets for early interventions to prevent trauma-related morbidity and mortality.
Areas of Expertise (5)
Physical health
Acute Stress
Acute Stress & Cardiovascular Disease
Psychological Trauma
Media Exposure
Education (3)
U.C. Irvine: PhD, Health Psychology 1996
University of California, Santa Cruz: BA, Psychology 1989
San Francisco State University: BS, Nursing 1981
Affiliations (4)
- International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies
- Association for Psychological Science
- American Psychological Association, Divisions of Health Psychology and Trauma Psychology
- California Association for Nurse Practitioners
Links (4)
Media Appearances (6)
Why communities only seem to come together during a crisis, according to science
Fast Company online
2025-02-12
Another expert, Alison Holman, a professor at the UC Irvine School of Nursing … has extensive experience researching the effects of individual and collective traumas, including Southern California wildfires. Like USC’s [John] Brekke, she believes identity is a key factor that drives empathy and altruism during crisis moments. “What may be happening is that people identify, to some extent, with the people, the victims,” she says. “We have found in our work that identifying with victims is really something that helps to encourage people to engage in pro-social behavior.
Collective trauma: the psychological fallout of the LA fires
LAist - AirTalk online
2025-01-29
The LA fires have destroyed whole communities and displaced thousands of families. The psychological effect of such natural disasters is called collective trauma, a stress response felt by an entire community rather than a sole individual. Collective trauma can have physical effects as well. Today on AirTalk we talk about what collective trauma is and how communities are affected in the long term. We’re joined by E. Alison Holman, professor of nursing and psychology at UC Irvine.
Coping with traumatic events like wildfires
KTVU online
2025-01-23
E. Alison Holman, professor at the UC Irvine Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing shares how to cope with traumatic events like the California wildfires and the threat of deportation under the Trump Administration. “What we’ve found with our research is that the more people are exposed to seeing images of the destruction and death, or very violent images, those can be more distressing even than the amount of media the person is exposed to. … It’s really important that people are able to find ways they can connect with other people, so they can feel a sense of safety in the aftermath of such events to help them cope.”
The Gift That Keeps on Giving: Summer Program Prepares Future Leaders in Nursing
Insight Into Diversity online
2025-01-07
Since 2022, The Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) has been offering … a transformative experience that combines research, mentorship, and personal growth for junior nursing students from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), … the Promoting Compassion & Health Equity: Pathways for Minority Nurse Scientists program. … Spearheading the effort is E. Alison Holman, PhD, professor of psychological science, with additional leadership and support from Adey Nyamathi, PhD, Distinguished Professor and founding dean of the nursing school, and professors Jung-Ah Lee, PhD; Dawn Bounds, PhD; and Shelley Burke, DNP.
Graphic images harm our mental health, UC Irvine researchers say
Daily Pilot online
2024-07-24
UC Irvine researchers have found that repeated exposure to graphic photos and videos is being linked to psychological distress, according to the Times’ story by Karen Garcia. … [Roxane] Cohen Silver and [E. Alison] Holman found “a correlation to acute stress, post-traumatic stress symptoms, fear of future attacks and difficulty functioning in work and social life” when people were repeatedly exposed to photos from horrific events.
Graphic imagery online can lead to psychological harm, UC Irvine experts say
Los Angeles Times online
2024-07-19
UC Irvine researchers say repeated exposure to graphic photos and videos is being linked to psychological distress. … Roxane Cohen Silver and E. Alison Holman are researchers and professors in Irvine’s department of psychological science who have been studying the public-health effects of graphic images, including those from the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks; the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013; and the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Fla.
Research Grants (4)
Genetic variation, stress, and functional outcomes after stroke rehabilitation
National Institute of Nursing Research $2,718,925
7/1/2015-6/30/2020
A national longitudinal study of community trauma exposure
National Science Foundation $333,396
1/1/2015-12/31/2017
RAPID: Responding to Terror of a Different Kind: A National Study of the Ebola Epidemic
National Science Foundation $160,306
12/1/14 - 11/30/15
Susceptibility to Acute Stress and Cardiovascular Ailments: A Gene-Environment Analysis
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholar Grant
2010-2013
Articles (5)
Reported Worst Life Events and Media Exposure to Terrorism in a Nationally Representative U.S. Sample
Journal of Traumatic StressRebecca R. Thompson, E. Alison Holman, Roxane Cohen Silver
2020 Indirectly experienced negative life events are not considered Criterion A traumatic events per DSM‐5 posttraumatic stress disorder diagnostic criteria, yet individuals indirectly exposed to trauma via the media may report these events as peak traumatic experiences. We studied which events people considered to be the “worst” in their lifetimes to gain a better understanding of the types of events individuals consider to be distressing.
The Novel Coronavirus (COVID-2019) Outbreak: Amplification of Public Health Consequences by Media Exposure
Health PsychologyDana Rose Garfin, Roxane Cohen Silver, E. Alison Holman
2020 The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-2019) has led to a serious outbreak of often severe respiratory disease, which originated in China and has quickly become a global pandemic, with far-reaching consequences that are unprecedented in the modern era. As public health officials seek to contain the virus and mitigate the deleterious effects on worldwide population health, a related threat has emerged: global media exposure to the crisis.
Associations between exposure to childhood bullying and abuse and adulthood outcomes in a representative national U.S. sample
Child Abuse & NeglectJosiah A Sweeting, Dana Rose Garfin, E Alison Holman, Roxane Cohen Silver
2020 Negative childhood experiences are associated with poor health and psychosocial outcomes throughout one’s lifespan.
Exposure to prior negative life events and responses to the Boston marathon bombings.
Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and PolicyGarfin, Dana Rose; Holman, E. Alison; Silver, Roxane Cohen
2020 Objective: The objective of the study was to explore how type and timing of prior negative life experiences (NLEs) may be linked to responses to subsequent collective trauma, such as a terrorist attack. Method: Using a longitudinal design, we examined relationships between prior NLEs and responses to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings (BMB).
Media Exposure to Collective Trauma, Mental Health, and Functioning: Does It Matter What You See?
Clinical Psychological ScienceE. Alison Holman, Dana Rose Garfin, Pauline Lubens, Roxane Cohen Silver
2019 Media exposure to collective trauma is associated with acute stress (AS) and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Qualities of media exposure (e.g., amount, graphic features) contributing to this distress are poorly understood. A representative national sample (with New York and Boston oversamples; N = 4,675) completed anonymous, online surveys 2 to 4 weeks after the Boston Marathon bombings (BMB; Wave 1, or W1) and again 6 months later (Wave 2, or W2; N = 3,598).
