Treatment of Prolonged Grief Disorder in Combat Veterans
试验速览
- 阶段
- 不适用
- 状态
- 已完成
- 入组人数
- 155
- 试验地点
- 4
- 主要终点
- Inventory of Complicated Grief - Revised (ICG-R)
研究概览
简要总结
The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy of an experimental treatment (termed BATE-G) for Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) in Veterans compared to the current, VA-approved standard of care treatment. Currently, treatments for grief in Veterans remain understudied. Our research group has recently completed pilot work on an innovative, technology-leveraged treatment protocol for PGD that combines Behavioral Activation with Therapeutic Exposure (BATE) and appears readily applicable to the Veteran and Military populations. Per the VA / DoD Iraq War Clinician Guide, 2nd ed., the current standard of treatment is Cognitive Restructuring and Supportive Grief Counseling.
The study will enroll 140 Veterans, aged 21 years and older, who served in any combat era. All Veterans will meet criteria for PGD. There will be assessments at baseline, 1 week, 3 months, and 6 months post treatment. During the treatment phase, Veterans will undergo 7 weekly sessions of either BATE-G or standard treatment. Sessions 2-6 will be delivered via televideo to the Veteran's home.
We hypothesize that BATE-G will be more effective than standard treatment in reducing symptoms of PGD, both at post-treatment and follow-up. Moreover, BATE-G will be more effective in reducing acute emotional distress and preventing long-term emotional distress in terms of general depression and anxiety symptoms. BATE-G will result in increased frequency of completed positively reinforcing, community-based events when compared to Cognitive Restructuring and Supportive Grief Counseling. BATE-G will also result in greater improvements in perceived social support and health.
Note: This project is the first evidence-based treatment for PGD in military populations, thus addressing a significant service gap.
详细描述
The 'dual burden' of (a) loss of a fellow service member in the context of (b) experiencing repeated extreme life threat is unique to military combat personnel and a core characteristic of combat-related Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD), a disorder as prevalent as Post-traumatic stress disorder and associated with functional impairment, disability, and suicidality. Effective treatments for depression and PTSD have proven less than adequate in treating PGD when each is offered in isolation; and simply combining these 12-16 week treatment regimens into a 24-36 week treatments is not a viable approach, particularly with a population predisposed to avoiding extended mental health care. This project addresses the need for a Veteran/ military specific treatment of PGD, and uses technology to deliver this treatment in a format that is far more likely to be accepted by military personnel and Veterans. This study will impact clinical practice by providing the first evidence for effective treatment of PGD in Veterans.
研究设计
- 研究类型
- Interventional
- 分配方式
- Randomized
- 干预模型
- Parallel
- 主要目的
- Treatment
- 盲法
- Single (Outcomes Assessor)
入排标准
- 年龄范围
- 21 Years 至 —（Adult, Older Adult）
- 性别
- All
- 接受健康志愿者
- 否
入选标准
- •Participants may be either Active Duty Service Personnel/Veterans of any service era.
- •Participants may be male or female,
- •age 21 and above,
- •with a diagnosis of Prolonged Grief Disorder.
- •Veterans starting a new psychotropic medication at baseline will be asked to wait 4 weeks for medication stabilization before starting the study.
排除标准
- •Actively psychotic or demented persons,
- •Individuals with both suicidal ideation and clear intent,
- •Individuals with homicidal ideation and or intent,
- •Individuals meeting criteria for substance dependence,
- •Individuals who cannot or are unwilling to schedule regular weekly appointments (with the exception of Veterans who have medical and/or transportation barriers,
- •Individuals who are already enrolled in another trial for PTSD and/or depression will be excluded.
结局指标
主要结局
Inventory of Complicated Grief - Revised (ICG-R)
时间窗: 6 months
The Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG) is a self-report instrument that allows for the dimensional assessment of the severity of complicated grief symptoms. It has 34 items with scores ranging from 30 to 150. Min score 30; max score 141 indicated at 6 month. Higher scores indicate worse outcomes.
次要结局
- Beck Depression Inventory - II (BDI-II)(6 months)
- PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL 5)(6 months)