UCLA Couples Counseling for Combat Veterans

NCT01627548 | Withdrawn

• 1 other identifier: 11-003109
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: N/A
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

A pilot intervention of an existing intervention adapted for the returning warfighter population: a couples treatment for PTSD, Structured Approach Therapy (SAT), which emphasizes reducing the PTSD avoidance/numbing symptoms that are corrosive in families.

Conditions

PTSD; Recent Era Combat Veteran; Couples Communication

Keywords

PTSD; Couples; Combat Veteran; Warfighter; OEF; OIF; OND; Structured Approach Therapy; Trauma

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Improved couples communication as measured by standardized assessments

  4-6 months

Study Arms (2)

Waitlisted Intervention

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Couple will be consented, assessed and randomized to a waitlist of 4 months. The couple will be reassessed at 8 weeks and prior to initiating intervention.

Behavioral: Structured Approach Therapy

Immediate Intervention

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Eligible couples who are randomized to immediate intervention will begin sessions with a trained interventionist within weeks of consent and initial assessments

Behavioral: Structured Approach Therapy

Interventions

Structured Approach Therapy BEHAVIORAL

The SAT treatment is provided in 12 weekly 50-minute sessions and is fully manualized. First, couple-based exposure techniques are used to address anxiety about intimacy, increasing the traumatized person's ability to engage in social and relational behaviors that promote bonding and satisfaction. Second, as anxiety decreases, couple-based techniques are also used to increase the positive experiences the couple is having. These activities expose the traumatized person to positive feelings instead of anxiety, so that he/she may become desensitized to the anxiety caused by the closeness, and more comfortable engaging in intimate behaviors.

Immediate Intervention; Waitlisted Intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• OIF/OEF/ OND veteran with at least one deployment
• In a cohabitating relationship for 6 months or longer
• Cohabitating 50% of the time or more
• Diagnosed with PTSD or meets the diagnosis criteria for PTSD as related to deployment experience (CAPS)
• Ability to make weekly appointments
• Willingness to commit to change

You may not qualify if:

• Receiving an evidence-based treatment for PTSD within the past 6 months
• Receiving couples therapy within the last 6 months
• Moderate or excessive physical violence within the past 3 months (CTS)
• Alcohol/substance dependence (SCID)
• Known domestic violence/abuse (CTS)
• Symptoms of psychosis within the past 3 months
• Unstable psychiatric medicine usage or on regimen less than 3 months

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of California, Los Angeles: lead
• VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

UCLA Semel Institute

Los Angeles, California, 90095, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Wounds and Injuries

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Stress Disorders, Traumatic; Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Shrley M Glynn, PhD

  University of California, Los Angeles

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Patricia E Lester, MD

  University of California, Los Angeles

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Researcher

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 21, 2012
• First Posted: June 25, 2012
• Study Start: January 1, 2012
• Primary Completion: November 1, 2013
• Study Completion: November 1, 2013
• Last Updated: November 3, 2022

Record last verified: 2022-10

Locations

US (1)