Attention Control Training for the Prevention of PTSD in Firefighters
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Enrollment
- 180
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale
Study Overview
Brief Summary
The study aimed to examine the effect of Attention Control Training (ACT) intervention on reducing PTSD symptoms in firefighters. The study was a randomized controlled trial carried out in Kunming, China, and involved the recruitment of 180 active firefighters as participants. The intervention lasted for an 8-week duration, during which participants participated in ACT exercises delivered through a smartphone application.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Treatment
- Masking
- None
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 18 Years to 50 Years (Adult)
- Sex
- Male
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria
- •being an active firefighter and aged between 18 and 50
- •with no history of severe PTSD
Exclusion Criteria
- •having suicidal ideation or intent
- •having an active psychotic disorder other than PTSD
- •prior participation in a cognitive-behavioral intervention
- •concurrent participation in another study.
Arms & Interventions
Attention Control Training
The Dot-Probe Paradigm was utilized within the Attention Bias Modification procedure. The training sessions were comprised of 80 trials, which included facial expression photos depicting happiness, neutrality, and sadness, sourced from four male and four female actors. A fixed cross (+) was presented on the computer screen's center for a duration of 500 milliseconds before each stimulus display, followed by the presentation of two images portraying distinct emotional expressions, which persisted for 500 milliseconds. After the disappearance of the images, an arrow appeared in the location where they had been displayed, and participants were instructed to select the arrow that corresponded with the presented arrow. In the ABM procedure, the arrow was consistently presented following the display of a more positive facial expression, such that in the instance of a sad-neutral face pair, the arrow would always appear in the location of the neutral facial expression image.
Intervention: Attention Control Training (Behavioral)
Control
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale
Time Frame: Immediately Post-intervention
The GAD-7 scale (Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale) is a self-report questionnaire used to assess symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in adults. The GAD-7 includes seven items that correspond to the DSM-IV criteria for GAD, such as feeling nervous, anxious or on edge, worrying too much, and having trouble relaxing. The GAD-7 is a brief and easy-to-use tool that has been validated in various settings, including primary care, psychiatric clinics, and community-based samples. It is designed to help healthcare professionals screen for and assess the severity of GAD symptoms in their patients.
Attention Bias Score
Time Frame: Immediately Post-Intervention
To quantify attention bias, response times (RTs) were analyzed in accordance with the established procedure to calculate the attention bias score (ABS). Trials characterized by inaccurate responses or RTs of exceptional brevity (\<150ms) or prolonged duration (\>1200ms) were disregarded. The computation of attention bias entailed determining the discrepancy between the mean RT in response to relatively positive stimuli and the mean RT in response to relatively negative stimuli. A preference for happy faces was indicated by an average RT for happy facial expressions that were shorter than the average RT for neutral or sad facial expressions.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian Version
Time Frame: Immediately Post-intervention
The PCL-C scale (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian Version) is a self-report questionnaire that assesses symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults who have experienced a traumatic event. The PCL-C is based on the DSM-IV criteria for PTSD and includes 17 items that correspond to the three symptom clusters of PTSD: re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, and hyperarousal. The PCL-C scale is widely used in both clinical and research settings to screen for and assess PTSD symptoms. It is a quick and easy-to-administer tool that can help healthcare professionals identify individuals who may need further evaluation and treatment for PTSD. The PCL-C can also be used to monitor the severity of PTSD symptoms over time and to evaluate the effectiveness of PTSD treatments.
Patient Health Questionnaire-9
Time Frame: Immediately Post-intervention
The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was utilized to assess symptoms of depression. The PHQ-9 is a selfreport questionnaire comprising 9 items, with a score range of 0-27, measuring depression-related symptoms experienced in the past two weeks
Attention Bias Variability
Time Frame: Immediately Post-Intervention
To quantify attention-bias variability (ABV), the experimental data were divided into 8 segments, and attention-bias scores were computed for each segment. Subsequently, the standard deviation of attention-bias scores across segments was determined, and this value was divided by all trials ABS to account for ABS variability.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian Version
Time Frame: Baseline
The PCL-C scale (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian Version) is a self-report questionnaire that assesses symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults who have experienced a traumatic event. The PCL-C is based on the DSM-IV criteria for PTSD and includes 17 items that correspond to the three symptom clusters of PTSD: re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, and hyperarousal. The PCL-C scale is widely used in both clinical and research settings to screen for and assess PTSD symptoms. It is a quick and easy-to-administer tool that can help healthcare professionals identify individuals who may need further evaluation and treatment for PTSD. The PCL-C can also be used to monitor the severity of PTSD symptoms over time and to evaluate the effectiveness of PTSD treatments.
Patient Health Questionnaire-9
Time Frame: Baseline
The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was utilized to assess symptoms of depression. The PHQ-9 is a selfreport questionnaire comprising 9 items, with a score range of 0-27, measuring depression-related symptoms experienced in the past two weeks
Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale
Time Frame: Baseline
The GAD-7 scale (Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale) is a self-report questionnaire used to assess symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in adults. The GAD-7 includes seven items that correspond to the DSM-IV criteria for GAD, such as feeling nervous, anxious or on edge, worrying too much, and having trouble relaxing. The GAD-7 is a brief and easy-to-use tool that has been validated in various settings, including primary care, psychiatric clinics, and community-based samples. It is designed to help healthcare professionals screen for and assess the severity of GAD symptoms in their patients.
Attention Bias Score
Time Frame: Baseline
To quantify attention bias, response times (RTs) were analyzed in accordance with the established procedure to calculate the attention bias score (ABS). Trials characterized by inaccurate responses or RTs of exceptional brevity (\<150ms) or prolonged duration (\>1200ms) were disregarded. The computation of attention bias entailed determining the discrepancy between the mean RT in response to relatively positive stimuli and the mean RT in response to relatively negative stimuli. A preference for happy faces was indicated by an average RT for happy facial expressions that were shorter than the average RT for neutral or sad facial expressions.
Attention Bias Variability
Time Frame: Baseline
To quantify attention-bias variability (ABV), the experimental data were divided into 8 segments, and attention-bias scores were computed for each segment. Subsequently, the standard deviation of attention-bias scores across segments was determined, and this value was divided by all trials ABS to account for ABS variability.
Secondary Outcomes
No secondary outcomes reported