PTSD
Conditions
Keywords
PTSD, Prolonged Exposure, Peer Support
Brief summary
The investigators plan to develop and test an intervention using peer specialists (Veterans who have managed PTSD and completed PE) to provide support services for Veterans using prolonged exposure therapy.
Detailed description
The investigators will use qualitative data from Veterans and PE providers to revise the investigators' manualized intervention for peer support services, then complete a feasibility trial to assess the feasibility and acceptability of Peer Enhanced Prolonged Exposure
Interventions
BEHAVIORALPeer Enhanced Prolonged Exposure
Peer support interventions as adjunct to prolonged exposure
Sponsors
VA Office of Research and Development
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
Peer specialist led individual education and support for veterans receiving Prolonged Exposure Therapy
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Veteran participants will be individuals appropriate for PE, i.e., : * Veterans who are currently seeking PE * meet DSM-5 criteria for PTSD or subthreshold PTSD * are competent to consent to research
Exclusion criteria
* Veteran participants do not have levels of other types of psychopathology that would prevent successful participation in the intervention
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| PE Sessions Attended | 10 weeks | Number of PE Sessions attended during 10 weeks of participation in study. 10 is the maximum, 0 is the minimum. Higher numbers of sessions attended are an indication of better engagement in treatment. |
| Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist-5 | 10 weeks | Self-report measure of PTSD symptoms; score range is 0-80, with higher scores indicating more PTSD symptoms. |
Countries
United States
Participant flow
Recruitment details
We recruited from veterans screening for Prolonged Exposure (PE) at a Midwestern VA between 6/2017 and 3/2018. Note that the study was open between 10/2016 and 3/2018, because between 10/2016 and 2/2017 we were enrolling focus groups to refine the intervention to be tested in the clinical trial; the focus groups were not the clinical trial..
Pre-assignment details
31 participants were referred by outpatient therapists. 9 were not interested, and 6 did not meet institutional criteria to start PE. 16 consented to interview screening. 5 did not meet criteria to start PE, 2 were lost to follow-up before starting, and one chose not to start PE.
Participants by arm
| Arm | Count |
|---|---|
| PEET Single Arm Feasibility Trial: Peer Enhanced Prolonged Exposure: Peer support interventions as adjunct to prolonged exposure | 8 |
| Total | 8 |
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | PEET |
|---|---|
| Age, Continuous | 55.25 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 14.16 |
| Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Hispanic or Latino | 1 Participants |
| Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Not Hispanic or Latino | 7 Participants |
| Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Unknown or Not Reported | 0 Participants |
| Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-5 | 62.00 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 9.7 |
| Race (NIH/OMB) American Indian or Alaska Native | 1 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Asian | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Black or African American | 1 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) More than one race | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Unknown or Not Reported | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) White | 6 Participants |
| Region of Enrollment United States | 8 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Female | 0 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Male | 8 Participants |
Adverse events
| Event type | EG000 affected / at risk |
|---|---|
| deaths Total, all-cause mortality | 0 / 8 |
| other Total, other adverse events | 0 / 8 |
| serious Total, serious adverse events | 0 / 8 |
Outcome results
Primary
PE Sessions Attended
Number of PE Sessions attended during 10 weeks of participation in study. 10 is the maximum, 0 is the minimum. Higher numbers of sessions attended are an indication of better engagement in treatment.
Time frame: 10 weeks
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peer Enhanced Prolonged Exposure | PE Sessions Attended | 8.63 number of PE sessions attended | Standard Deviation 2.62 |
Primary
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist-5
Self-report measure of PTSD symptoms; score range is 0-80, with higher scores indicating more PTSD symptoms.
Time frame: 10 weeks
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peer Enhanced Prolonged Exposure | Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist-5 | 33.14 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 11.63 |
Comparison: This is a single-arm feasibility study. With N=8, formal hypothesis testing is not possible. We were assessing the extent to which veterans would be willing to engage in the intervention, and if the direction of change in symptoms is still in the expected direction when peer support services are added. Outcomes are reported more qualitatively.