RECRUITING

Manage Emotions to Reduce Aggression (MERA)

Study Overview

This clinical trial focuses on testing the efficacy of different digital interventions to promote re-engagement in cancer-related long-term follow-up care for adolescent and young adult (AYA) survivors of childhood cancer.

Description

PTSD is one of the most prevalent mental health conditions affecting Veterans who have served since 9/11. Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) report difficulty controlling impulsive aggression (IA). An inability to manage one's emotions (emotion dysregulation) is an underlying mechanism of IA. Reducing IA and increasing use of PTSD evidence-based psychotherapies are two critical missions for the Veterans Health Administration. The proposed research supports these missions by comparing a 3- session emotion regulation treatment (Manage Emotions to Reduce Aggression) to a control group in order to determine if MERA can reduce IA and prepare Veterans for PTSD treatment. By enhancing Veterans' abilities to cope with trauma-related emotions and feel equipped to initiate PTSD treatments, this research aims to help Veterans decrease IA and ultimately recover from PTSD.

Official Title

Manage Emotions to Reduce Aggression - MERA: A Brief Aggression Treatment for Veterans With PTSD Symptoms

Quick Facts

Study Start:2022-01-03
Study Completion:2026-06-30
Study Type:Not specified
Phase:Not Applicable
Enrollment:Not specified
Status:RECRUITING

Study ID

NCT04793776

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Ages Eligible for Study:18 Years to 64 Years
Sexes Eligible for Study:ALL
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:No
Standard Ages:ADULT
Inclusion CriteriaExclusion Criteria
  1. 1. Male and female Veterans who deployed to combat zones since 9/11.
  2. 2. Currently meets criteria for full or subthreshold PTSD, determined by the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5
  3. 3. Engaged in at least 3 self-reported aggressive acts (e.g., yelling, throwing objects, hitting objects/people) in the last month, measured by the Overt Aggression Scale
  4. 4. Impulsive aggression is his/her primary form of aggression, determined by the Impulsive Premeditated Aggression Scale
  5. 5. Each Veteran must allow an independent aggression rater (live-in partner, family member, or roommate above 18 years of age)\] verify the number of aggressive acts, using the Overt Aggression Scale.
  6. 6. Agreement not to change psychotropic medications through the duration of the study.
  1. 1. Currently suicidal with intent of self-harm in the last week.
  2. 2. Currently homicidal with plans to hurt a specific person.
  3. 3. Unable to complete self-report measures.
  4. 4. Meets diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder or psychotic disorder.
  5. 5. Had a psychotropic medication change within 4 weeks prior to the baseline assessment. Veterans receiving general mental health services or engaging in usual care will be allowed to participate.

Contacts and Locations

Study Contact

Shannon R Miles, PhD
CONTACT
(813) 972-2000
Shannon.Miles@va.gov
Deveney Ching, MA
CONTACT
(813) 972-2000
Deveney.Ching@va.gov

Principal Investigator

Shannon R. Miles, PhD
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, Tampa, FL

Study Locations (Sites)

James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, Tampa, FL
Tampa, Florida, 33612
United States
Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX
Houston, Texas, 77030
United States

Collaborators and Investigators

Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development

  • Shannon R. Miles, PhD, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, Tampa, FL

Study Record Dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Registration Dates

Study Start Date2022-01-03
Study Completion Date2026-06-30

Study Record Updates

Study Start Date2022-01-03
Study Completion Date2026-06-30

Terms related to this study

Keywords Provided by Researchers

  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
  • Aggression
  • Emotion Regulation
  • Veterans
  • Psychotherapy

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
  • Aggression
  • Emotion Regulation