Comparing cognitive therapies for earthquake-related post-traumatic stress disorder
Not Applicable
Recruiting
- Conditions
- Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)Mental Health - Anxiety
- Registration Number
- ACTRN12612000948897
- Lead Sponsor
- Dr Jennifer Jordan
- Brief Summary
Not available
- Detailed Description
Not available
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- Recruiting
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 30
Inclusion Criteria
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (past month) or PTSD in partial remission (current post traumatic stress symptoms including hyperarousal symptoms causing clinically significant distress and impacting on life functioning) related to the Christchurch earthquakes.
Any ethnicity
Able to provide written informed consent and to complete questionnaires and therapy in English
Free of regular psychotropic medication, or will remain on a constant dose during the active treatment phase of the study
Exclusion Criteria
Primary severe depressive disorder, active suicidality, current severe alcohol or drug dependence, psychotic symptoms, current mania, cognitive impairment, concurrently attending other psychotherapy.
Study & Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Study Design
- Not specified
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Reduction in PTSD symptoms measured by change in the PTSD-Checklist- Specific (PCL-S)[Weeks 0, week 12 (or end treatment if earlier than 12 weeks), 6 month follow-up];Speed of early change measured by reduction in symptoms on the PCL-S.[Weeks 0 and 4];Reduction in hyperarousal measured by changes in heart rate variability and the hyperarousal scale of the Impact of Events Scale.[Weeks 0 and 12 (or end treatment if earlier than 12 weeks)]
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Change over treatment in participants' descriptions of their earthquake experience, measured by change in counts of occurrences of perceptual versus conceptual processing statements in transcribed earthquake-narrative interviews. These data will be analysed in relation to high or low levels of state and trait dissociation, measured by the State Dissociation Questionnaire and the Dissociative Experiences Scale.[Weeks 0 and 12 (or end treatment if earlier than 12 weeks)];Reduction in behavioural avoidance, measured by the Fear and Avoidance Questionnaire[Weeks 0, week 12 (or end treatment if earlier than 12 weeks)];Level of distress (measured by the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale, administered weekly) in weeks when a detectable aftershock (e.g. over 3.0 magnitude occurring locally) has occurred, compared to weeks when no detectable aftershocks have occurred.[Weekly until week 12 (or end treatment if earlier than 12 weeks)]