Adjustment DisordersNCT06433271
Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy Vs TAU for Adjustment Disorder Following Traumatic Event Exposure
A study testing Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy (TBT) and Treatment as Usual-Problem Solving Therapy (TAU-PST) in people with Adjustment Disorders and Mental Disorder, run by The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Adjustment Disorder (AjD) is the most common mental health condition diagnosed in Active Duty personnel, and is diagnosed following an extreme stress event such as traumatic loss of a comrade, serious accident or injury, or other intense stress event. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Adjustment Disorders, Mental Disorder
- What is being tested?
- Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy (TBT) and Treatment as Usual-Problem Solving Therapy (TAU-PST)
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 150 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 8 Oct 2024to Jan 2029
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Adult male or female over the age of 18 that has served, or is currently serving, in the military.
- Stable psychotropic medication for at least 4 weeks if applicable
- Current DSM-5 diagnosis of Adjustment Disorder
Who cannot join
- Active psychosis
- Suicidal ideation with clear intent
- Severe substance use
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System
Charleston, South Carolina, 29401
Stephanie M Hart, MPH, 8433015799, stephanie.hart4@va.gov
Michelle Pompei, MPH, 843-471-4751, michelle.pompei@va.gov
About this study
Official title: Comparative Effectiveness of Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy Vs TAU for Adjustment Disorder Following Traumatic Event Exposure
Adjustment Disorder (AjD) is the most common mental health condition diagnosed in Active Duty personnel, and is diagnosed following an extreme stress event such as traumatic loss of a comrade, serious accident or injury, or other intense stress event. Despite its high prevalence, no evidence based treatment for AjD has been subjected to randomized controlled trials. This study seeks to build on the research team's pilot work across several disorders study to benefit service members and Veterans with AjD, a highly prevalent but frequently inadequately treated condition.
The investigators will compare the effects of Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy (TBT) vs treatment as usual which is Moving Forward Problem Solving Therapy (TAU-PST) on AjD symptom outcomes. The investigators hypothesize that TBT will result in greater overall symptom reduction compared to TAU-PST.
Read the detailed description
Adjustment Disorder (AjD) is the most common mental health condition diagnosed in Active Duty personnel, and is diagnosed following an extreme stress event such as traumatic loss of a comrade, serious accident or injury, or other intense stress event. Despite its high prevalence, no evidence based treatment for AjD has been subjected to randomized controlled trials.
Currently, the VA suggests a problem solving cognitive behavioral therapy, but this recommendation is not based on replicated, randomized controlled trials. Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy (TBT), is based on key 'active components' of existing evidence based treatments such as Prolonged Exposure and Behavioral Activation, has been designed by this research team to be easily trained and inexpensively disseminated, and has been evaluated in a series of pilots with anxiety and depression disorders that, importantly, represent the key symptom classes of adjustment disorder.
Thus, the rationale for the proposed trial is that the research team has done preliminary efficacy testing of an easily exportable intervention that has impact on the key symptoms of adjustment disorder, and the standard of evidence demands replicated, randomized controlled trials to determine if initial signals of positive effect are sustained.
The study will use a 2 group repeated measures randomized controlled design to evaluate effectiveness of TBT for AjD compared to treatment as usual (TAU-PST). Participants will be randomly assigned in equal numbers (n = 75; N = 150) to one of two treatment arms: (1) TBT or (2) TAU-PST. Participants assigned to TBT will receive 6, 30-45-minute, manualized, individual therapy sessions. Participants assigned to TAU-PST will receive 6, 30-45-minute sessions of Problem-Solving Therapy. Dependent measures will include Department of Defense (DoD) specified common data elements and specific measures of AjD, PTSD, anxiety, depression, and functioning collected by blinded assessors at baseline, post-treatment, 3-month, and 6-month follow-up.
- Conditions
- Adjustment Disorders, Mental Disorder
- Being tested
- Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy (TBT), Treatment as Usual-Problem Solving Therapy (TAU-PST)
- Keywords
- Veterans, Military Personnel
- Medical subject headings
- Adjustment Disorders, Mental Disorders
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy (TBT)Behavioural
TBT manualized treatment incorporates daily exposure exercises from up to four categories of avoidance that are most characteristic of the emotional disorders (i.e., situational, interoceptive, imaginal, and positive emotional).
Treatment as Usual-Problem Solving Therapy (TAU-PST)Behavioural
Also called Moving Forward Problem Solving Therapy
PST is an evidence- based psychotherapy implemented in VA Primary Care - Mental Health Integration (PC-MHI), with hundreds of VA providers trained in the intervention nationally. The primary aim of PST is to improve a patient's ability to cope with stressful events by adopting an adaptive perspective to stressors and using goal-focused, problem-solving behaviors to manage the problems associated with the stressors.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy (TBT) | Experimental | Participants will receive 6, 30-45-minute, manualized, individual therapy sessions. Receives: Behavioral: Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy (TBT) |
| Active Comparator: Treatment as Usual-Problem Solving Therapy (TAU-PST) | Active comparator | Participants will receive 6, 30-45-minute, manualized, individual therapy sessions. Receives: Behavioral: Treatment as Usual-Problem Solving Therapy (TAU-PST) |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Adjustment Disorder New Module Self Report
The Adjustment Disorder New Module (ADNM) is a 20-item self-report measure of AjD that first asks participants to select from a list of past year stressors and to identify which was the most prominent or distressing. The second section comprises 20 items, which form six subscales in accordance with International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision (ICD-11) criteria relating to pre-occupation, failure to adapt, avoidance, depressive mood, anxiety, and impulse disturbance (Lorenz et al., 2016). Participants rate on a 4-point Likert scale how often they have experienced particular symptoms during the past two weeks, and overall symptom severity is calculated as a sum of all item scores. Total score ranges from 20-80, with a higher score indicating a higher risk of developing adjustment disorder.
Measured: Baseline
Adjustment Disorder New Module Self Report
The ADNM is a 20-item self-report measure of AjD that first asks participants to select from a list of past year stressors and to identify which was the most prominent or distressing. The second section comprises 20 items, which form six subscales in accordance with ICD-11 criteria relating to pre-occupation, failure to adapt, avoidance, depressive mood, anxiety, and impulse disturbance (Lorenz et al., 2016). Participants rate on a 4-point Likert scale how often they have experienced particular symptoms during the past two weeks, and overall symptom severity is calculated as a sum of all item scores. Total score ranges from 20-80, with a higher score indicating a higher risk of developing adjustment disorder.
Measured: 1 week post treatment
Adjustment Disorder New Module Self Report
The ADNM is a 20-item self-report measure of AjD that first asks participants to select from a list of past year stressors and to identify which was the most prominent or distressing. The second section comprises 20 items, which form six subscales in accordance with ICD-11 criteria relating to pre-occupation, failure to adapt, avoidance, depressive mood, anxiety, and impulse disturbance (Lorenz et al., 2016). Participants rate on a 4-point Likert scale how often they have experienced particular symptoms during the past two weeks, and overall symptom severity is calculated as a sum of all item scores. Total score ranges from 20-80, with a higher score indicating a higher risk of developing adjustment disorder.
Measured: 3 months post treatment
Adjustment Disorder New Module Self Report
The ADNM is a 20-item self-report measure of AjD that first asks participants to select from a list of past year stressors and to identify which was the most prominent or distressing. The second section comprises 20 items, which form six subscales in accordance with ICD-11 criteria relating to pre-occupation, failure to adapt, avoidance, depressive mood, anxiety, and impulse disturbance (Lorenz et al., 2016). Participants rate on a 4-point Likert scale how often they have experienced particular symptoms during the past two weeks, and overall symptom severity is calculated as a sum of all item scores. Total score ranges from 20-80, with a higher score indicating a higher risk of developing adjustment disorder.
Measured: 6 months post treatment
Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire - 7
The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7; Spitzer et al., 2006) consists of seven items measuring worry and anxiety symptoms. Each item is scored on a four-point Likert scale (0-3) with total scores ranging from 0 to 21 with higher scores reflecting greater anxiety severity.of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) (PCL-5) (Weathers et al., 2013) is structured to correspond to the DSM-5 PTSD criteria. The 20-items are scored on a 0-4 Likert scale for each symptom corresponding to "Not at all" to "Extremely". Total score ranges from 0 to 80, with a higher score indicating greater PTSD symptom severity.
Measured: Baseline
Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire - 7
The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7; Spitzer et al., 2006) consists of seven items measuring worry and anxiety symptoms. Each item is scored on a four-point Likert scale (0-3) with total scores ranging from 0 to 21 with higher scores reflecting greater anxiety severity.of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) (PCL-5) (Weathers et al., 2013) is structured to correspond to the DSM-5 PTSD criteria. The 20-items are scored on a 0-4 Likert scale for each symptom corresponding to "Not at all" to "Extremely". Total score ranges from 0 to 80, with a higher score indicating greater PTSD symptom severity.
Measured: 1 week post treatment
Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire - 7
The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7; Spitzer et al., 2006) consists of seven items measuring worry and anxiety symptoms. Each item is scored on a four-point Likert scale (0-3) with total scores ranging from 0 to 21 with higher scores reflecting greater anxiety severity.of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) (PCL-5) (Weathers et al., 2013) is structured to correspond to the DSM-5 PTSD criteria. The 20-items are scored on a 0-4 Likert scale for each symptom corresponding to "Not at all" to "Extremely". Total score ranges from 0 to 80, with a higher score indicating greater PTSD symptom severity.
Measured: 3 months post treatment
Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire - 7
The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7; Spitzer et al., 2006) consists of seven items measuring worry and anxiety symptoms. Each item is scored on a four-point Likert scale (0-3) with total scores ranging from 0 to 21 with higher scores reflecting greater anxiety severity.of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) (PCL-5) (Weathers et al., 2013) is structured to correspond to the DSM-5 PTSD criteria. The 20-items are scored on a 0-4 Likert scale for each symptom corresponding to "Not at all" to "Extremely". Total score ranges from 0 to 80, with a higher score indicating greater PTSD symptom severity.
Measured: 6 months post treatment
Patient Health Questionnaire-9
The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) (Kroenke et al., 2001) is a widely used, well-validated measure of depression severity with high internal consistency (alpha .83 to .92; Cameron et al, 2008) and is correlated strongly with other depression measures. Its nine items assess affective and somatic symptoms and correspond to diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD). This measure will also be collected every other week during treatment. Total score ranges from 0 to 27 (scores of 5-9 are classified as mild depression; 10-14 as moderate depression; 15-19 as moderately severe depression; ≥ 20 as severe depression).
Measured: Baseline
Patient Health Questionnaire-9
The PHQ-9 (Kroenke et al., 2001) is a widely used, well-validated measure of depression severity with high internal consistency (alpha .83 to .92; Cameron et al, 2008) and is correlated strongly with other depression measures. Its nine items assess affective and somatic symptoms and correspond to diagnostic criteria for MDD. This measure will also be collected every other week during treatment. Total score ranges from 0 to 27 (scores of 5-9 are classified as mild depression; 10-14 as moderate depression; 15-19 as moderately severe depression; ≥ 20 as severe depression).
Measured: 1 week post treatment
Patient Health Questionnaire-9
The PHQ-9 (Kroenke et al., 2001) is a widely used, well-validated measure of depression severity with high internal consistency (alpha .83 to .92; Cameron et al, 2008) and is correlated strongly with other depression measures. Its nine items assess affective and somatic symptoms and correspond to diagnostic criteria for MDD. This measure will also be collected every other week during treatment. Total score ranges from 0 to 27 (scores of 5-9 are classified as mild depression; 10-14 as moderate depression; 15-19 as moderately severe depression; ≥ 20 as severe depression).
Measured: 3 months post treatment
Patient Health Questionnaire-9
The PHQ-9 (Kroenke et al., 2001) is a widely used, well-validated measure of depression severity with high internal consistency (alpha .83 to .92; Cameron et al, 2008) and is correlated strongly with other depression measures. Its nine items assess affective and somatic symptoms and correspond to diagnostic criteria for MDD. This measure will also be collected every other week during treatment. Total score ranges from 0 to 27 (scores of 5-9 are classified as mild depression; 10-14 as moderate depression; 15-19 as moderately severe depression; ≥ 20 as severe depression).
Measured: 6 months post treatment
Secondary outcomes (9)
Insomnia Severity Index
The Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) self-report measure captures a respondent's perception of his or her current insomnia. The ISI includes seven items that assess severity of sleep onset, sleep maintenance, and early morning awakening problems; sleep dissatisfaction; interference of sleep difficulties with daytime functioning; noticeability of sleep problems by others; and distress caused by the sleep difficulties. Each item is rated on a 4-point Likert scale and the total score ranges from 0 to 28. A higher score suggests more severe insomnia.
Measured: Baseline
Insomnia Severity Index
The ISI self-report measure captures a respondent's perception of his or her current insomnia. The ISI includes seven items that assess severity of sleep onset, sleep maintenance, and early morning awakening problems; sleep dissatisfaction; interference of sleep difficulties with daytime functioning; noticeability of sleep problems by others; and distress caused by the sleep difficulties. Each item is rated on a 4-point Likert scale and the total score ranges from 0 to 28. A higher score suggests more severe insomnia.
Measured: 1 week post treatment
Insomnia Severity Index
The ISI self-report measure captures a respondent's perception of his or her current insomnia. The ISI includes seven items that assess severity of sleep onset, sleep maintenance, and early morning awakening problems; sleep dissatisfaction; interference of sleep difficulties with daytime functioning; noticeability of sleep problems by others; and distress caused by the sleep difficulties. Each item is rated on a 4-point Likert scale and the total score ranges from 0 to 28. A higher score suggests more severe insomnia.
Measured: 3 months post treatment
Insomnia Severity Index
The ISI self-report measure captures a respondent's perception of his or her current insomnia. The ISI includes seven items that assess severity of sleep onset, sleep maintenance, and early morning awakening problems; sleep dissatisfaction; interference of sleep difficulties with daytime functioning; noticeability of sleep problems by others; and distress caused by the sleep difficulties. Each item is rated on a 4-point Likert scale and the total score ranges from 0 to 28. A higher score suggests more severe insomnia.
Measured: 6 months post treatment
Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36 Health Survey
The Short Form-36 (SF-36) (Ware \& Sherbourne, 1992) is a 36-item questionnaire that measures health status, social support, and functioning over the past four weeks. Total score ranges from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating better health status.
Measured: Baseline
Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36 Health Survey
The SF-36 (Ware \& Sherbourne, 1992) is a 36-item questionnaire that measures health status, social support, and functioning over the past four weeks. Total score ranges from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating better health status.
Measured: 1 week post treatment
Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36 Health Survey
The SF-36 (Ware \& Sherbourne, 1992) is a 36-item questionnaire that measures health status, social support, and functioning over the past four weeks. Total score ranges from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating better health status.
Measured: 3 months post treatment
Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36 Health Survey
The SF-36 (Ware \& Sherbourne, 1992) is a 36-item questionnaire that measures health status, social support, and functioning over the past four weeks. Total score ranges from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating better health status.
Measured: 6 months post treatment
Dose Received
Number of treatment sessions completed.
Measured: 14 weeks after treatment starts
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted29 May 2024
- Study start8 Oct 2024
- Primary completionJul 2028 (estimated)
- Study completionJan 2029 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (4)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Adjustment DisordersStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by The University of Texas Health Science Center, HoustonThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 150 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Ronald E. Acierno, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
- Investigators
- Ron Acierno, PhD, Principal investigator, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06433271
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Pro00134707
- Other IDs
- PR230007
- Status last verified
- Dec 2024
- First submitted
- 22 May 2024
- Last updated
- 6 Dec 2024
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Gros DF. Development and initial evaluation of Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy (TBT) for veterans with affective disorders. Psychiatry Res. 2014 Dec 15;220(1-2):275-82. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2014.08.018. Epub 2014 Aug 15.
PubMed 25193379Gros DF, Allan NP. A randomized controlled trial comparing Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy (TBT) and behavioral activation in veterans with affective disorders. Psychiatry Res. 2019 Nov;281:112541. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2019.112541. Epub 2019 Aug 29.
PubMed 31514043Gros DF, Merrifield C, Rowa K, Szafranski DD, Young L, McCabe RE. A Naturalistic Comparison of Group Transdiagnostic Behaviour Therapy (TBT) and Disorder-Specific Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Groups for the Affective Disorders. Behav Cogn Psychother. 2019 Jan;47(1):39-51. doi: 10.1017/S1352465818000309. Epub 2018 May 29.
PubMed 29807553Gros DF, Szafranski DD, Shead SD. A real world dissemination and implementation of Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy (TBT) for veterans with affective disorders. J Anxiety Disord. 2017 Mar;46:72-77. doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2016.04.010. Epub 2016 Apr 27.
PubMed 27158076
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 6 Dec 2024. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Comparative Effectiveness of Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy Vs TAU for Adjustment Disorder Following Traumatic Event Exposure
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06433271
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Pro00134707
- Conditions
- Adjustment Disorders, Mental Disorder
- Keywords
- Veterans, Military Personnel
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 150 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- The University of Texas Health Science Center, HoustonUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command
- Study start
- 8 Oct 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Jul 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Jan 2029 (estimated)
- First posted
- 29 May 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Adjustment Disorder (AjD) is the most common mental health condition diagnosed in Active Duty personnel, and is diagnosed following an extreme stress event such as traumatic loss of a comrade, serious accident or injury, or other intense stress event. Despite its high prevalence, no evidence based treatment for AjD has been subjected to randomized controlled trials. This study seeks to build on the research team's pilot work across several disorders study to benefit service members and Veterans with AjD, a highly prevalent but frequently inadequately treated condition.
The investigators will compare the effects of Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy (TBT) vs treatment as usual which is Moving Forward Problem Solving Therapy (TAU-PST) on AjD symptom outcomes. The investigators hypothesize that TBT will result in greater overall symptom reduction compared to TAU-PST.
Detailed description
Adjustment Disorder (AjD) is the most common mental health condition diagnosed in Active Duty personnel, and is diagnosed following an extreme stress event such as traumatic loss of a comrade, serious accident or injury, or other intense stress event. Despite its high prevalence, no evidence based treatment for AjD has been subjected to randomized controlled trials.
Currently, the VA suggests a problem solving cognitive behavioral therapy, but this recommendation is not based on replicated, randomized controlled trials. Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy (TBT), is based on key 'active components' of existing evidence based treatments such as Prolonged Exposure and Behavioral Activation, has been designed by this research team to be easily trained and inexpensively disseminated, and has been evaluated in a series of pilots with anxiety and depression disorders that, importantly, represent the key symptom classes of adjustment disorder.
Thus, the rationale for the proposed trial is that the research team has done preliminary efficacy testing of an easily exportable intervention that has impact on the key symptoms of adjustment disorder, and the standard of evidence demands replicated, randomized controlled trials to determine if initial signals of positive effect are sustained.
The study will use a 2 group repeated measures randomized controlled design to evaluate effectiveness of TBT for AjD compared to treatment as usual (TAU-PST). Participants will be randomly assigned in equal numbers (n = 75; N = 150) to one of two treatment arms: (1) TBT or (2) TAU-PST. Participants assigned to TBT will receive 6, 30-45-minute, manualized, individual therapy sessions. Participants assigned to TAU-PST will receive 6, 30-45-minute sessions of Problem-Solving Therapy. Dependent measures will include Department of Defense (DoD) specified common data elements and specific measures of AjD, PTSD, anxiety, depression, and functioning collected by blinded assessors at baseline, post-treatment, 3-month, and 6-month follow-up.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy (TBT) | Experimental | Behavioral: Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy (TBT)Participants will receive 6, 30-45-minute, manualized, individual therapy sessions. |
| Active Comparator: Treatment as Usual-Problem Solving Therapy (TAU-PST) | Active comparator | Behavioral: Treatment as Usual-Problem Solving Therapy (TAU-PST)Participants will receive 6, 30-45-minute, manualized, individual therapy sessions. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Adult male or female over the age of 18 that has served, or is currently serving, in the military.
- Stable psychotropic medication for at least 4 weeks if applicable
- Current DSM-5 diagnosis of Adjustment Disorder
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Active psychosis
- Suicidal ideation with clear intent
- Severe substance use
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy (TBT)TBT manualized treatment incorporates daily exposure exercises from up to four categories of avoidance that are most characteristic of the emotional disorders (i.e., situational, interoceptive, imaginal, and positive emotional). | Behavioural | Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy (TBT) |
| Treatment as Usual-Problem Solving Therapy (TAU-PST)Also: Moving Forward Problem Solving TherapyPST is an evidence- based psychotherapy implemented in VA Primary Care - Mental Health Integration (PC-MHI), with hundreds of VA providers trained in the intervention nationally. The primary aim of PST is to improve a patient's ability to cope with stressful events by adopting an adaptive perspective to stressors and using goal-focused, problem-solving behaviors to manage the problems associated with the stressors. | Behavioural | Active Comparator: Treatment as Usual-Problem Solving Therapy (TAU-PST) |
Primary outcome
Adjustment Disorder New Module Self Report
Time frame: Baseline
The Adjustment Disorder New Module (ADNM) is a 20-item self-report measure of AjD that first asks participants to select from a list of past year stressors and to identify which was the most prominent or distressing. The second section comprises 20 items, which form six subscales in accordance with International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision (ICD-11) criteria relating to pre-occupation, failure to adapt, avoidance, depressive mood, anxiety, and impulse disturbance (Lorenz et al., 2016). Participants rate on a 4-point Likert scale how often they have experienced particular symptoms during the past two weeks, and overall symptom severity is calculated as a sum of all item scores. Total score ranges from 20-80, with a higher score indicating a higher risk of developing adjustment disorder.
Adjustment Disorder New Module Self Report
Time frame: 1 week post treatment
The ADNM is a 20-item self-report measure of AjD that first asks participants to select from a list of past year stressors and to identify which was the most prominent or distressing. The second section comprises 20 items, which form six subscales in accordance with ICD-11 criteria relating to pre-occupation, failure to adapt, avoidance, depressive mood, anxiety, and impulse disturbance (Lorenz et al., 2016). Participants rate on a 4-point Likert scale how often they have experienced particular symptoms during the past two weeks, and overall symptom severity is calculated as a sum of all item scores. Total score ranges from 20-80, with a higher score indicating a higher risk of developing adjustment disorder.
Adjustment Disorder New Module Self Report
Time frame: 3 months post treatment
The ADNM is a 20-item self-report measure of AjD that first asks participants to select from a list of past year stressors and to identify which was the most prominent or distressing. The second section comprises 20 items, which form six subscales in accordance with ICD-11 criteria relating to pre-occupation, failure to adapt, avoidance, depressive mood, anxiety, and impulse disturbance (Lorenz et al., 2016). Participants rate on a 4-point Likert scale how often they have experienced particular symptoms during the past two weeks, and overall symptom severity is calculated as a sum of all item scores. Total score ranges from 20-80, with a higher score indicating a higher risk of developing adjustment disorder.
Adjustment Disorder New Module Self Report
Time frame: 6 months post treatment
The ADNM is a 20-item self-report measure of AjD that first asks participants to select from a list of past year stressors and to identify which was the most prominent or distressing. The second section comprises 20 items, which form six subscales in accordance with ICD-11 criteria relating to pre-occupation, failure to adapt, avoidance, depressive mood, anxiety, and impulse disturbance (Lorenz et al., 2016). Participants rate on a 4-point Likert scale how often they have experienced particular symptoms during the past two weeks, and overall symptom severity is calculated as a sum of all item scores. Total score ranges from 20-80, with a higher score indicating a higher risk of developing adjustment disorder.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire - 7
Time frame: Baseline
The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7; Spitzer et al., 2006) consists of seven items measuring worry and anxiety symptoms. Each item is scored on a four-point Likert scale (0-3) with total scores ranging from 0 to 21 with higher scores reflecting greater anxiety severity.of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) (PCL-5) (Weathers et al., 2013) is structured to correspond to the DSM-5 PTSD criteria. The 20-items are scored on a 0-4 Likert scale for each symptom corresponding to "Not at all" to "Extremely". Total score ranges from 0 to 80, with a higher score indicating greater PTSD symptom severity.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire - 7
Time frame: 1 week post treatment
The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7; Spitzer et al., 2006) consists of seven items measuring worry and anxiety symptoms. Each item is scored on a four-point Likert scale (0-3) with total scores ranging from 0 to 21 with higher scores reflecting greater anxiety severity.of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) (PCL-5) (Weathers et al., 2013) is structured to correspond to the DSM-5 PTSD criteria. The 20-items are scored on a 0-4 Likert scale for each symptom corresponding to "Not at all" to "Extremely". Total score ranges from 0 to 80, with a higher score indicating greater PTSD symptom severity.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire - 7
Time frame: 3 months post treatment
The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7; Spitzer et al., 2006) consists of seven items measuring worry and anxiety symptoms. Each item is scored on a four-point Likert scale (0-3) with total scores ranging from 0 to 21 with higher scores reflecting greater anxiety severity.of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) (PCL-5) (Weathers et al., 2013) is structured to correspond to the DSM-5 PTSD criteria. The 20-items are scored on a 0-4 Likert scale for each symptom corresponding to "Not at all" to "Extremely". Total score ranges from 0 to 80, with a higher score indicating greater PTSD symptom severity.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire - 7
Time frame: 6 months post treatment
The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7; Spitzer et al., 2006) consists of seven items measuring worry and anxiety symptoms. Each item is scored on a four-point Likert scale (0-3) with total scores ranging from 0 to 21 with higher scores reflecting greater anxiety severity.of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) (PCL-5) (Weathers et al., 2013) is structured to correspond to the DSM-5 PTSD criteria. The 20-items are scored on a 0-4 Likert scale for each symptom corresponding to "Not at all" to "Extremely". Total score ranges from 0 to 80, with a higher score indicating greater PTSD symptom severity.
Patient Health Questionnaire-9
Time frame: Baseline
The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) (Kroenke et al., 2001) is a widely used, well-validated measure of depression severity with high internal consistency (alpha .83 to .92; Cameron et al, 2008) and is correlated strongly with other depression measures. Its nine items assess affective and somatic symptoms and correspond to diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD). This measure will also be collected every other week during treatment. Total score ranges from 0 to 27 (scores of 5-9 are classified as mild depression; 10-14 as moderate depression; 15-19 as moderately severe depression; ≥ 20 as severe depression).
Patient Health Questionnaire-9
Time frame: 1 week post treatment
The PHQ-9 (Kroenke et al., 2001) is a widely used, well-validated measure of depression severity with high internal consistency (alpha .83 to .92; Cameron et al, 2008) and is correlated strongly with other depression measures. Its nine items assess affective and somatic symptoms and correspond to diagnostic criteria for MDD. This measure will also be collected every other week during treatment. Total score ranges from 0 to 27 (scores of 5-9 are classified as mild depression; 10-14 as moderate depression; 15-19 as moderately severe depression; ≥ 20 as severe depression).
Patient Health Questionnaire-9
Time frame: 3 months post treatment
The PHQ-9 (Kroenke et al., 2001) is a widely used, well-validated measure of depression severity with high internal consistency (alpha .83 to .92; Cameron et al, 2008) and is correlated strongly with other depression measures. Its nine items assess affective and somatic symptoms and correspond to diagnostic criteria for MDD. This measure will also be collected every other week during treatment. Total score ranges from 0 to 27 (scores of 5-9 are classified as mild depression; 10-14 as moderate depression; 15-19 as moderately severe depression; ≥ 20 as severe depression).
Patient Health Questionnaire-9
Time frame: 6 months post treatment
The PHQ-9 (Kroenke et al., 2001) is a widely used, well-validated measure of depression severity with high internal consistency (alpha .83 to .92; Cameron et al, 2008) and is correlated strongly with other depression measures. Its nine items assess affective and somatic symptoms and correspond to diagnostic criteria for MDD. This measure will also be collected every other week during treatment. Total score ranges from 0 to 27 (scores of 5-9 are classified as mild depression; 10-14 as moderate depression; 15-19 as moderately severe depression; ≥ 20 as severe depression).
9 secondary outcomes
Insomnia Severity Index
Time frame: Baseline
Insomnia Severity Index
Time frame: 1 week post treatment
Insomnia Severity Index
Time frame: 3 months post treatment
Insomnia Severity Index
Time frame: 6 months post treatment
Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36 Health Survey
Time frame: Baseline
Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36 Health Survey
Time frame: 1 week post treatment
Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36 Health Survey
Time frame: 3 months post treatment
Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36 Health Survey
Time frame: 6 months post treatment
Dose Received
Time frame: 14 weeks after treatment starts
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 6 Dec 2024.
- Background: PubMed 25193379Gros DF. Development and initial evaluation of Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy (TBT) for veterans with affective disorders. Psychiatry Res. 2014 Dec 15;220(1-2):275-82. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2014.08.018. Epub 2014 Aug 15.
- Background: PubMed 31514043Gros DF, Allan NP. A randomized controlled trial comparing Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy (TBT) and behavioral activation in veterans with affective disorders. Psychiatry Res. 2019 Nov;281:112541. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2019.112541. Epub 2019 Aug 29.
- Background: PubMed 29807553Gros DF, Merrifield C, Rowa K, Szafranski DD, Young L, McCabe RE. A Naturalistic Comparison of Group Transdiagnostic Behaviour Therapy (TBT) and Disorder-Specific Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Groups for the Affective Disorders. Behav Cogn Psychother. 2019 Jan;47(1):39-51. doi: 10.1017/S1352465818000309. Epub 2018 May 29.
- Background: PubMed 27158076Gros DF, Szafranski DD, Shead SD. A real world dissemination and implementation of Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy (TBT) for veterans with affective disorders. J Anxiety Disord. 2017 Mar;46:72-77. doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2016.04.010. Epub 2016 Apr 27.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Ron Acierno, PhD principal investigator
McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy (TBT) and Treatment as Usual-Problem Solving Therapy (TAU-PST) in people with Adjustment Disorders and Mental Disorder, run by The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston 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 3 inclusion and 3 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 6 Dec 2024. 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. 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Stephanie M Hart, MPH (8435775011 ext. 205103, stephanie.hart4@va.gov), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Adjustment Disorder New Module Self Report (time frame: Baseline). The study lists 12 primary outcomes in all. 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 NCT06433271, which also lists 4 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 6 Dec 2024.