Adaptive Disclosure: A Combat-Specific PTSD Treatment

Summary

The primary objective of this randomized controlled non-inferiority trial is to determine whether or not Adaptive Disclosure (AD), a new combat-specific psychotherapy for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), is as least as effective as Cognitive Processing Therapy, cognitive only version (CPT-C), in terms of its impact on deployment-related psychological health problems (specifically PTSD and depression) and functioning.

Conditions

• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Adaptive Disclosure (AD)

Adaptive Disclosure (AD) is an eight-session fully manualized and piloted intervention designed specifically for Marines with PTSD stemming from a variety of traumatic deployment experiences. The approach combines imaginal exposure to activate trauma-related emotions and beliefs and cognitive and experiential techniques to modify maladaptive interpretations of the implication of various combat and operational experiences that contribute to symptoms and dysfunction.

BEHAVIORAL

Cognitive Processing Therapy, cognitive version only (CPT-C)

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is a 12-session manualized therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder. The theory behind CPT conceptualizes PTSD as a disorder of "non-recovery" in which erroneous beliefs about the causes and consequences of traumatic events produce strong negative emotions and prevent accurate processing of the trauma memory and natural emotions emanating from the event. A significant contributor to the interruption of natural recovery process is the ongoing use of avoidance as a coping strategy. CPT incorporates trauma-specific cognitive techniques to help individuals with PTSD more accurately appraise these "stuck points" and progress toward recovery.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• United States Naval Medical Center, San Diego

  collaborator FED

• University of Wyoming

  collaborator OTHER

• Boston University

  collaborator OTHER

• University of California, San Diego

  collaborator OTHER

• Veterans Medical Research Foundation

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Ariel J Lang, PhD · Veterans Medical Research Foundation

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2013-03-31

Primary Completion

2019-01-31

Completion

2019-07-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations