--- title: "14.42: What Independent Veteran PTSD Recovery Research Measured" url: https://warriorwod.org/veteran-ptsd-recovery-research-veterans-day-2026/ date: 2026-11-11T11:00:05+00:00 modified: 2026-11-10T22:03:55+00:00 lang: en_US --- # 14.42: What Independent Veteran PTSD Recovery Research Measured Research & Outcomes | Veterans Day 2026 The number is 14.42. That is the average drop in PCL-5 score that WarriorWOD veterans achieved in a study conducted independently by the [College of Charleston](https://cofc.edu). Veterans averaged 43.37 at intake and 28.95 at program completion. The clinical PTSD threshold on the [PCL-5](https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/assessment/adult-sr/ptsd-checklist.asp) sits between 31 and 33. Veterans entered the study above it. They exited below it. This is what the veteran PTSD recovery research shows, and it was not conducted by us. ![WarriorWOD veteran PTSD recovery research: 14.42-point average PCL-5 reduction, 43.37 at intake to 28.95 at completion. Independent College of Charleston study under peer review.](https://warriorwod.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/warriorwod-14-42-pcl5-veteran-ptsd-recovery-research-veterans-day-2026.png) *14.42-point average PCL-5 reduction. Independent College of Charleston study. Under peer review.* 14.42 Point average reduction in PCL-5 scores 43.37 Average PCL-5 at intake (above PTSD threshold) 28.95 Average PCL-5 at completion (below threshold) d = 1.33 Cohen's d effect size. Large is above 0.8. Study ## The Study and Who Conducted It Dr. Katie Trejo Tello, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences and Administration at the College of Charleston, ran the study under SCTR grant CES-P UM1TR005294. WarriorWOD did not fund it. WarriorWOD did not review it before its release. The result: p \< .001. t(18) = -5.78. Cohen's d = 1.33. n = 21 matched pairs. Cohen's d of 1.33 is what researchers call a large effect size. The threshold for "large" is 0.8. The WarriorWOD result is more than 60% above that threshold. The study is currently under peer review. It has not been published in a journal. That distinction matters, and we state it plainly. The data belongs to the literature, not to us. Measurement ## What the PCL-5 Measures The PCL-5 (PTSD Checklist for DSM-5) is the standard self-report instrument used by VA clinicians and researchers worldwide to track PTSD symptom severity. Scores run from 0 to 80. A score above 31-33 indicates probable PTSD. The veterans in the College of Charleston study averaged 43.37 at intake. Well above the threshold. At the six-month mark, the same veterans averaged 28.95. WarriorWOD administers the PCL-5 at intake and every month through all 26 weeks of the program. That is not a one-time pre/post snapshot. That is a continuous clinical record. 26 data points per veteran, not two. Outcomes ## The 265 Behind the Study The College of Charleston study covers 21 matched pairs. The sample is intentionally narrow. It is a controlled study, not a convenience survey. The statistical result is what it is because the methodology was designed to hold. Behind it are 265 veterans who completed the full six-month WarriorWOD program across 38 states and 12 Warrior Classes. - 90.4% saw a measurable reduction in PTSD symptom severity - Overall PCL-5 severity dropped 38.25% - Avoidance symptoms dropped 35.39% - Hyperarousal dropped 39.66% - Negative cognition dropped 40.38% - Intrusive re-experiencing dropped 36.33% - Substance use dropped 15% - 9 veterans entered the program with prior suicidal ideation. All 9 remain alive. That last number is not in a peer-reviewed journal. It is in our internal monthly outcome tracking: the same measurement protocol, the same PCL-5 and C-SSRS administration, the same 26-week record. We report it here because it is accurate, and because Veterans Day is a reasonable day to say it plainly. Context ## The Science Behind the Veteran PTSD Recovery Research There are 18.2 million US military veterans in this country. The 2023 veteran suicide rate was 35.2 per 100,000, which is 93.4% higher than the non-veteran adult rate of 18.2 per 100,000. Veterans are nearly twice as likely as their civilian peers to die by suicide. Veterans Day is not a problem statement. The purpose of citing those numbers is not to repeat a fact most people already know. The purpose is to frame what "support" is actually required to change them. Short-term programs do not change them. Programs without monthly measurement do not know whether they are changing them. The science behind exercise as a PTSD intervention goes back decades. BDNF, cortisol regulation, the peer-support literature: the research existed before WarriorWOD did. The program was built to match it. The result is 14.42 points. Support ## What $22 a Month Funds $22 a month. Six months. One veteran's complete recovery. That is not a tagline. It is the math: six months of structured exercise, nutrition coaching, continuous PCL-5 and C-SSRS measurement, and a certified Battle Buddy. The full WarriorWOD program, funded by one Warrior Supporter giving $22 a month. WarriorWOD is currently enrolling the next Warrior Class. If you have been considering becoming a monthly donor, the data is above. The commitment is $22 a month. The outcome is documented and independently verified. [Become a Monthly Donor](https://give.warriorwod.org/campaign/788193/donate?recurring=monthly&amount=22) --- If you or a veteran you know is in crisis, contact the [Veterans Crisis Line](https://www.veteranscrisisline.net). Dial 988, press 1, or text 838255.