The Use of a Novel Peer Education Program for Improving PTSD Treatment Engagement Among Veterans
| Status: | Recruiting |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Psychiatric |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Psychiatry / Psychology |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 18 - Any |
| Updated: | 3/3/2019 |
| Start Date: | August 1, 2018 |
| End Date: | April 30, 2022 |
| Contact: | Anouk L Grubaugh, PhD MA BS |
| Email: | Anouk.Grubaugh@va.gov |
| Phone: | (843) 789-6664 |
Randomized Controlled Trial of AboutFace: A Novel Video Storytelling Resource to Improve Access, Engagement, and Utilization of Mental Health Treatment Among Veterans With PTSD
Behavioral health problems among Veterans have raised awareness of the critical need for more
reliable, effective, and accessible ways to recognize those in need, direct them to help, and
ensure that they receive the best evidence-based care available. AboutFace is a novel peer
education program that features the personal stories of Veterans and is designed to improve
Veterans' likelihood of engaging in PTSD specialty care. Using a randomized controlled study
design the investigators propose to compare the efficacy of AboutFace relative to standard
care for improving treatment engagement and outcomes. Additional data from VA providers will
provide valuable information on wide scale implementation and dissemination of AboutFace. If
AboutFace increases access of services, data will have broad implications for overcoming
barriers to care for Veterans with PTSD and other stigmatized conditions.
reliable, effective, and accessible ways to recognize those in need, direct them to help, and
ensure that they receive the best evidence-based care available. AboutFace is a novel peer
education program that features the personal stories of Veterans and is designed to improve
Veterans' likelihood of engaging in PTSD specialty care. Using a randomized controlled study
design the investigators propose to compare the efficacy of AboutFace relative to standard
care for improving treatment engagement and outcomes. Additional data from VA providers will
provide valuable information on wide scale implementation and dissemination of AboutFace. If
AboutFace increases access of services, data will have broad implications for overcoming
barriers to care for Veterans with PTSD and other stigmatized conditions.
Anticipated Impacts on Veterans Health Care: Behavioral health problems among Veterans have
raised awareness of the critical need for more reliable, effective, and accessible means to
recognize those in need, direct them to help, and ensure that they receive the best treatment
available. Research has suggested that people are most responsive to advice and education
when it comes from someone to whom they can relate. AboutFace is a peer education resource
for Veterans that was developed, launched, and recently updated by the National Center for
PTSD (NCPTSD) based on HSR&D funded pilot data. AboutFace features personal stories of
Veterans and is designed to improve mental health treatment engagement among Veterans with
PTSD and related comorbidities. The study team, which includes the NCPTSD, recently completed
a usability assessment and pilot feasibility trial of AboutFace under HSR&D grant #PPO
14-360-1. Data from this study (1) guided improvements to AboutFace for increasing PTSD
treatment initiation and engagement; and (2) demonstrated the feasibility of the methodology
for the proposed study. If AboutFace is found to increase Veterans' initiation and engagement
in PTSD treatment, study data will have broad implications for overcoming barriers to care
for Veterans with PTSD and other stigmatized conditions.
Background: At least 1 in 10 Veterans meet criteria for PTSD related to their military
experience. Treatment for PTSD is widely available, and national dissemination initiatives
have increased Veterans' access to best-practice interventions. However, treatment-seeking
remains strikingly low; most Veterans with PTSD do not seek mental health services due to
perceived stigma and other barriers. NCPTSD developed and launched AboutFace, a public
awareness campaign to help Veterans recognize PTSD and motivate them to seek evidence-based
care. Since its development, AboutFace has earned three major awards and has had tens of
thousands of visits. Despite the tremendous potential for AboutFace to reduce stigma, improve
attitudes toward mental health treatment seeking, and to increase PTSD treatment initiation
and engagement, it has yet to be formally evaluated or effectively implemented within VHA
practice settings. In addition to providing needed data on the efficacy of AboutFace and
identifying strategies for effective implementation within VHA, this study will provide a
greater understanding of the role and value of digital storytelling interventions to improve
access to care for a wide range of stigmatized conditions.
Objectives: The primary objectives of the study are to examine the impact of AboutFace on a)
increasing PTSD treatment initiation and engagement; and b) decreasing stigma and negative
attitudes toward mental health services. It is anticipated that Veterans in the AboutFace
condition will be more likely to access and complete treatment than those receiving enhanced
Usual Care (eUC) for PTSD. Finally, qualitative interviews with key stakeholders across the
nation will be conducted to inform best practices for future implementation of AboutFace.
Methods: A total of 376 Veterans referred for a PTSD assessment and recommended for treatment
in the Charleston PTSD clinic will be enrolled in the study. Veterans will be randomized to
receive AboutFace versus eUC. All Veterans will receive standard PTSD educational materials,
and half will also be randomly assigned to receive AboutFace. Comparisons will be made across
indices of treatment engagement [i.e., initiated treatment (yes/no), total number of sessions
completed;]; changes in stigma and attitudes toward seeking mental health treatment; and
changes in PTSD symptoms and quality of life. Veterans will be assessed on these indices at
baseline, 1-month, 3-month, and 6-months. Thematic interviews will be conducted with 20-30 VA
PTSD Clinical Team Directors from a diverse range of PTSD clinics (i.e., ranging in size,
location, and practice) to inform future implementation and dissemination initiatives.
raised awareness of the critical need for more reliable, effective, and accessible means to
recognize those in need, direct them to help, and ensure that they receive the best treatment
available. Research has suggested that people are most responsive to advice and education
when it comes from someone to whom they can relate. AboutFace is a peer education resource
for Veterans that was developed, launched, and recently updated by the National Center for
PTSD (NCPTSD) based on HSR&D funded pilot data. AboutFace features personal stories of
Veterans and is designed to improve mental health treatment engagement among Veterans with
PTSD and related comorbidities. The study team, which includes the NCPTSD, recently completed
a usability assessment and pilot feasibility trial of AboutFace under HSR&D grant #PPO
14-360-1. Data from this study (1) guided improvements to AboutFace for increasing PTSD
treatment initiation and engagement; and (2) demonstrated the feasibility of the methodology
for the proposed study. If AboutFace is found to increase Veterans' initiation and engagement
in PTSD treatment, study data will have broad implications for overcoming barriers to care
for Veterans with PTSD and other stigmatized conditions.
Background: At least 1 in 10 Veterans meet criteria for PTSD related to their military
experience. Treatment for PTSD is widely available, and national dissemination initiatives
have increased Veterans' access to best-practice interventions. However, treatment-seeking
remains strikingly low; most Veterans with PTSD do not seek mental health services due to
perceived stigma and other barriers. NCPTSD developed and launched AboutFace, a public
awareness campaign to help Veterans recognize PTSD and motivate them to seek evidence-based
care. Since its development, AboutFace has earned three major awards and has had tens of
thousands of visits. Despite the tremendous potential for AboutFace to reduce stigma, improve
attitudes toward mental health treatment seeking, and to increase PTSD treatment initiation
and engagement, it has yet to be formally evaluated or effectively implemented within VHA
practice settings. In addition to providing needed data on the efficacy of AboutFace and
identifying strategies for effective implementation within VHA, this study will provide a
greater understanding of the role and value of digital storytelling interventions to improve
access to care for a wide range of stigmatized conditions.
Objectives: The primary objectives of the study are to examine the impact of AboutFace on a)
increasing PTSD treatment initiation and engagement; and b) decreasing stigma and negative
attitudes toward mental health services. It is anticipated that Veterans in the AboutFace
condition will be more likely to access and complete treatment than those receiving enhanced
Usual Care (eUC) for PTSD. Finally, qualitative interviews with key stakeholders across the
nation will be conducted to inform best practices for future implementation of AboutFace.
Methods: A total of 376 Veterans referred for a PTSD assessment and recommended for treatment
in the Charleston PTSD clinic will be enrolled in the study. Veterans will be randomized to
receive AboutFace versus eUC. All Veterans will receive standard PTSD educational materials,
and half will also be randomly assigned to receive AboutFace. Comparisons will be made across
indices of treatment engagement [i.e., initiated treatment (yes/no), total number of sessions
completed;]; changes in stigma and attitudes toward seeking mental health treatment; and
changes in PTSD symptoms and quality of life. Veterans will be assessed on these indices at
baseline, 1-month, 3-month, and 6-months. Thematic interviews will be conducted with 20-30 VA
PTSD Clinical Team Directors from a diverse range of PTSD clinics (i.e., ranging in size,
location, and practice) to inform future implementation and dissemination initiatives.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Veterans must be referred for a PTSD evaluation through the Charleston VAMC PTSD
Clinic Team (PCT) and Telehealth Programs and recommended for PTSD specialty care
through the clinic.
Exclusion Criteria:
We found this trial at
1
site
Charleston, South Carolina 29401
Principal Investigator: Anouk L. Grubaugh, PhD MA BS
Phone: 843-789-6700
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