Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD
Conditions
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a unique web based educational tool called Family of Heroes, which is designed to educate families about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and provide them with practical tools for interacting with affected veteran family members. The study includes veterans and a family member of their choosing. Participants are randomly assigned to a group which takes the online training or a group that does not take the training. Both groups complete a baseline questionnaire and a follow up questionaire 60 days later. The study will examine the number of Veteran Affairs (VA) mental health visits.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALFamily of Heroes
One hour online educational tool
BEHAVIORALBaseline and Follow up Surveys
Baseline and follow up questionaires completed online
Sponsors
Department of Veterans Affairs, New Jersey
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Male or female Operation Iraqi Freedom/ Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) veteran * Positive for PTSD, based on PTSD Checklist (PCL) score greater than or equal to 50 * Availability of a family member who is both willing to participate in the study AND has contact with the veteran 3 or more times per week * Ability to access a computer with internet access to take educational training and surveys
Exclusion criteria
* Not and OIF/OEF veteran * Negative for PTSD, based on PCL score less than 50 * Unavailability of a family member who is both willing to participate in the study or has contact with the veteran 3 or more times per week * Inability to access a computer with internet access to take the educational training and surveys
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mental Health Treatment Engagement | 6 months post enrollment | Number of mental health visits attended. Obtained from chart review. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Perceived Criticism Score | Baseline and 2 months | 4 questions answered on a scale of 1 to 10; 1 being not at all critical and 10 being very critical. |
| Change in Family Empowerment Scale Score | Baseline and 2 months | 12 questions answered on a scale of 1 through 5. 1 = not true at all, 2 = mostly not true, 3 = somewhat true, 4 = mostly true, and 5 = very true. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed