Veteran's Perceptions of Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy for Depression and End-of-Life

NCT06824532 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: AlbanyRI
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 30
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this exploratory, mixed-method design study is to gather qualitative and quantitative data obtained through interviews and questionnaires with veterans who are currently enrolled at the VA for healthcare. The main question this study aims to answer is: How do veterans aged 65+ who are enrolled for care at the VA understand ketamine assisted psychotherapy for depression and for end-of-life distress? Using a story-completion approach, participants will be provided with a brief story starter involving a fictitious character and scenario and asking them to complete the story. Few contextual details will be offered about the character. In responding to ambiguous cues, participants are thought to project their conscious and subconscious perceptions about the phenomenon in question onto the story, a useful method for exploring stigmatized topics. The purpose of this exercise is to ascertain the participants attitudes and perceptions regarding ketamine assisted psychotherapy.

Conditions

Depression

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Patient Health Questionnaire 9

  Screening tool for depressive symptoms. Scores range from 0-27 with lower scores indicating better outcomes

  2 weeks

• Ten Item Personality Inventory

  A 10-item measure of the Big Five dimensions is offered for situations when very short measures are needed, personality is not the primary topic of interest. It assesses the big-five traits-Emotional Stability, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness-using two items for each scale. Scores range from 1-70.

  2 weeks

• Death Anxiety Questionnaire

  The 15-item self report scale is a reliable and valid measure of individual differences in and perceptions of death anxiety. Scores range from 0-30 with higher scores indicate a higher level of anxiety.

  2 weeks

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 65 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The demographic makeup of the sample mimics the demographic makeup of the population of veterans served by VA. As such, the racial distributions will likely be primarily Caucasian, the sample is likely to be predominantly male, ranging in age from 20-100, with an average of 58 years.

You may qualify if:

• Veterans enrolled in VA care.
• Age 65 or older.
• Fluent in written and spoken English.

You may not qualify if:

• Cognitively impaired to the extent that patient cannot comprehend the survey.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Albany Research Institute, Inc.: lead

Study Sites (1)

Stratton VA Medical Center

Albany, New York, 12208, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Depression

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior

Study Officials

• Caitlin Holley, Ph.D.

  Albany Research Institute, Inc.

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Caitlin Holley, Ph.D.

CONTACT

518-626-5365; caitlin.holley@va.gov

Stacey Farmer, Ph.D.

CONTACT

518-798-6066; stacey.farmer@va.gov

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: CROSS SECTIONAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Psychologist

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 6, 2025
• First Posted: February 13, 2025
• Study Start: November 8, 2024
• Primary Completion: March 1, 2025
• Study Completion: April 1, 2025
• Last Updated: February 13, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-02

Locations

US (1)