G.R.I.T. - Goal-directed Resilience Intervention Training

Summary

This research program has addressed three reactive adaptations evident in pain, PTSD, and obesity. In this project, the focus will be on PTSD as a model of stimulus-based reactive responses to unpredictability or threat, and the investigators propose to test the efficacy of the goal-directed skills training (GRIT) program for restoring predictive responding and homeostasis. The challenge of how best to cultivate psychological resilience in the face of stress, trauma, and social adversity among disadvantaged populations is a complex question best answered with a translational research approach. This research' intent is to help African American women who are dealing with stress after traumatic experiences. It will specifically study Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, a disorder that affects people who have experienced severe traumas. It is associated with a number of overwhelming emotional symptoms. These include sleep difficulties, depression and anxiety, flashbacks and nightmares of the traumatic events.

The training is an 8-week skill building program that helps people use positive experiences from their past to cope with current difficulties. The investigators will collect blood samples for future research to understand how the body's stress response changes as a result of this training

Conditions

• Chronic Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Intervention Training

After pre-testing and randomization, intervention participants will meet in small groups for 60 minutes/week over eight weeks for resilience training. Participants needing extra help will receive it at the end of each session. Controls will be on a minimal attention list, not being trained. After eight weeks, all participants will be post-tested.

BEHAVIORAL

Control Condition

While intervention participants receive resilience training, the control group will not receive training but will receive minimal attention of a bi-monthly telephone call to indicate to participants that they are still enrolled in the study. A monthly flyer will be mailed to them about wellness and PTSD in recent news coverage. Following completion of an intervention group, participants and controls will be scheduled for post-testing that will be identical to the pre-testing and will occur within two weeks after the final treatment session. After the post-testing and 3-month follow up testing, the controls will be offered the resilience training.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Morehouse School of Medicine

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Kisha B Holden, PhD, MSCR · Morehouse School of Medicine

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

65 Years

Sex

FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2021-07-13

Primary Completion

2023-03-07

Completion

2023-03-07

Countries

• United States

Study Locations