First report of its kind examines psychological impact of UAP/NHI disclosure and calls for a national preparedness framework

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, June 19, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As the United States government begins releasing previously classified records related to unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and possible non-human intelligence (NHI), no U.S. or international public health authority has formally addressed the psychological or societal implications of that process.

To address this gap, an independent team of international psychologists and research scientists today released a white paper titled The Psychological Impact of UAP/NHI Disclosure: A Framework for Understanding Public Response and Preparedness. The report is the first to take an in-depth look at the potential psychological and societal impact of the government's declassification process, based on the available evidence. It examines how the public may respond psychologically to UAP and possible NHI disclosure, and what preparedness measures are warranted. The findings will be publicly presented at the Disclosure Foundation Forum on June 25, 2026, in Washington, D.C.

On February 19, 2026, the U.S. President directed federal agencies to begin releasing previously classified records related to UAP and possible NHI. Government agencies in the United States and other countries have acknowledged that UAP exist and that some incidents remain unexplained.

“The question is no longer whether disclosure is happening—it is," said lead author Jennice Vilhauer, PhD, psychologist, former clinical director at Emory Healthcare and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. "The question is whether our institutions will be prepared. Waiting until major developments occur will be too late. The research suggests there is an opportunity right now to strengthen communication, build resilience, and ensure that public health systems are ready to respond thoughtfully and effectively as new information emerges."

Overview of Findings

The report draws on research in psychology, public health, crisis communication, and historical precedent to identify factors likely to shape public response and outline preparedness strategies that could support resilience and reduce avoidable societal disruption. The report does not predict specific outcomes.

Key findings include:

-- Disclosure is not a single event — different forms and stages will carry different psychological weight
-- Public response will span a wide spectrum; perceived threat and personal relevance are the primary drivers
-- The majority of people are expected to adapt without lasting psychological harm
-- Vulnerability will concentrate in specific, identifiable high-risk populations
-- How information is communicated may matter as much as what is disclosed
-- The greatest public health risk is system strain from a sudden surge in demand, not mass panic
-- Preparation now will meaningfully improve outcomes; the absence of preparation will meaningfully worsen them

Preparedness Recommendations

The report recommends that public health authorities, policymakers, and clinical leaders develop a National Psychological Preparedness and Resilience Task Force to guide mental health workforce training, scalable behavioral health capacity, public psychoeducation, community support infrastructure, interagency communication planning, and ethical guidelines for clinical engagement with UAP-related experiences.

The authors also identify significant gaps in the existing research literature and call for empirical studies specifically addressing public psychological response to UAP disclosure to be prioritized.

The full report is available at https://disclosure.org/research/psychological-impact-of-uap-nhi-disclosure.

About the Authors

The paper is an independent collaboration of international psychologists led by Jennice Vilhauer, PhD (U.S.), and co-authored by Tim Lomas, PhD (U.S.), Daniel Stubbings, PhD (U.K.), Omer Eldadi, PhD (Israel), Gabriel de La Torre, PhD (Spain), and Thomas Rabeyron, PhD (France).
About the Disclosure Foundation

About the Disclosure Foundation

The Disclosure Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit dedicated to advancing the understanding of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) through research, transparency, and responsible policy.

Victoria Kelly, Director of Communications
Disclosure Foundation
email us here

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