CHICAGO — A new study shows high school-aged girls in Chicago have post-traumatic stress disorder at a rate twice as high as Afghanistan and Iraq war veterans. 

Yet the study also found an outreach program, “Working on Womanhood,” is making a significant difference. Key finds include:

• The study found that 38% of 9th to 11th-grade adolescent girls in Chicago’s neighborhood schools exhibit signs of PTSD.
• Participation in WOW is highly effective in reducing those symptoms, as participation in WOW led to a 22% decrease in PTSD and a 38% decrease in moderate trauma-related distress.
• At a per-participant cost of $2,300, WOW results surpass widely accepted thresholds for cost-effectiveness and provide evidence for a promising model that can be replicated at scale within resource-challenged public schools across the country.

Dr. Nacole Milbrook and Dr. Monica Bhatt joined WGN Evening News on Wednesday to provide insight into the study.  

Watch the full interview in the video player above.