PTSD Treatment for Veterans With Serious Mental Illness to Improve Functional Outcomes

Description

PTSD is common among Veterans with serious mental illness (SMI). Co-occurring PTSD and SMI lead to poorer mental health and physical functioning than either diagnosis alone. Despite known high prevalence rates of PTSD in SMI populations as well as disparities in prevalence and treatment use for Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC), little research has been done to: a) evaluate leading treatments for PTSD in individuals with SMI, and b) develop culturally responsive methods to integrate with PTSD treatments for SMI Veterans. This study aims to address research and clinical gaps by: a) testing the feasibility and acceptability of Written Exposure Therapy (WET), a VA evidence-based psychotherapy for PTSD in Veterans with SMI, and b) incorporating culturally responsive assessment methods. Results from this study will inform whether WET and culturally responsive assessment are feasible to implement, acceptable to Veterans with SMI, and worth examining in standard or optimized form in a larger clinical trial.

Conditions

Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Mental Disorders

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

PTSD is common among Veterans with serious mental illness (SMI). Co-occurring PTSD and SMI lead to poorer mental health and physical functioning than either diagnosis alone. Despite known high prevalence rates of PTSD in SMI populations as well as disparities in prevalence and treatment use for Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC), little research has been done to: a) evaluate leading treatments for PTSD in individuals with SMI, and b) develop culturally responsive methods to integrate with PTSD treatments for SMI Veterans. This study aims to address research and clinical gaps by: a) testing the feasibility and acceptability of Written Exposure Therapy (WET), a VA evidence-based psychotherapy for PTSD in Veterans with SMI, and b) incorporating culturally responsive assessment methods. Results from this study will inform whether WET and culturally responsive assessment are feasible to implement, acceptable to Veterans with SMI, and worth examining in standard or optimized form in a larger clinical trial.

PTSD Treatment for Veterans With Serious Mental Illness to Improve Functional Outcomes

PTSD Treatment for Veterans With Serious Mental Illness to Improve Functional Outcomes

Condition
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Mental Disorders
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Baltimore

Baltimore VA Medical Center VA Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, MD, Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21201

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.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * enrolled in outpatient mental health services within the VAMHCS (including general outpatient Mental Health Clinic (MHC), Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Centers (PRRCs), Mental Health Intensive Case Management (MHICM), and PTSD Clinical Teams (PCTs))
  • * diagnosis of PTSD as confirmed by assessment with the Clinician-administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) past month version
  • * SMI diagnosis as defined by VHA Directive 1160 (i.e., psychotic spectrum or bipolar disorders) as confirmed by the medical record
  • * regular telephone access
  • * are engaging in moderate-to-severe substance use that would impact their ability to participate and/or would require a higher level of care
  • * already engaged in trauma-focused EBP for PTSD (e.g., WET, CPT, PE, or EMDR) or completed an EBP for PTSD within the past 6 months

Ages Eligible for Study

18 Years to

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Collaborators and Investigators

VA Office of Research and Development,

Mary K Howell, PhD, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, Baltimore VA Medical Center VA Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, MD

Study Record Dates

2028-03-31