AzTrials
AzTrials

PTSDNCT01678196

Helping Families Help Veterans With PTSD and Alcohol Abuse: An RCT of VA-CRAFT

A study testing VA-CRAFT in people with PTSD and Alcohol Abuse, run by VA Office of Research and Development at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

This project begins to evaluate the effectiveness of a web-based family outreach tool that is designed to promote treatment engagement among Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or alcohol use disorders (AUDs) but who have not yet engaged in mental health care. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 80 years
Conditions the study is for
PTSD, Alcohol Abuse
What is being tested?
VA-CRAFT
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
66 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
May 2013to Apr 2016
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 80 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Family participants:
  • must have participated in a Readiness and Resilience in National Guards Soldiers - (RINGS) study and be a spouse, partner, or family member of a Veteran who has also participated in a RINGS study
  • report frequent contact with the Veteran
  • be paired with a Veteran who has not received mental health services at VA or in the community for the past 3 months and who has screened positive for PTSD or AUDs
  • and have regular access to the internet.
  • Veteran participants:
Show all 10Show fewer
  • must have participated in a RINGS study
  • be in significant contact with a spouse/partner/family member who has enrolled in this protocol
  • screened positive for PTSD and/or AUD through their responses to a RINGS survey
  • and have not received mental health care (based on VA administrative data) or in the community for the past 3 months

Who cannot join

  • Family members (and thus Veterans) will not be eligible for the study if they or their Veteran have reported severe levels of interpersonal violence in their relationship in the past 3 months.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN

    Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55417

Other trials in United States

About this study

This project begins to evaluate the effectiveness of a web-based family outreach tool that is designed to promote treatment engagement among Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or alcohol use disorders (AUDs) but who have not yet engaged in mental health care. The National Center for PTSD has developed an on-line, Veteran-tailored, interactive web tool called VA - Community Reinforcement and Family Training (VA-CRAFT) that trains family members to effectively help their Veterans to engage in treatment for PTSD and/or AUDs. This project will provide preliminary information about VA-CRAFT's effectiveness.

Read the detailed description

Background PTSD and AUDs are highly prevalent psychiatric disorders among combat Veterans that can lead to substantial impairments and disability. Although empirically supported treatments are available, the majority of Veterans suffering PTSD or AUDs do not engage in any mental health care. Data show that encouragement and support by family members play a key role in Veterans' willingness to engage in mental health care. However, many family members may not know how best to help their Veterans engage in mental health care. VA-CRAFT is an innovative adaptation of an empirically supported family training intervention (CRAFT) that has been shown to dramatically increase treatment engagement among substance abusing civilian samples. VA-CRAFT includes Veteran-specific content, a focus on PTSD, SUDs, or both, and also make use of interactive web-technology to increase its efficiency and reach. Pilot research is needed to begin to evaluate the effectiveness of this adaptation of an existing, efficacious intervention, to provide feedback to VA-CRAFT developers for possible modifications to content and delivery, and to inform future studies.

Objectives Specific aims are to: 1) provide pilot data on the effectiveness of VA-CRAFT on Veterans' mental health service utilization; 2) provide pilot data on the effectiveness of VA-CRAFT on family members' wellbeing, personal quality of life, perceived relationship quality with Veteran, and communication about treatment seeking; 3) obtain pilot data to explore possible differences in intervention response between Veterans with AUDs only, PTSD only, or both; and 4) provide information regarding potential changes in content and delivery as well as mediators and moderators of outcome for VA-CRAFT.

Methods This is a randomized controlled trial of VA-CRAFT that will obtain preliminary information on its effectiveness and pilot information to inform future studies. Participants will be drawn from a cohort of Veterans and family members enrolled in the Readiness and Resilience in National Guard Soldiers studies (RINGS; Polusny \& Erbes, PIs). Using Veterans' responses to post-deployment RINGS surveys and administrative data, family members of Veterans who screen positive for PTSD or AUDs will be recruited and divided into 1 of 3 subsamples: 1) family of Veterans with AUDs only (anticipated n = 38), 2) family of Veterans with PTSD only (anticipated n = 72), and 3) family of Veterans with both PTSD and AUDs (anticipated n = 74; total anticipated N =184 across the 3 subsamples). Family member participants will complete baseline questionnaires of perceived Veteran PTSD and AUD symptoms, family functioning and communication, and well-being and will be randomly assigned to VA-CRAFT or Control (no treatment) conditions. Those assigned to the VA-CRAFT condition will complete the online VA-CRAFT course. Progress through VA-CRAFT will be monitored and stepped outreach efforts (emails, phone contacts) will be systematically used, as necessary, to promote completion of the intervention. Three months after the baseline assessment, family members and Veterans will complete follow-up questionnaires. Primary outcomes will include: 1) Veteran's mental health service utilization during the 3 months following initiation of VA-CRAFT as assessed by VA administrative data and 2) family member self-reports of wellbeing and quality of life and 3) family and Veteran reports of perceived relationship quality and communication about treatment seeking. Effect sizes will be estimated for each outcome within each subsample of participants (AUD only, PTSD only, and comorbid) and, if patterns are similar within subsamples, for the sample overall. Following the post-intervention questionnaires, qualitative interviews will be conducted with up to 40 family participants to examine possible moderators and mediators of treatment responses and to elicit participant feedback on VA-CRAFT modules and development to inform future VA-CRAFT development.

Conditions
PTSD, Alcohol Abuse
Being tested
VA-CRAFT, Control
Keywords
Family Members, Community Outreach, Internet
Medical subject headings
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Alcoholism

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • VA-CRAFTBehavioural

    VA-CRAFT is an on-line training program that teaches family members how to communicate and interact with Veterans to promote their engagement in needed mental health services for PTSD or Alcohol Use Disorders. 12 on-line sessions.

  • ControlOther

    Participants will have the opportunity to complete the VA-CRAFT training program after 3 months; otherwise no intervention

Study groups in NCT01678196
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
VA-CRAFTExperimentalFamily participants complete an on-line training course (VA-CRAFT) over a 3 month period
Receives: Behavioral: VA-CRAFT
ControlPlacebo comparatorParticipants will have the opportunity to complete the VA-CRAFT training program after 3 months; otherwise no intervention
Receives: Other: Control

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Veteran Engagement in VA Mental Health Services

    Administrative data on mental health service utilization for Veterans will be compared for those whose family members receive the intervention (VA-CRAFT) and those who do not.

    Measured: 3 months after initiation of the intervention

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. Family Member Psychosocial Wellbeing: Brief Symptom Inventory - 18

    Brief Symptom Inventory - 18 (Derogatis, 1993) is an 18 item measure of general mental health symptoms and distress. The total score is used, which is the mean of 18 items rated from 0 (not at all) to 4 (extremely) distressing. Total scores range from 0 (low distress) to 4 (high distress).

    Measured: 3 months after initiation of the intervention

  2. Family Functioning

    Relationship Happiness Scale. The RHS is a 9 item scale of general happiness in close relationships. The total score is reported here, reflecting the mean of the 9 items rated on a scale of 1 (completely unhappy) to 10 (completely happy). Higher total scores reflect greater relationship happiness.

    Measured: 3 months after the initiation of the intervention

  3. Caregiver Burden

    Caregiver Burden Scale (CBS). The CBS is a 16 items scale assessing caregiver burden. It has 16 items rated from 1 (not at all) to 5 (extremely) distressed or burdened. Scores reported are the total scale scores, calculated as the mean of the 16 items, with a range from 1 (low burden) to 5 (high burden).

    Measured: 3 months post-randomization

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted3 Sep 2012 (estimated)
  2. Study startMay 2013
  3. Primary completionDec 2014
  4. Study completionApr 2016

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
66 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01678196
Sponsor's protocol ID
CRE 12-024
Status last verified
Sep 2016
First submitted
29 Aug 2012
Last updated
25 Oct 2016
Data monitoring committee
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Tran T, Kuhn ER, Walser R, Drescher K. The relationship between religiosity, PTSD, and depressive symptoms in veterans in PTSD residential treatment. Journal of psychology and theology. 2012 Oct 1; 40(Winter 2012):313-322.

  • Kuhn ER, Landes S. Mental and Behavioral Health Apps for Service Members, Veterans, and Providers. Society for Media Psychology & Technology: The Amplifier. 2013 Apr 1; Spring/Summer(2013):8-10.

  • Reger GM, Hoffman J, Riggs D, Rothbaum BO, Ruzek J, Holloway KM, Kuhn E. The "PE coach" smartphone application: an innovative approach to improving implementation, fidelity, and homework adherence during prolonged exposure. Psychol Serv. 2013 Aug;10(3):342-349. doi: 10.1037/a0032774.

    PubMed 23937084
  • Erbes CR, Stinson R, Kuhn E, Polusny M, Urban J, Hoffman J, Ruzek JI, Stepnowsky C, Thorp SR. Access, utilization, and interest in mHealth applications among veterans receiving outpatient care for PTSD. Mil Med. 2014 Nov;179(11):1218-22. doi: 10.7205/MILMED-D-14-00014.

    PubMed 25373044
  • Kuhn E, Greene C, Hoffman J, Nguyen T, Wald L, Schmidt J, Ramsey KM, Ruzek J. Preliminary evaluation of PTSD Coach, a smartphone app for post-traumatic stress symptoms. Mil Med. 2014 Jan;179(1):12-8. doi: 10.7205/MILMED-D-13-00271.

    PubMed 24402979
  • Kuhn E, Eftekhari A, Hoffman JE, Crowley JJ, Ramsey KM, Reger GM, Ruzek JI. Clinician perceptions of using a smartphone app with prolonged exposure therapy. Adm Policy Ment Health. 2014 Nov;41(6):800-7. doi: 10.1007/s10488-013-0532-2.

    PubMed 24398700
  • Ruzek JI, Eftekhari A, Rosen CS, Crowley JJ, Kuhn E, Foa EB, Hembree EA, Karlin BE. Factors related to clinician attitudes toward prolonged exposure therapy for PTSD. J Trauma Stress. 2014 Aug;27(4):423-9. doi: 10.1002/jts.21945.

    PubMed 25158635
  • Whealin JM, Kuhn E, Pietrzak RH. Applying behavior change theory to technology promoting veteran mental health care seeking. Psychol Serv. 2014 Nov;11(4):486-94. doi: 10.1037/a0037232.

    PubMed 25384001
  • Owen JE, Jaworski BK, Kuhn E, Makin-Byrd KN, Ramsey KM, Hoffman JE. mHealth in the Wild: Using Novel Data to Examine the Reach, Use, and Impact of PTSD Coach. JMIR Ment Health. 2015 Mar 25;2(1):e7. doi: 10.2196/mental.3935. eCollection 2015 Jan-Mar.

    PubMed 26543913
  • Williams EC, Gupta S, Rubinsky AD, Jones-Webb R, Bensley KM, Young JP, Hagedorn H, Gifford E, Harris AH. Racial/Ethnic Differences in the Prevalence of Clinically Recognized Alcohol Use Disorders Among Patients from the U.S. Veterans Health Administration. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2016 Feb;40(2):359-66. doi: 10.1111/acer.12950.

    PubMed 26842254

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing VA-CRAFT in people with PTSD and Alcohol Abuse, run by VA Office of Research and Development at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 10 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 25 Oct 2016. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 24 Feb 2016). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Veteran Engagement in VA Mental Health Services (time frame: 3 months after initiation of the intervention). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT01678196, which also lists 10 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 25 Oct 2016.

Free account

Log in to keep searching

You’ve used your 3 free searches. AzTrials is free: log in or create a free account to keep searching clinical trials and save the ones you want to follow.

Create a free accountLog in