Clinical Trials Logo

Clinical Trial Summary

As part of their work, emergency first responders, such as paramedics and emergency medical dispatchers are exposed daily to traumatic events. These traumatic events can have many impacts on mental health, such as acute stress disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Research has shown that intervening early after exposure to a traumatic event helps to identify people at risk and to prevent post-traumatic stress disorder. The Psychological First Aid approach originally developed for mass traumas, is an intervention advocated by international experts today following a traumatic event. However, this approach is still very little studied, especially when it is part of an organization of emergency first responders. It therefore still lacks scientific validity. The main objective of this research will be to assess whether the Psychological First Aid program provided by peer-support workers helps to reduce the initial distress caused by traumatic events and to foster short- and long-term adaptive functioning and coping.


Clinical Trial Description

In May 2018, Urgences-Santé (i.e., EMT corporation for the Montreal area) implemented PFA as a peer-support intervention for EMT affected by traumatic events in the course of their work. In collaboration with Urgences-Santé, this project aims to evaluate the feasibility of PFA as a post-traumatic peer-support intervention among EMT. Feasibility studies are used to determine whether an intervention should be recommended for efficacy testing when there are few previously published studies or existing data using a specific intervention technique. This catalyst project relies on participatory research principles. With Urgences-Santé stakeholders, three specific research objectives were elaborated in order to answer the question "Can PFA work for EMT?":

1. To assess the acceptability of PFA for EMT;

2. To assess the implementation of PFA in Urgences-Santé;

3. To test the limited-efficacy (i.e., efficacy within limitations such as small sample size and convenience sampling of PFA among Urgences-Santé trauma-exposed EMT).

Based on the few studies that assess different aspects of the feasibility of PFA in high-risk organizations, this project relies on three working hypotheses. First, we expect that PFA be acceptable among EMT. Second, we stipulate that few obstacles limited the implementation of PFA in Urgences-Santé given that this organization followed Forbes' implementation framework and favored a train-the-trainer approach. Third, we foresee that PFA will accelerate the recovery process of EMT, as measured by a greater decrease in PTSI, heart rate and absenteeism in the days following the traumatic event among those who received PFA compared to those who received the standard intervention (i.e., reference to employee aid program). If confirmed, these hypotheses will allow us to affirm that PFA can work as a post-traumatic intervention among EMT for the prevention of PTSI. Our results would therefore represent a catalyst towards a larger RCT that would answer the question "Does PFA work for EMT?" with an adequate sample size. ;


Study Design


Related Conditions & MeSH terms


NCT number NCT04202042
Study type Interventional
Source Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en santé Mentale de Montréal
Contact Steve Geoffrion
Phone +1 514 343-6111
Email s.geoffrion@umontreal.ca
Status Recruiting
Phase N/A
Start date October 21, 2019
Completion date November 2020

See also
  Status Clinical Trial Phase
Completed NCT03535805 - Transdiagnostic, Cognitive and Behavioral Intervention for in School-aged Children With Emotional and Behavioral Disturbances N/A
Active, not recruiting NCT05006976 - A Naturalistic Trial of Nudging Clinicians in the Norwegian Sickness Absence Clinic. The NSAC Nudge Study N/A
Recruiting NCT05419934 - EMDR Therapy in Young Children, a Double-blinded Randomized Controlled Trial N/A
Active, not recruiting NCT04136054 - Better Sleep in Psychiatric Care - Anxiety and Affective Disorders N/A
Completed NCT04091139 - Research of Unified Protocol for the Treatment of Common Mental Disorders in Adolescents in Hong Kong Phase 2/Phase 3
Completed NCT04647318 - Physiological Response to Self-compassion Versus Relaxation N/A
Active, not recruiting NCT05114824 - Acceptability and Feasibility of an 8-week Online Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Program Among Undergraduate Students N/A
Recruiting NCT05843695 - Enhancing Psychotherapy for Veterans and Service Members With PTSD and Anxiety N/A
Completed NCT05078450 - Mood Lifters Online for Graduate Students and Young Professionals N/A
Not yet recruiting NCT06162624 - Pilot Effectiveness Trial of an ACT Self-help Workbook Tailored Specifically for Prisons N/A
Not yet recruiting NCT05747131 - Emotion Detectives In-Out: Feasibility and Efficacy of a Blended Version of the Unified Protocol for Children N/A
Not yet recruiting NCT05863637 - Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) for Anxiety Diagnoses in a Primary Care Setting N/A
Not yet recruiting NCT05225701 - Efficacy of a Transdiagnostic Guided Internet-Delivered Intervention for Emotional, Trauma and Stress-Related Disorders. N/A
Completed NCT02579915 - Developing a Low-Intensity Primary Care Intervention for Anxiety Disorders (AIM-PC) N/A
Recruiting NCT02186366 - Efficacy Study of Abdominal Massage Therapy to Treat Generalized Anxiety Disorder of Deficiency of Both Heart and Spleen Type N/A
Recruiting NCT02376959 - Effect of Spiritist "Passe" Energy Therapy in Reducing Anxiety in Volunteers N/A
Not yet recruiting NCT02126787 - Short-term, Intensive Psychodynamic Group Therapy Versus Cognitive-behavioral Group Therapy in the Day Treatment N/A
Withdrawn NCT01953042 - Benefits of a Psychoeducation Program for Those Awaiting Treatment for OCD and OCD Spectrum Disorders N/A
Completed NCT02134730 - School-based Universal Prevention for Anxiety and Depression in Sweden: A Cluster-randomized Trial N/A
Completed NCT01636791 - CBT Versus a Return to Work Intervention for Patients With Common Mental Illness in Primary Care Phase 3