None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
This randomised controlled trial aims to determine the efficacy of a coach-supported online cognitive training program for preventing PTSD and depression in early career Defence personnel. The study involves an active, experiential preventative intervention that develops practical evidence-based skills through exercises and videos, with opportunities to apply and test acquired strategies across six weekly modules. The study includes a standard practice condition in which participants can access standard support services as needed. Participants will complete questionnaires at baseline, post-intervention, and at one-year follow-up to measure PTSD and depression symptom severity and track rates of probable PTSD and depression.
Interventions
Internet-delivered cognitive training in resilience (iCT-R)
Internet-delivered cognitive training in resilience (iCT-R) is a coach-supported, 6-module program delivered online over 6 weeks, with modules sent to participants by email each week. Each module targets modifiable cognitive risk factors implicated in the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD), including rumination and unhelpful beliefs about resilience. Each module takes approximately 2
Internet-delivered cognitive training in resilience (iCT-R) Internet-delivered cognitive training in resilience (iCT-R) is a coach-supported, 6-module program delivered online over 6 weeks, with modules sent to participants by email each week. Each module targets modifiable cognitive risk factors implicated in the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD), including rumination and unhelpful beliefs about resilience. Each module takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. iCT-R adopts an active, experiential approach in which participants develop practical skills through exercises and videos, and are given tasks to apply and practise strategies in their daily life between modules. Following each completed module, a trained coach reviews the participant's responses and provides personalised written feedback by email, based on a structured template, to consolidate learning, address difficulties, and encourage continued engagement. iCT-R is distinct from psychoeducation in that it trains participants to actively modify their own cognitive and behavioural risk factors, equipping them with tools to reduce their risk of developing PTSD or depression following exposure to traumatic or operational stressors. iCT-R comprises six modules, each targeting a specific cognitive or behavioural risk factor for PTSD and depression. The intervention content and delivery format are described in full in Wild et al. (2018, 2026). Module 1 (It Matters What You Focus On: Helpful and Unhelpful Attention) focuses on attention; Module 2 (Get Out of Your Head with Helpful Thinking) introduces flexible thinking; Module 3 (Habits and Dwelling: How to Change Them) covers rumination; Module 4 (Dealing with Unwanted Memories: Then vs Now) teaches a tool to reduce the frequency of unwanted memories; Module 5 (Transforming Worries and Improving Performance) addresses worries, and Module 6 (Beating Stress and Trauma: My Blueprint) consolidates learning from the program and covers how to respond to early symptoms of PTSD and depression.
Sponsors
Jennifer Wild - Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Prevention
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Current serving Australian Defence Force early career military members aged 18 years or older, completing initial employment training, fluent in English, have regular access to an internet-abled device, and are willing to be randomly allocated to study condition.
Exclusion criteria
Meeting PCL-5 criteria for probable PTSD, meeting PHQ-8 criteria for probable Major Depressive Disorder, declines randomisation.
Outcome results
None listed