Non-Inferiority Trial of Trauma Informed Guilt Reduction Therapy (TrIGR) for PTSD
VA Office of Research and Development
Summary
Trauma-related guilt is common and impairing among trauma survivors, particularly among Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The investigators' work shows that a brief treatment targeting trauma-related guilt, Trauma Informed Guilt Reduction Therapy (TrIGR), can reduce guilt and PTSD and depression symptoms. Whether TrIGR is no less effective than longer, more resource heavy PTSD treatments disseminated by by VA, like cognitive processing therapy (CPT), is the next critical question that this study will seek to answer. 158 Veterans across two VA sites will be randomized to TrIGR or CPT to evaluate changes in PTSD, depression, guilt and shame symptoms across the two treatments.
Description
Trauma-related guilt is common and impairing among trauma survivors, particularly among treatment seeking Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although evidence-based trauma-focused PTSD treatments such as Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) are effective to treat PTSD and trauma-related guilt, many still experience symptoms or maintain their diagnosis after treatment, and dropout from these generally 12+ session protocols is high. Veterans show lower response and higher dropout than others with PTSD. Delivering protocols that are generally 12 or more sessions challenges the Vete…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * U.S. Veterans age 18 or older; * meets diagnostic criteria for PTSD or subthreshold PTSD; * a score of 2 or higher ("true" to "extremely true") on feeling trauma-related guilt much or all of the time or scoring 3 or higher ("very true" or "extremely true") on at least one guilt cognition factor (hindsight bias/responsibility, wrongdoing, or lack of justification) on the Trauma Related Guilt Inventor. * not currently receiving trauma-focused treatment such as CPT or PE; and * willingness to attend psychotherapy and assessment sessions. Exclusion Criteria: * Impaired men…
Interventions
- BehavioralTrauma Informed Guilt Reduction Therapy
behavioral intervention aimed to reduce trauma-related guilt and shame
- BehavioralCognitive Processing Therapy
behavioral intervention aimed at reducing PTSD symptoms
Locations (2)
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CASan Diego, California
- James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, Tampa, FLTampa, Florida