The Use of a Novel Peer Education Program for Improving PTSD Treatment Engagement Among Veterans

NCT03521999 | Completed Results DMC

• 1 other identifier: IIR 17-123
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 330
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Behavioral health problems among Veterans have raised awareness of the critical need for more reliable, effective, and accessible ways to recognize those in need, direct them to help, and ensure that they receive the best evidence-based care available. AboutFace is a novel peer education program that features the personal stories of Veterans and is designed to improve Veterans' likelihood of engaging in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) specialty care. Using a randomized controlled study design the investigators propose to compare the efficacy of AboutFace relative to standard care for improving treatment engagement and outcomes. Additional data from VA providers will provide valuable information on wide scale implementation and dissemination of AboutFace. If AboutFace increases access of services, data will have broad implications for overcoming barriers to care for Veterans with PTSD and other stigmatized conditions.

Conditions

PTSD; Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Keywords

PTSD; peer resource; Veterans; web-based intervention; digital story telling

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• PTSD Treatment Engagement (Yes/no)

  Dichotomous yes/no variable for whether or not a participant started at least one session of PTSD specialty care within 60 days of baseline. This measure indicates the number of participants who attended a minimum of one session of a PTSD treatment within 60 days of the initial baseline administration.

  Baseline up to 60 days

• Total Number of PTSD Treatment Sessions

  Total number of PTSD treatment sessions completed from baseline to 60 days

  Baseline up to 60 days

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-5 (PCL-5)

  6 months

• Endorsed and Anticipated Stigma Inventory (EASI)

  6 months

• Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8)

  6 months

• Quality of Life Index (QLI)

  6 months

Study Arms (2)

AboutFace

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Veterans in the AboutFACe arm will receive access to an online peer-to-peer digital storytelling resource for Veterans with PTSD

Behavioral: AboutFace

Enhanced Usual Care (eUC)

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

Veterans in the Enhanced Usual Care (eUC) arm will receive an education brochure for PTSD

Other: Enhanced Usual Care (eUC)

Interventions

AboutFace BEHAVIORAL

AboutFace is an online peer-to-peer digital storytelling resource for Veterans with PTSD. Veterans will have access to AboutFace while they are enrolled in PTSD specialty care through the Charleston PCT.

AboutFace

Enhanced Usual Care (eUC) OTHER

Enhanced Usual Care (eUC) includes access to a PTSD educational brochure. Veterans will have access to the brochure information while they are enrolled in PTSD specialty care through the Charleston PCT.

Enhanced Usual Care (eUC)

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• Veterans must be referred for a PTSD evaluation through the Charleston VAMC PTSD Clinic Team (PCT) and Telehealth Programs and recommended for PTSD specialty care through the clinic.

You may not qualify if:

• None

Sponsors & Collaborators

• VA Office of Research and Development: lead

Study Sites (1)

Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC

Charleston, South Carolina, 29401-5799, United States

Location

Related Publications (2)

• Bunnell BE, Davidson TM, Hamblen JL, Cook DL, Grubaugh AL, Lozano BE, Tuerk PW, Ruggiero KJ. Protocol for the evaluation of a digital storytelling approach to address stigma and improve readiness to seek services among veterans. Pilot Feasibility Stud. 2017 Feb 17;3:7. doi: 10.1186/s40814-017-0121-3. eCollection 2017.

  PMID: 28239485 RESULT

• Hamblen JL, Grubaugh AL, Davidson TM, Borkman AL, Bunnell BE, Ruggiero KJ. An Online Peer Educational Campaign to Reduce Stigma and Improve Help Seeking in Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Telemed J E Health. 2019 Jan;25(1):41-47. doi: 10.1089/tmj.2017.0305. Epub 2018 May 10.

  PMID: 29746232 RESULT

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

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

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Research Coordinator
• Organization: Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center

sarah.szafranski@va.gov

843-301-9917

Study Officials

• Anouk L. Grubaugh, PhD MA BS

  Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: Yes

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Post-treatment assessors and a co-investigator in charge of randomization will be blind to condition assignment
• Purpose: HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: FED
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: 376 Veterans who are referred for a PTSD evaluation through the Charleston VAMC PTSD Clinic Team (PCT) and Telehealth Programs and are recommended for PTSD specialty care will be randomized to receive an online peer-to-peer digital storytelling resource \[AboutFace\] or an educational brochure for PTSD \[enhanced Usual Care; eUC\]

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 26, 2018
• First Posted: May 11, 2018
• Study Start: August 1, 2018
• Primary Completion: August 30, 2022
• Study Completion: September 30, 2022
• Last Updated: June 14, 2024
• Results First Posted: June 14, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-01

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)