Randomized Trial of Prolonged Exposure (PE) vs. PE With PE Coach Among Veterans With PTSD
VA Office of Research and Development
Summary
Thousands of mental health mobile applications (apps) are available but limited research has been conducted on their effectiveness. VA has been a leader in mental health mobile app development and must research whether these apps work, and if so, how? PE Coach is a well-designed treatment companion app to one of the most researched, efficacious psychotherapies for PTSD (prolonged exposure), a treatment that has been broadly disseminated throughout VA mental health clinics. Research suggests that VA therapists find the app helpful in supporting patients. Preliminary results suggest that Veteran patients prefer to receive therapy with PE Coach and Veterans complete more recovery-oriented homework when they do. This study will randomize 124 Veterans with PTSD to treatment with or without PE Coach. The project will evaluate the effect of the app on PTSD-related functioning, quality of life, and PTSD symptoms. The investigators will test whether the app improves functioning and symptoms, increases homework, and reduces drop out.
Description
Veterans are at increased risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which negatively impacts social and occupational functioning and quality of life. Prolonged exposure (PE) is an evidence-based psychotherapy for PTSD that is effective in the treatment of Veterans. However, many Veterans drop out of psychotherapy for PTSD and many of those who complete PE still meet criteria for PTSD or do not achieve clinically meaningful change. The vast majority of Veterans with PTSD report neurobehavioral cognitive symptoms and may be at particular risk given that problems with executive functioning an…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Veterans aged 18-65 * enrolled in VA healthcare and eligible for VA PTSD psychotherapy * current diagnosis of PTSD based on CAPS-5, Minimum total severity score of 26 or higher * English language fluency * willingness to participate in individual, in-person or telemental health PE psychotherapy including use of a mobile device Exclusion Criteria: * neurological conditions (based on review of the volunteer's medical record) that are severe enough to interfere with PE treatment and assessments (i.e., diagnosed Major Neurocognitive Disorder, severe neurological disorders…
Interventions
- BehavioralPE Coach
PE Coach is a treatment companion mobile application designed with features to support the tasks of prolonged exposure psychotherapy and the homework between sessions.
- BehavioralProlonged exposure without PE Coach
Standard PE treatment protocol without PE Coach
Location
- VA Puget Sound Health Care System Seattle Division, Seattle, WASeattle, Washington