MedTrace Logo

A Novel Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Treatment for Veterans With Moral Injury

NCT03764033 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 100

Last updated 2025-11-20

Study results available
· View outcomes & findings →

Summary

The objective of this project is to test the efficacy of an individual treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) stemming from moral injury called Impact of Killing (IOK), compared to a present-centered therapy (PCT) control condition, and to determine the rehabilitative utility of IOK for Veterans with PTSD. The first aim is to test whether IOK can help improve psychosocial functioning for Veterans, as well as PTSD symptoms. The second aim is to determine whether IOK gains made by Veterans in treatment are durable, as measured by a six-month follow-up assessment. Veterans who kill in war are at increased risk for functional difficulties, PTSD, alcohol abuse, and suicide. Even after current PTSD psychotherapies, most Veterans continue to meet diagnostic criteria for PTSD, highlighting the need for expanding treatments for PTSD and functioning. IOK is a treatment that can be provided following existing PTSD treatments, filling a critical gap for Veterans with moral injury who continue to suffer from mental health symptoms and functional difficulties.

Conditions

  • Moral Injury

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Impact of Killing (IOK)

Participants in this arm will receive 10 sessions (60-90 minutes) of a cognitive-behavioral moral injury treatment called IOK .

BEHAVIORAL

Present Centered Therapy

Participants in this arm will receive 10 sessions (60-90 minutes) of a PTSD treatment that does not focus on trauma or cognitive restructuring, but rather the functional impact of trauma called Present Center Therapy (PCT)

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • VA Office of Research and Development

    lead FED

Principal Investigators

  • Shira Maguen, PhD · San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
82 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2019-08-12
Primary Completion
2024-11-15
Completion
2024-12-31

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT03764033 on ClinicalTrials.gov