The Utility of Positive Psychology in Military TBI Rehabilitation

Summary

Service members and veterans (SMVs) report more persisting symptoms following traumatic brain injury (TBI) compared to civilian populations (Ommaya, Ommaya, Dannenber, \& Salazar, 1996). Therefore, it is important to utilize interventions that reduce psychological impairments and increase resiliency during military TBI rehabilitation. Unlike traditional behavioral health treatments that focus on reducing maladaptive behaviors and negative thoughts, positive psychological treatments focus on increasing positive emotions to increase well-being. There is substantial growing evidence demonstrating that cultivating positive emotions is preventative and improves resiliency and psychological (Bolier et al., 2013; Sin \& Lyumbomirsky, 2009), cognitive (Estrada, Isen, \& Young, 1997; Ashby \& Isen, 1999; Isen \& Daubman, 1984; Isen, Daubman, \& Nowicki, 1987; Fredrickson \& Branigan, 2001), and health outcomes (Pressman \& Cohen, 2005). This study will examine the effectiveness of traditional behavioral health treatment versus behavioral health treatment with an added positive psychological group treatment in terms of psychological, cognitive, and health outcomes during TBI rehabilitation. The hypothesis is that SMV's with TBI will experience improved outcomes with added positive psychological treatment compared to traditional behavioral health treatment alone.

There will be about 100 people taking part in the study, randomly assigned to either a traditional behavioral health treatment group or an alternative behavioral health treatment group (therefore, up to 50 people will be enrolled in each) at the Fort Belvoir Intrepid Spirit Center over a period of 30 months. Study participants will be randomly assigned to groups, and over 3 months the study procedures include participating in group behavioral health treatment and/or individual behavioral health treatment and completing pre/post-treatment questionnaires focusing on psychological, cognitive, and health outcomes. The behavioral health intervention has not been well-studied; thus, the behavioral health intervention is considered experimental for the treatment of psychological symptoms. Additionally, the impact on other areas of functioning (i.e., cognitive functioning and overall health) is currently unknown.

Conditions

• Traumatic Brain Injury

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Positive Psychological Group Treatment

Positive psychological group treatment will involve engagement in traditional behavioral health treatment, as well as a group treatment focusing on previously researched exercises that have been demonstrated to relate to reduced depression and increased positive emotionality (Seligman, Rashid, Parks, et al., 2005; Seligman, Rashid, \& Parks, 2006; Rashid, 2015).

BEHAVIORAL

Traditional Behavioral Health Treatment

Treatment will include traditional individual behavioral health treatment, involving CBT-based therapeutic interventions for presenting diagnoses (typically depression, anxiety, or PTSD-related symptomatology).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center

  collaborator FED

• Fort Belvoir Community Hospital

  lead FED

Principal Investigators

• Deepa Elion, PhD · Fort Belvoir Community Hospital

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2019-09-30

Primary Completion

2021-06-30

Completion

2021-10-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations