Thanks for your interest in PREVAIL!
The goal of this research study is to improve the treatment of PTSD for Veterans in intensive outpatient substance use treatment.
Overview
Prolonged Exposure (PE) Therapy is a proven therapy for PTSD. The purpose of this study is to learn whether PE is more helpful delivered once a week (weekly PE) or 3-5 times per week(massed PE) for Veterans in multiple substance use appointments each week.
We will compare how these two ways of delivering PE influences:
PTSD symptoms.
Substance use.
Overall well-being.
We hope to learn more about Veteran and provider experiences with massed PE and weekly
PE.
This study will last about 4 years, but your participation will last about 10 months.
[Video 1 – What is the purpose of this study?]
Participation Summary
[Video 2 - What is epected of me for study participation?]
All participants will receive Prolonged Exposure (PE), a talk therapy known to be helpful in the treatment of PTSD. This treatment could reduce your symptoms of PTSD, help you reach your substance use goals, and help you feel better overall. All participants will receive PE. PE is a proven therapy known to be helpful in the treatment of
Veterans’ PTSD. This treatment could:
Reduce your symptoms of PTSD.
Help you reach your substance use goals.
Help you feel better overall.
Participants will be assigned by chance (like the flip of a coin) to receive treatment either once a week for about 12 weeks or 3-5 times per week for about a month. Both treatments include 12 individual therapy sessions (this may vary depending on response). All sessions are about 60 minutes each. You will also continue to participate in your substance use treatment as planned with your VA care team.
It is important to complete all study activities. In addition to attending therapy sessions, participants will complete five interviews and five surveys. Interviews and surveys are compensated as completed. You will be compensated $575 if all are completed. You can also earn an extra $20 for each interview if you keep your original appointment time or reschedule more than 24 hours in advance. Some participants will be asked to complete an additional interview. You will be compensated $50 for completing this additional interview.
Your participation will help contribute to knowledge about ways to help other Veterans with PTSD who also have a substance use disorder (SUD).
Importance of PREVAIL
Experiencing PTSD and SUD together is extremely common among military personnel and Veterans. It can be distressing and debilitating. Having PTSD and SUD at the same time can make both conditions worse. It can also be more difficult to meet treatment goals.
It has been proven that Veterans are better able to meet their PTSD and SUD treatment goals when they treat both conditions at the same time. PTSD treatment can be offered several ways. In a massed format, you attend treatment multiple times per week. A potentially promising way to improve care is to offer massed PTSD treatment, while Veterans also receive SUD treatment.
Veterans with both PTSD and SUD typically receive PTSD treatment weekly. Some Veterans may wish to treat their PTSD more quickly. The PREVAIL study may provide another option for quicker treatment. The study will also help us understand how M-PE could be regularly offered within VA clinics.
[Video 3 - What are the benefits of participating in research?]
Key Terms & Acronyms
PE: Prolonged Exposure Therapy
W-PE: Weekly Prolonged Exposure Therapy, delivered one a week for an average of 12 sessions
M-PE: Massed Prolonged Exposure Therapy, delivered 3-4 times a week for an average of 12 sessions
PTSD: Post traumatic stress disorder
SUD: Substance use disorder