SimCoach Evaluation: : A Virtual Human Intervention to Encourage Servicemember Help-seeking for PTSD and Depression

Depression Clinical Trial

Official title:

SimCoach Evaluation: A Virtual Human Intervention to Encourage Servicemember Help-seeking for PTSD and Depression

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT03103165
• Other study ID #: 10-504 W74V8H-06-C-0002
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: March 31, 2017
• Last updated: March 31, 2017
• Start date: October 2012
• Est. completion date: March 2013

Study information

• Verified date: March 2017
• Source: University of Southern California
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

SimCoach, a computer program featuring a virtual human that speaks and gestures in a videogame-like interface, is designed to encourage servicemembers to seek help to improve their psychological health.

Description:

SimCoach, a computer program featuring a virtual human that speaks and gestures in a videogame-like interface, is designed to encourage servicemembers, especially those with signs or symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression, to seek help to improve their psychological health. The assessment included a formative component assessing SimCoach's design, development, and implementation approaches, as well as a summative component assessing outcomes among participants in a user experience survey and a randomized controlled trial (RCT).

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 333
• Est. completion date: March 2013
• Est. primary completion date: March 2013
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18 years of age and

• active duty or Reserve servicemember or National Guard servicemember and

• being off duty

Exclusion Criteria:

• under the age of 18 years

• retired servicemember or not a servicemember

• currently on duty

• currently incarcerated, on parole, or on probation

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Depression
• Depressive Disorder
• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
• Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
• Stress Disorders, Traumatic

Intervention

Behavioral:
• SimCoach Intervention

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
n/a

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Southern California	RAND

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Help-seeking intentions	Participants were asked the following question: "How likely is it that you will seek help for issues such as stress, emotional, alcohol, drug, or family problems from the following people in the next month?" and responded using a Likert scale ranging from 1=extremely unlikely to 7=extremely likely.	within 30 days
Primary	Perceived barriers to care	Subjects were asked about their perceptions of both stigma-related and practical barriers to seeking help.	within 30 days
Secondary	User experience	Participants responded to questions about their experience with the tool or the online form.	Immediately following their interaction with SimCoach or online form