Transforming Trauma Data into Economic Insight

RITE investigates the measurable links between trauma and economic outcomes using the most reliable tools available from psychology, public health, and economics. Our approach is methodologically agnostic — we adopt any analytical framework that helps us better understand, quantify, and address the long-term costs of trauma.

Our Mission

The Research Institute of Trauma Economy (RITE) seeks to uncover the clearest, most actionable connections between trauma and economic performance — at the individual, community, and societal levels.

We integrate insights from:

  • Psychology & Mental Health – ACEs, toxic stress, PTSD, intergenerational trauma

  • Public Health – Epidemiology, chronic disease tracking, health access

  • Economics – Classical, behavioral, and heterodox models that enhance explanatory power

Our goal is to move beyond surface-level and inaccurate measurements like GDP when they fail to capture lived economic realities, and instead identify metrics that meaningfully reflect well-being, productivity, and resilience.

Research Framework

A holistic, three-pillar model:

  1. Trauma Science
    Grounded in validated clinical and epidemiological research. Includes ACE scoring, mental health prevalence, and the biological effects of toxic stress.

  2. Economics Without Blindspots
    Combining conventional and unconventional economic measures — from wage data and productivity to GINI coefficients, well-being indices, and intergenerational mobility metrics.

  3. Policy in Practice
    Translating data into prevention strategies, targeted investments, and measurable policy recommendations.

Current Projects

  • Pilot: ACEs & Economic Participation in Indigenous Communities
    Investigating how trauma prevalence correlates with labor market participation, educational attainment, and community economic resilience.

  • Cross-National Analysis: Trauma & Workforce Productivity
    Mapping trauma prevalence to productivity and absenteeism data across OECD countries.

  • Well-being Index Development
    Creating a composite index to measure economic and social vitality beyond GDP.

Data Spotlight

RITE frequently publishes fresh datasets and visualization illustrating trauma’s measurable economic effects. These analyses may use conventional or unconventional methods — whichever best uncovers the truth in the data.

Methodology & Data Sources

At RITE, methodology follows the question — not the other way around.

We use:

  • Regression and econometric modeling

  • Behavioral economics experiments

  • Geospatial mapping

  • Public health statistics integration

  • Longitudinal data analysis

Data Sources:

Access to larger and more comprehensive datasets is on-going, some of the current sets being used by RITE include:

  • CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)

  • Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

  • OECD Better Life Index

  • US Census ACS

  • National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS)

  • Indian Health Service (IHS) Statistics

All analyses are transparent, reproducible, and ethically conducted.

Collaborate with RITE

We welcome partnerships with academic researchers, policymakers, data scientists, and funders who share our mission to transform trauma knowledge into economic resilience.