ABOUT THE STUDY

Study Purpose

Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) is an effective PTSD treatment for Veterans who also have a substance use disorder (SUD). However, some Veterans with SUD cannot finish PE and others do not benefit. A potentially promising way to help more Veterans improve is to offer PE in a massed format. Massed Prolonged Exposure Therapy (M-PE) has been shown to:

Help more Service Members and Veterans complete PE.
Be as helpful as weekly PE in improving PTSD symptoms.

M-PE has not yet been tested for Veterans also receiving treatment for SUD multiple times per week. That is the goal of the PREVAIL study.

This study hopes to improve the treatments available to Service Members and Veterans with PTSD and SUD. We also hope to learn what is needed to make M-PE part of the regular treatments offered to those with PTSD receiving SUD treatment. Having more options for PTSD treatment means more Veterans can participate and benefit.

Participation Details

You will receive 12 sessions of an individual (not group) therapy for PTSD called Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE). You will be randomly assigned by chance (like by

the flip of a coin) to receive PE either once a week or 3-5 times per week.

You will learn which treatment you have been assigned before beginning treatment.

You will continue with the SUD treatment you agreed to with your VA care team.
Participation in the study won’t change your SUD treatment plan.
PE sessions are 60 minutes long.

[Video 4 – What is expected of me in therapy?]

In addition to the therapy sessions, you will complete five interviews (approximately 2-3 hours) and survey questionnaires (approximately 60 minutes) over a 10-month period:

Graphical depiction of the study activities: Baseline interview: 3 1/2 hours, virtual visit, $55 compensation, final determination for eligibility. Baseline survey: 60 minutes, self-complete, $25 compensation. 4-week interview: 2 hours, virtual visit, $75 compensation. 4-week interview: 60 minutes, self-complete, $25 compensation. 16-week interview: 2 hours, virtual visit, $90 compensation. 16-week survey: 60 minutes, self-complete, $35 compensation. 28-week interview: 2 hours, virtual visit, $95 compensation. 28-week survey: 60 minutes, self-complete, $35 compensation. 40-week interview: 2 hours, virtual visit, $100 compensation. 40-week survey: 60 minutes, self-complete, $40 compensation.

You may be asked to participate in an additional interview after you complete treatment that will ask for your opinion of the treatment.

[Video 5 - Why is assessment important (even if treatment wasn't completed)?]

Eligibility

To be eligible for this study, you must:

Be at least 18 years old.
Be enrolled in an intensive outpatient treatment for SUD (i.e., attending therapy for SUD at least three times per week).
Be a U.S. Veteran.
Have current posttraumatic stress disorder.
Have used substances recently.
Be willing to be randomized (i.e., like by the flip of a coin) to either weekly or massed PE.

Locations

Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital
Chicago, Illinois, 60141, United States

James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital
Tampa, Florida, 33612, United States

Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Center
Atlanta, Georgie, 30033, United States

Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center
Cleveland, Ohio, 44106, Unites States

Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System
New Orleans, Louisiana, 70119, United States

VA San Diego Healthcare System
San Diego, California, 92161, United States

Have more questions? Visit our FAQ page!

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