Clinical trial NCT01286415: Group Cognitive Processing Therapy for Combat-related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Official title: Group Cognitive Processing Therapy for Combat-related PTSD
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Keywords: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Cognitive Processing Therapy
combat
military
CPT
group therapy
Lead sponsor: VA Boston Healthcare System
Sponsor class: FED
Collaborators: name: STRONG STAR Multidisciplinary Research Consortium
name: The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
First posted: 2011-01-31
Enrollment: 108
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: The purpose of this study is to compare group-administered Cognitive Processing Therapy-Cognitive-only version (CPT-C), an evidence based treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), to Present Centered Therapy (PCT) in order to determine whether the results of CPT exceed those of receiving a therapy that focuses on current problems rather than past trauma in a group format.

Detailed description: Estimates indicate that between 100,000 and 300,000 Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) veterans are at significant risk for chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can become a chronic disorder that impacts all areas of a person's life. PTSD treatment programs are being developed throughout the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Veterans Affairs (VA), but because of the large number of Service Members returning from deployment with PTSD, it is often necessary to provide psychotherapy in groups. Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), an evidence-based treatment for PTSD, was originally developed as a group-based intervention. However, group-based CPT treatment has never been systematically compared to other forms of group treatment. The public policy implications of the results of this trial are significant. If group treatment is found to be effective, then group treatment would be a more efficient and cost-effective therapy modality in most cases. The purpose of this study is to compare group-administered CPT-Cognitive-only version (CPT-C) to Present Centered Therapy (PCT) in order to determine whether the results of CPT exceed those of receiving a therapy that focuses on current problems rather than past trauma in a group format. One hundred (100) adult male and female active-duty OIF/OEF military personnel over 18 years of age will be enrolled into this study. Participants will be randomized to receive either group PCT or group CPT-C.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Adult male and female active duty, activated Reservist, or activated National Guard OIF/OEF military personnel or OIF/OEF veterans seeking treatment for PTSD
* diagnosis of PTSD determined by a clinician-administered Posttraumatic Stress Scale (PSSI)
* person has experienced a Criterion A event that is a specific combat-related event or high magnitude operational experience that occurred during a military deployment in support of OIF/OEF. The diagnosis of PTSD may be indexed to that event or to another Criterion A event.
* be over the age of 18
* speak and read English
* be stable on any psychotropic medications they may be taking.

Exclusion Criteria:

* current suicide or homicide risk meriting crisis intervention
* active psychosis
* moderate to severe brain damage (as determined by the inability to comprehend the baseline screening questionnaires)

Primary outcomes:
measure: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Stressor-specific Version (PCL-S)
timeFrame: Baseline, weekly during treatment, posttreatment, 6-month and 12-month follow-up
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Beck Depression Inventory-II
timeFrame: Baseline, weekly during treatment, posttreatment, 6-month, and 12-month follow-up
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Fort Hood
country: United States
facility: Fort Hood Army Base
state: Texas
Study officials:
affiliation: Duke University
name: Patricia A Resick, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Pruiksma KE, Taylor DJ, Wachen JS, Mintz J, Young-McCaughan S, Peterson AL, Yarvis JS, Borah EV, Dondanville KA, Litz BT, Hembree EA, Resick PA. Residual sleep disturbances following PTSD treatment in active duty military personnel. Psychol Trauma. 2016 Nov;8(6):697-701. doi: 10.1037/tra0000150. Epub 2016 May 30.
citation: Dondanville KA, Blankenship AE, Molino A, Resick PA, Wachen JS, Mintz J, Yarvis JS, Litz BT, Borah EV, Roache JD, Young-McCaughan S, Hembree EA, Peterson AL; STRONG STAR Consortium. Qualitative examination of cognitive change during PTSD treatment for active duty service members. Behav Res Ther. 2016 Apr;79:1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2016.01.003. Epub 2016 Feb 4.
citation: Bryan CJ, Clemans TA, Hernandez AM, Mintz J, Peterson AL, Yarvis JS, Resick PA; STRONG STAR Consortium. EVALUATING POTENTIAL IATROGENIC SUICIDE RISK IN TRAUMA-FOCUSED GROUP COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY FOR THE TREATMENT OF PTSD IN ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY PERSONNEL. Depress Anxiety. 2016 Jun;33(6):549-57. doi: 10.1002/da.22456. Epub 2015 Dec 4.
citation: Resick PA, Wachen JS, Mintz J, Young-McCaughan S, Roache JD, Borah AM, Borah EV, Dondanville KA, Hembree EA, Litz BT, Peterson AL. A randomized clinical trial of group cognitive processing therapy compared with group present-centered therapy for PTSD among active duty military personnel. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2015 Dec;83(6):1058-1068. doi: 10.1037/ccp0000016. Epub 2015 May 4.
citation: Miles SR, Hale WJ, Mintz J, Wachen JS, Litz BT, Dondanville KA, Yarvis JS, Hembree EA, Young-McCaughan S, Peterson AL, Resick PA. Hyperarousal symptoms linger after successful PTSD treatment in active duty military. Psychol Trauma. 2023 Nov;15(8):1398-1405. doi: 10.1037/tra0001292. Epub 2022 Jul 28.