Maegan M. Paxton-Willing, PhD, MPH
PhD, Medical Psychology, USUHS
MPH, concentration in Biostatistics and Epidemiology, USUHS
Certificate, Introduction to Foundations of Health Professions Education, USUHS
My primary research interests include the development, correlates, and treatment of sleep and posttraumatic stress disorder in service members, with a particular emphasis on post traumatic nightmares as well as the use of creative arts therapies for improving service member mental health.
Postdoctoral Fellowship - Center for Deployment Psychology, USU
Suicide Prevention Dissemination and Implementation Scholar, Outcomes to Military Implementation Scholars Program (OMISP)
| Rodden, J., Rogers, T., Dolan, D., & Paxton Willing, M. M. (in press). Sleep health isn’t optional, it’s operational: Introducing the biopsychosocial model of sleep deprivation on warfighter readiness. Military medicine. |
| Paxton Willing, M. M., Rodden, J., Bazzi, A. R., Preilipper, S., & Thompson, L. (in press). A critical look at the challenges of conducting de-identified military surveys. Military medicine, usaf633, https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usaf633 |
| Quilter, C., Paxton Willing, M. M., & Tanofsky-Kraff, M. (2026). Factors impacting military sexual trauma survivors’ journey to recovery: Mental health specialists’ perspectives. Psychological Services. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/ser0001027 |
| Burgin, E. E., Frick, E. R., & Paxton Willing, M. M. (2025). Collective impact: A practitioner-scholar framework for serving military-connected youth. Journal of child & adolescent counseling, 11(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/23727810.2025.2497102 |
| Paxton Willing, M. M., Tate, L. L., Riggs, D. S., DeGraba, T. J., Sours Rhodes, C., & Pickett, T. C. (2024). The Association of Mental Health Symptoms to Post-Traumatic Nightmares Among Treatment Seeking Active Duty Service Members. Military medicine, usae334. https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usae334 |
| Paxton Willing, M. M., Nevers, J., Nofziger, D., Rogers, T., & Riggs, D. S. (2024). Lessons learned from efforts to prevent behavioral health problems and promote mental wellbeing in the US military. Mental health & prevention, 34, 200330. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhp.2024.200330 |
| Boska, R. L., Bishop, T. M., Capron, D. W., Paxton Willing, M. M., & Ashrafioun, L. (2024). Difficulties with emotion regulation within PTSD clusters and moral injury subtypes. Military psychology, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1080/08995605.2024.2322904 |
| Paxton Willing, M. M., Tate, L. L., O’Gallagher, K. G., Evatt, D. P., & Riggs, D. S. (2022). In-theater mental health disorders among U.S. soldiers deployed between 2008 and 2013. Medical surveillance monthly report (MSMR), 29(11), 11-17. https://www.health.mil/Reference-Center/Reports/2022/11/01/Medical-Surveillance-Monthly-Report-Volume-29-Number-11 |
| Paxton Willing, M. M., Srikanchana, R. A., Pickett, T. C., Ollinger, J. M., Riggs, D. S., Werner, J. K., Rhodes, C. S. (2022). Examination of the AMPHAC Model of disturbing dreams in male active duty service members. Psychiatry research: Neuroimaging, 327, 111546. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pscychresns.2022.111546 |
| Danahy, M. P., Paxton Willing, M. M., Tate, L. L., Shuping, E., Riggs, D. S. (2022). Psychological factors influencing post-deployment respiratory distress in OEF/OIF Veterans. Military psychology, 35(6), 529-538. https://doi.org/10.1080/08995605.2022.2131189 |
| Paxton Willing, M. M., Tate, L. L., Spangler, P. T., Benedek, D., & Riggs, D. S. (2021). An examination of mediators in the relationship of PTSD to quality of life in a military sample. Military behavioral health, 10(4) 319-327. https://doi.org/10.1080/21635781.2021.2013352 |
| Paxton Willing, M. M., Pickett, T. C., Tate, L. L., Rhodes, C., Riggs, D. S., & DeGraba, T. (2021). Understanding the role of sleep on suicidal ideation in active duty service members: Implications for clinical practice. Practice innovations, 6(2), 67-76. https://doi.org/10.1037/pri0000146 |
| Paxton Willing, M. M., Mallonee, S., Reo, G. M., Phillips, J. M., Carrier, D. L. & Riggs, D. S. (2020). Training in evidence based psychotherapies in the wake of COVID-19: An examination of online training. Military psychologist, 35(2), 12-15. https://www.militarypsych.org/uploads/8/5/4/5/85456500/tmp_summer_2020_vol_3 |
| Tate, L. L., Paxton Willing, M. M., French, L., Law, W., Bennion, L. D., Sullivan, K., & Riggs, D. S. (2020). The effect of mTBI and PTSD symptoms on computerized cognitive performance: Results from a sample of treatment-seeking active duty US service members. Military psychology, 33(1), 23-28. https://doi.org/10.1080/08995605.2020.1842037 |
Area of Research
Institution Affiliations
HJF Research Psychologist in support of the NEA's Creative Forces