Family Psychoeducation for Military Veterans: A Pilot Study

Summary

Operational Stress Injuries (OSIs), including post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), are prevalent among veterans deployed in recent combat missions, the effects of which are experienced within their families. The development of evidence-based programs for veterans with OSIs and their families is critical because family functioning both affects and is affected by OSIs. Few programs have been implemented, however, particularly in Canada, and those that have are not evaluated. Research suggests that brief, systems-focused family psychoeducation programs are useful in the treatment of OSIs, specifically PTSD, leading to increases in targeted PTSD knowledge and skills and enhancing resilience.

The purpose of this pilot study is to: (1) develop a systems-focused, virtual psychoeducational program designed to enhance resilience in veterans with OSIs receiving clinical care at an OSI clinic in Atlantic Canada and their families; (2) to implement the virtual program with veterans and their families at the OSI clinic; (3) to evaluate the efficacy of the program; and (4) to compare resilience-building family psychoeducation to the standard information-providing services currently available to families at the OSI clinic. Results will be shared within the network of OSI clinics in Canada and will inform the development of a proposal for a mixed-method study.

Conditions

• Veterans Family
• Military Family
• Trauma, Psychological

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Pilot psychoeducation program

Canadian Armed Forces veterans and their family members will be recruited to participate in this pilot virtual psychoeducation program and its evaluation. Two six-week sessions will be implemented over a virtual care platform (Zoom for healthcare) based out of OSI Clinic in Atlantic Canada - the first in January/February of 2021 and the second in the spring of 2021. A maximum of 10-15 participants (including both veterans and their family members) will be recruited for each group. Family members are defined as spouses/partners, siblings, parents, and adult children. Each of the weekly sessions will take place virtually and will be led by at least two trained facilitators (one from the research team, and one member of the OSI clinical staff team). Each of these sessions will focus on providing education of different topics relevant to those accessing services at the clinic (e.g., types of treatments available, tools to support families, self care, etc.).

OTHER

Program evaluation

At the end of each six-week session, program outcomes will be assessed qualitatively by a member of the research team. Participants will take part in semi-structured interviews guided by questions informed by the ecological family systems theory.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Mount Saint Vincent University

  collaborator OTHER

• Nova Scotia Health Authority

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Deborah A. Norris, PhD · Mount Saint Vincent University

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

19 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2021-01-18

Primary Completion

2021-05-31

Completion

2021-05-31

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations