Suicide and Trauma Reduction Initiative Among VEterans

Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic Clinical Trial

— STRIVE  

Official title:

Suicide and Trauma Reduction Initiative Among VEterans

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT03933059
• Other study ID #: 300841
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: March 21, 2019
• Est. completion date: December 31, 2022

Study information

• Verified date: May 2023
• Source: University of Utah
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The present study is a pragmatic clinical trial that will examine the effectiveness of Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) in reducing PTSD symptom severity, depression symptoms, and suicidal thoughts among military personnel and veterans with PTSD when delivered in three different formats: (1)12 sessions delivered once per week in an office/clinic setting; (2) 12 sessions delivered once per day in an office/clinic setting; and (3) 12 sessions delivered once per day in a recreational setting.

Description:

Cognitive behavioral treatments tend to be the most highly efficacious treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is one such treatment that has garnered a significant amount of empirical support, with a recent metaanalysis showing it was among the most effective treatments for PTSD (Watts et al., 2013). Despite its efficacy, many military personnel and veterans with PTSD will not receive CPT (or other recommended treatments) for a variety of reasons. It is possible that adapting CPT from its traditional weekly or biweekly format might both enhance the provision of CPT and reduce barriers to treatment. Specifically, treatment that is compressed into a relatively shorter window may be easier for service members and veterans to complete.

In light of these possibilities, the National Center for Veterans Studies (NCVS) at The University of Utah created the R&R program, an intensive, two-week treatment program for service members and veterans diagnosed with PTSD in partnership with the National Ability Center (NAC), a nonprofit recreational and adaptive sports center located in Park City, Utah. The R&R Program provides CPT in a format designed to circumvent logistical barriers to care and to maximize treatment completion. Preliminary results from 20 service members or veterans who have completed the program show that approximately 70% no longer met criteria for PTSD after completing the program, and suicide ideation decreased significantly (Bryan et al., 2018). Treatment gains during R&R were superior to those found in CPT randomized trials.

The present study seeks to build and broaden current research on CPT. First, it will directly compare the effectiveness of traditional 12-session weekly outpatient CPT against intensive, daily delivery of CPT over 12 days. Second, it will test whether the use of recreational activities improves intensive care by comparing intensive treatment at the NAC with recreational activities against intensive treatment in Salt Lake City without recreational activities. Finally, it will provide important data on the long-term effects of treatment, by assessing PTSD, depression, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors at posttreatment, and 6, 12, and 24 months posttreatment.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 45
• Est. completion date: December 31, 2022
• Est. primary completion date: December 31, 2022
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

1. 18 years of age or older;

2. Current or prior service in the U.S. military;

3. Currently meet criteria for a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (as determined by the CAPS-5);

4. Be able to complete the informed consent process.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Current substance dependence disorder;

2. Severe suicide ideation during the past two weeks (as determined by the BSSI and clinical interview) warranting hospitalization;

3. Suicide attempt during the previous three months;

4. Impaired mental status that precludes ability to provide informed consent (e.g., intoxication, psychosis, mania).

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
• Suicide

Intervention

Other:
• Psychotherapy
Cognitive Processing Therapy is a primarily cognitive form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which has been shown to be effective at reducing symptoms of PTSD.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	University of Utah	Salt Lake City	Utah

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Utah	The Boeing Company

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

References & Publications (1)

Bryan CJ, Leifker FR, Rozek DC, Bryan AO, Reynolds ML, Oakey DN, Roberge E. Examining the effectiveness of an intensive, 2-week treatment program for military personnel and veterans with PTSD: Results of a pilot, open-label, prospective cohort trial. J Clin Psychol. 2018 Dec;74(12):2070-2081. doi: 10.1002/jclp.22651. Epub 2018 Jun 19. — View Citation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Change in PTSD symptom severity since baseline measured by the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale	Interviewer administered measure to determine the severity of PTSD. Items are summed to create a total score (Range: 0-80) where higher scores indicate greater symptom severity.	Past month symptoms, assessed within a month of completing treatment, and 6-months, 12-months, 18-months, and 24 months after completing treatment
Primary	Change in PTSD symptom severity since baseline measured by the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale	Interviewer administered measure to determine the severity of PTSD. Items are summed to create a total score (Range: 0-80) where higher scores indicate greater symptom severity.	Past week symptoms, assessed the last day of treatment for those completing the two week treatment retreats
Secondary	Change in suicidal thoughts and behaviors since baseline measured by the Scale for Suicidal Ideation	Self-report assessment of severity of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Items are summed (range: 0-63) and higher scores indicate greater suicide severity.	Past week symptoms, assessed within a month of completing treatment, and 6-months, 12-months, 18-months, and 24 months after completing treatment
Secondary	Change in depression symptom severity since baseline measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire	Self-report assessment of depression symptom severity. Items are summed (range: 0-27) and higher scores indicate greater depression symptom severity.	Past two week symptoms, assessed within a month of completing treatment, and 6-months, 12-months, 18-months, and 24 months after completing treatment