Behavioral Health Technician Delivered Written Exposure Therapy

Launched by PALO ALTO VETERANS INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH · Jan 16, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is looking at a treatment called written exposure therapy (WET) to see if it can help military service members who have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD can cause serious emotional distress, and the goal of this study is twofold: first, to find out how effective WET is in reducing PTSD symptoms, and second, to explore a new way of delivering this therapy through Behavioral Health Technicians (BHTs) to make it easier for patients to access care in military clinics.

To participate, you must be an active-duty service member aged 18 or older and have significant PTSD symptoms. The study will involve about 150 patients who will be randomly assigned to either continue with standard treatment or to receive standard treatment plus WET over five sessions. Participants will have regular check-ins to assess their symptoms and experiences at different points during and after treatment. Staff members at the clinics will also be involved to provide feedback on their experiences with delivering this therapy. This study aims to improve support for service members dealing with PTSD and enhance the overall effectiveness of mental health care in military settings.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• Patient participants:
• • 1. Adult active duty personnel ages ≥18
• • 2. Clinically significant PTSD symptoms (CAPS-5 ≥ 25).
• • Clinic staff participants: Individuals working as BHTs, clinic providers, and clinic leaders working at the behavioral health clinics participating in the study
• Exclusion Criteria:
• Patient participants:
• • 1. Current suicide or homicide risk meriting crisis intervention
• • 2. Serious mental health symptoms, such as mania, psychosis, alcohol or substance use disorders warranting immediate attention
• • 3. Inability to comprehend the baseline screening questionnaires
• • 4. Definite plans to leave the military within 10 weeks
• Clinic staff participants:
• • None