Psychotherapy Treatment of Deployment-Related PTSD in Primary Care Settings

Summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for deployment-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that can be used by behavioral health consultants working with Service Members in the primary care clinic. CBT is a well-researched, very effective individual (one-to-one) treatment that is designed to help people to directly deal with traumatic events they have suffered in the past, including combat. Many Service Members prefer to see behavioral health providers in primary care rather than the mental health clinic. The researchers hope to learn if a brief treatment for PTSD in primary care can be just as useful as more traditional treatment given in the mental health clinic. This study will enroll approximately 45 participants overall; with approximately 30 participants at Wilford Hall Medical Center or Brooke Army Medical Center, and 15 participants to be enrolled at the South Texas Veterans Health Care System over a period of one year.

Conditions

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders
• Stress Disorders
• Combat Disorders

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

The study investigators have developed a 4-session PTSD treatment plan including a behavioral health consultants (BHC) manual and a patient guide for use in primary care. Therapists will be psychologists who are functioning as behavioral health consultants (BHC) in an integrated primary care clinic. The study will adapt intervention methods for use in the time-constrained primary care environment from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy(ies) that have proven effective for PTSD in specialty mental health care settings. Study participants will receive four 30-minute treatment sessions over six weeks.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Brooke Army Medical Center

  collaborator FED

• 59th Medical Wing

  collaborator FED

• South Texas Veterans Health Care System

  collaborator FED

• The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Alan L Peterson, PhD · University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio (UTHSCSA), STRONG STAR Consortium Director

• Jeffrey Cigrang, Lt Col · U.S. Air Force, 5MDG, Minot Air Force Base

• Lisa Kearney, PhD · South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS)

• Diana Dolan, Capt · U.S. Air Force, Wilford Hall Medical Center (WHMC)

• Laura Avila, PhD · Brooke Army Medical Center

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2008-03-31

Primary Completion

2012-06-30

Completion

2012-06-30

Countries

• United States

Study Locations