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RECRUITINGINTERVENTIONAL

Reducing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms in First Responders and Frontline Health Care Workers

Reducing PTSD Symptoms in First Responders and Frontline Healthcare Workers Through Trauma-focused Treatment in Employee Assistance Programs

Important: This information is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

About This Trial

This study addresses PTSD symptoms in First Responders and Healthcare workers. Specifically, it tests whether a brief PTSD treatment (talk therapy) effectively treats PTSD when provided to First Responders and Healthcare workers by counselors in Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs). The central hypothesis is that the PTSD treatment, Prolonged Exposure for Primary Care (PE-PC), will reduce PTSD symptoms and improve functioning, compared to EAP Treatment as Usual (TAU).

Who May Be Eligible (Plain English)

Who May Qualify: - Are employees at an orginization served by a participating EAP - Have a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (PCL-5) score ≥33 - Have had psychotropic medication stability for at least 4 weeks Inclusion criteria for the qualitative portion of the study: \- Enrolled into the randomized clinical trial and were a treatment responder or were a treatment non-responder Who Should NOT Join This Trial: - Severe cognitive impairment that in the judgment of the investigators makes it unlikely that the participant can adhere to the study regimen (as evidenced by confusion, inability to track discussion or answer questions, or other clear and significant indicators of cognitive impairment) - High risk of suicide (defined as meeting criteria for Action Step 3 on the Participant Suicide Risk Screening form: found in protocol) - Need for detoxification - Active psychosis or unmanaged bipolar disorder, as measured by items 12 and 13 of the cross cutting assessment - Currently engagement in a trauma-focused behavioral treatment (such as Prolonged Exposure or Cognitive Processing Therapy). - Patients who do not speak English will be excluded for logistical reasons. Always talk to your doctor about whether this trial is right for you.

Original Eligibility Criteria

View original clinical language
Inclusion Criteria: * Are employees at an orginization served by a participating EAP * Have a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (PCL-5) score ≥33 * Have had psychotropic medication stability for at least 4 weeks Inclusion criteria for the qualitative portion of the study: \- Enrolled into the randomized clinical trial and were a treatment responder or were a treatment non-responder Exclusion Criteria: * Severe cognitive impairment that in the judgment of the investigators makes it unlikely that the participant can adhere to the study regimen (as evidenced by confusion, inability to track discussion or answer questions, or other clear and significant indicators of cognitive impairment) * High risk of suicide (defined as meeting criteria for Action Step 3 on the Participant Suicide Risk Screening form: found in protocol) * Need for detoxification * Active psychosis or unmanaged bipolar disorder, as measured by items 12 and 13 of the cross cutting assessment * Currently engagement in a trauma-focused behavioral treatment (such as Prolonged Exposure or Cognitive Processing Therapy). * Patients who do not speak English will be excluded for logistical reasons.

Treatments Being Tested

BEHAVIORAL

Prolonged Exposure for Primary Care (PE-PC)

Treatment will be given by telehealth or in person, depending on the participant preference. Content is drawn from the Full Prolonged Exposure model and condensed so as to deliver the most efficacious components in a brief format. There will be 4-6 weekly 30-minute sessions. Treatment follows the standardized PE-PC manual and workbook. At the end of the final session, the counselor and participant will review treatment progress and either conclude treatment or refer the participant to outside mental healthcare for more intensive treatment. Participants will complete surveys and complete homework during and following the study.

BEHAVIORAL

EAP Treatment as Usual (TAU)

Treatment will be given by telehealth or in person, depending on the participant preference and current EAP practices (4-6 weeks). This will be the standard of care practice at each EAP site. Usually, this includes up to six sessions of solution focused therapy, and referrals to an established network of community providers who specialize in PTSD treatment. All PTSD care received during the study will be collected and monitored as TAU. The type of TAU used will reflect the current practice in EAPs and will not be constrained in the study design. EAP staff will monitor and record all EAP care received, including tracking no shows and cancellations. Study team members will document care received outside of the EAP (including psychiatric medications) by self-report. Participants will complete surveys and complete homework during and following the study.

Locations (12)

Sharp Healthcare
San Diego, California, United States
Tanner Health System
Carrollton, Georgia, United States
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
Henry Ford Health System
Detroit, Michigan, United States
Detroit Fire Department
Detroit, Michigan, United States
Health Management Systems of America
Detroit, Michigan, United States
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan, United States
West Bloomfield Fire Department
West Bloomfield, Michigan, United States
Cope NewYork-Presbyterian
New York, New York, United States
University of Cincinati Health
Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
ProMedica
Fremont, Ohio, United States
Houston Fire Department
Houston, Texas, United States