Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Conditions
Keywords
PTSD, Healing Touch, Guided Imagery, Military, Complementary Medicine
Brief summary
This is a randomized controlled 2 year trial at Camp Pendleton, CA to determine whether a complementary medicine intervention (Healing Touch with Guided Imagery, HT+GI) reduces Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms as compared to treatment as usual (TAU) in returning combat-exposed active duty military with significant PTSD symptoms. Secondary aims will evaluate the effect of HT and GI on measures of depression, hostility, and general health status in this population.
Detailed description
The study enrolled 123 active duty subjects from the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in Southern California with at least one or more symptoms of PTSD .
Interventions
OTHERHealing Touch & Guided Imagery
Healing Touch (HT) is an energy based approach to health and healing. It uses light touch to influence the energy field that surrounds the body, and the energy centers which control the flow of energy to the physical body. HT complements traditional health care and is used together with other approaches to health and healing. Guided Imagery (GI) is a form of focused relaxation used to create harmony between the mind and body. Positive mental imagery can promote relaxation, reduce stress and improve mood as well as alter heart rate, blood pressure and breathing.
Sponsors
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Investigator)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
1. Female or male subjects 18 years or older 2. Post-deployment from a combat zone 3. Identified by post-deployment health re-assessment to have PTSD symptoms 4. Referred by Camp Pendleton 5. Subjects who are willing to sign a consent 6. Subjects who are willing to participate for the length of the study Exclusions: 1. Female subjects who are now pregnant or nursing 2. Subjects who are receiving healing touch or using guided imagery from other sources 3. Subjects who have any major health condition that may interfere with participating in this study
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| 17-item PTSD Checklist (Military)is used to determine the effect of the intervention | After 6 treatments of healing touch and guided imagery |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Depression (Beck Depression Inventory) | After 6 treatments of healing touch and guided imagery |
| Quality of Life (SF36) | After 6 treatments of healing touch and guided imagery |
| Hostility (Cook-Medley Hostility Inventory) | After 6 treatments of healing touch and guided |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed