The Lóa Study: a Brief Digital Intervention for Women with Intrusive Memories in the SAGA Cohort

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF ICELAND · Apr 27, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

The Lóa Study is a clinical trial designed to help women who experience intrusive memories from traumatic events. These memories can pop up unexpectedly and cause strong emotions, making daily life difficult. The study is investigating whether two different brief online tasks can help reduce the number of these intrusive memories compared to standard treatment. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: one group will do a task that focuses on imagery, another will receive psychoeducation (information about their condition), and the last group will continue with usual treatment. The main goal is to see if these tasks can lessen the number of intrusive memories after five weeks.

To join the study, participants must be women aged 18 or older who are part of a specific research group called the SAGA cohort, speak and read Icelandic, and have access to the internet. They should have experienced at least three intrusive memories in the past week. Participants will monitor their intrusive memories during the study and can expect to be contacted by the research team throughout the process. This study aims to provide more options for women dealing with the effects of trauma, and it is important to note that those currently receiving other treatments for PTSD can still participate.

Gender

FEMALE

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Part of the SAGA cohort
• • Aged 18 or above.
• • Able to read, write and speak in Icelandic.
• • Have internet access.
• • Willing to be contacted remotely and having access to a smartphone or computer
• • Experience 3 or more intrusive memories in the past week
• • Willing to monitor intrusive memories in everyday life
• • Willing and able to provide informed consent and complete study procedures
• • Willing and able to be contacted by the research team during the study period.
• • Have not taken part in a previous study of this intervention from this research team (e.g., the Loa case series, feasibility trial or pilot RCT).
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Have fewer than three intrusive memories during the baseline week.
• • Suicide risk in the initial assessment (response of 'nearly every day' to item 9 on PHQ-9).
• • Those undergoing other treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or its symptoms will not be excluded, so the study will be as inclusive as possible.