The Trauma PORTAL Project: a Virtual Asynchronous Treatment for Interpersonal Trauma

Summary

Virtual delivery of mental health care is an emerging strategy for increasing access and enhancing the delivery of mental health services; however, evidence that virtual interventions are an efficacious form of therapy is limited. An asynchronous virtual treatment program that allows patients to access program material at any time could be a widely accessible, cost-effective alternative to in-person or synchronous virtual group therapy. The Trauma Therapy Program (TTP) at Women's College Hospital (WCH) follows clinical guidelines for the treatment of complex post-traumatic stress disorder that recommend a staged approach to treatment for adults suffering from the sequelae of childhood interpersonal trauma (CIT). The initial stage is safety and stabilization; in TTP, this begins with the Resourced and Resilient (R\&R) group, a stage 1 trauma-focused psychoeducational psychotherapy group. Psychoeducational psychotherapy is a widely used approach to help patients understand the impact of trauma, challenge maladaptive behaviour patterns, learn safer coping skills and reduce trauma-related symptoms as part of a comprehensive approach to the treatment of PTSD. To address gaps in equitable access to trauma-focused care, the investigators developed the Trauma PORTAL: Providing Online tRauma Therapy using an Asynchronous Learning platform. The investigators developed an asynchronous virtual multimedia version of R\&R consisting of 8 modules, called the Trauma PORTAL; previously called electronic Resourced and Resilient or e-R\&R. The investigators then conducted an open-label pilot study where the Trauma PORTAL intervention was offered that included access to the asynchronous virtual modules, along with an optional weekly 1-hour synchronous virtual group that offers patients an opportunity to ask questions about content from the modules. Preliminary data from the investigators' open-label eR\&R pilot study demonstrates feasibility, usability, and acceptability, as well as a significant improvement in PTSD symptoms from pre- to post-group. This phase of the Trauma PORTAL project seeks to test the efficacy and further assess the intervention processes, including recruitment, retention, acceptability, and adherence to the Trauma PORTAL intervention through a randomized controlled trial.

Conditions

• Psychological Trauma

Interventions

OTHER

The Trauma PORTAL

Participants will have 9 weeks to complete the 8 modules which each take on average 45 minutes to complete. Each module consists of psychoeducational handouts, videos, interactive exercises, and discussion topics that has been adapted from the R\&R curriculum. The participants will also receive a pdf of the handouts from the modules, which can be used to take notes or refer back to in the future. There will be an optional 60-minute weekly virtual group session for participants to engage with other participants in their group and for group facilitator providers to discuss the materials covered and answer any questions. Participants will join a Zoom video group visit to access the group. Each weekly group will be facilitated by 2 clinicians specializing in trauma-focused therapy within the WCH TTP who have extensive experience with in-person and virtual synchronous R\&R.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Women's College Hospital

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Dana C. Ross, MD, MSc · Women's College Hospital

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2023-01-16

Primary Completion

2024-02-20

Completion

2024-02-20

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations