Implementation Supports to Reduce Burnout in Therapists Delivering Child Trauma EBPs

NCT04712461 | Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: HS-2021-0008
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 50
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The majority of children exposed to early adversity and trauma do not have access to sustainably delivered evidence-based mental health programs (EBPs), despite the growing prevalence of large-scale multiple-EBP implementation efforts aimed at increasing access to these services. The objective of this proposal is to develop and test a package of implementation strategies designed to promote the sustained delivery of child trauma EBPs by reducing provider turnover through targeting the associated mechanisms of provider burnout and organizational psychological safety climate. Findings will have a significant public health impact by informing efforts to increase the sustained availability of child trauma EBPs, thereby improving outcomes for children exposed to trauma.

Conditions

Mental Health Issue

Keywords

Mental Health

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Child Trauma Symptoms

  The University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Reaction Index (RI) for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5 (DSM-5) questionnaire will be used to measure change in child trauma symptoms. The UCLA PTSD RI screens for exposure to potentially traumatic events and provides an assessment of the intensity of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms. The UCLA PTSD RI for DSM-5 is based on the DSM-5 criteria for PTSD and the items directly map onto criteria B (intrusions), C (avoidance), D (negative alterations in cognitions and mood) and E (hyperarousal). Scores on the UCLA PTSD RI range from 0 to 80, with higher scores representing a greater intensity of child trauma symptoms.

  The UCLA PTSD RI will be completed by the caregiver at baseline, and at 3- and 6-months follow-up assessments (3 and 6 month following pre-intervention/enrollment in study).

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Change in Therapist Burnout

  The MBI will be completed by the therapist at baseline, and at 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up assessments (3, 6, and 12 months following pre-intervention/enrollment in study).

• Change in Therapist Turnover Intention

  The TIS-6 will be completed by the therapist at baseline, and at 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up assessments (3, 6, and 12 months following pre-intervention/enrollment in study).

Study Arms (2)

SUPPORTS Implementation Model

EXPERIMENTAL

The SUPPORTS implementation model will consist of a package of implementation strategies aimed at improving EBP sustainment through reducing provider burnout and turnover and improving organizational climate. The content and structure of SUPPORTS will be informed by the occupational health literature (e.g., psychoeducation about burnout, mindfulness training, or changes involvement of providers in organizational decision-making) and from a needs and context assessment.

Other: SUPPORTS

Implementation as Usual

NO INTERVENTION

Agencies in the Implementation as Usual condition will have implementation strategies tied to the implementation of EBPs that these agencies in the community are already using (i.e., the study will measure the implementation strategies being used by the agency but will not provide any additional strategies). There will be no strategies related to reducing provider burnout and turnover and improving organizational climate.

Interventions

SUPPORTS OTHER

The SUPPORTS implementation model will be developed and refined based on community feedback. It will likely include a combination of strategies demonstrated to reduce burnout and secondary traumatic stress in the occupational health literature, such as psychoeducation about burnout, mindfulness training, or changes in scheduling or the physical environment. As the most effective interventions have been shown to involve an integration of both individual- and organization-directed strategies supporting each other, SUPPORTS will aim to include both. For example, the model may include provider-directed strategies such as group peer consultation meetings, and organizational-directed strategies such as increasing communication and providers' involvement in organizational decisions. Through this approach, SUPPORTS will aim to target therapist burnout and turnover at the provider and organizational level.

SUPPORTS Implementation Model

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 3 Years - 99 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Therapists who have delivered Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) in the past 6 months.
• Children aged 3-18 years old who is receiving TF-CBT from therapist enrolled in study.

You may not qualify if:

• Therapists employed at their current agency for less than 6 months.
• Children less than 3 years old or older than 18 years old.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• San Diego State University: lead
• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

San Diego State University

San Diego, California, 92123, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Psychological Well-Being

Interventions

Palliative Care

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Personal Satisfaction; Behavior

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Patient Care; Therapeutics; Health Services; Health Care Facilities Workforce and Services

Study Officials

• Teresa Lind, PhD

  San Diego State University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Teresa Lind, PhD

CONTACT

5082370631; tlind@sdsu.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 12, 2021
• First Posted: January 15, 2021
• Study Start: January 1, 2023
• Primary Completion: May 1, 2026
• Study Completion: May 1, 2026
• Last Updated: September 26, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-09

Locations

US (1)