Trauma-Informed Goal Management Training for Public Safety Personnel (PSP) With Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Goal Management Training (GMT) is a program designed to help improve cognitive functioning. For this study, researchers have worked closely with the developers of this program to create a modified version called Trauma-Informed Goal Management Training (TI-GMT), that is more sensitive to the needs of public safety personnel (PSP) diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

The goal of this clinical trial is to find out how effective this modified, Trauma-Informed Goal Management Training program is for public safety personnel diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, in comparison to the standard Goal Management Training program.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. Does Trauma-Informed Goal Management Training result in better neuropsychological functioning and greater reductions in the severity of PTSD symptoms when compared to standard Goal Management Training?
2. Does Trauma-Informed Goal Management Training result in self-reported improvements in cognitive functioning and the overall ability to function (including intent to return to work, and/or intent to stay at work, reductions in disability status, etc.) when compared to standard Goal Management Training?
3. Does Trauma-Informed Goal Management Training continue to benefit individuals three months after treatment?

Participants will:

* complete three separate assessments before starting the treatment - a clinical interview to evaluate symptoms, a cognitive assessment, and completing a set of questionnaires
* participate in a nine-week group treatment program (one day a week for two hours)
* complete three separate assessments after completing the treatment - a clinical interview to evaluate symptoms, a cognitive assessment, and completing a set of questionnaires
* complete three separate assessments three months after completing the treatment - a clinical interview to evaluate symptoms, a cognitive assessment, and completing a set of questionnaires


Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria - participants must:

* be fluent in English
* reside in Ontario
* be public safety personnel (e.g. police officer, corrections officer, probation or parole officer, firefighter, search and rescue, paramedic, nurse, dispatcher)
* be able to provide written informed consent
* meet criteria on the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) for a provisional diagnosis of PTSD (cut-off score of \>30), administered during screening
* be able to attend regular online, 2-hour sessions once a week for 9 weeks, and be willing to complete the pre- and post- treatment assessments
* have access to a smart phone, tablet, or computer with a working microphone and camera, and have reliable and consistent internet

Exclusion Criteria:

* daily or almost daily use of benzodiazepines
* daily or almost daily use of narcotics
* diagnosed with alcohol use disorder OR substance use disorder in the past 12 months
* meet criteria on the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) for diagnosis of alcohol use disorder OR substance use disorder
* history of moderate-to-severe brain injury and/or loss of consciousness with prolonged effects that interfere with daily functioning at school, work, or family unit
* history of neurological disorder(s) that may impact ability to participate in the study
* diagnosis of psychotic disorder(s) or bipolar disorder(s)
* diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorder(s) that may impact ability to participate in the study
* other conditions/impairments/considerations that may interfere with completion of study tasks
* previous participation in Goal Management Training
* receiving treatment with anti-cholinergic medication, anti-psychotic medication, or psychostimulants
* had electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) within the past year
* currently engaged in a trauma-specific intervention that may impact the findings of the current study such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), etc.