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Evaluating Treatments for Suicidal Veterans With PTSD
Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development
Summary
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a significant driver of suicide risk among Veterans, but there is a critical knowledge gap about how to treat PTSD among people at elevated risk for suicide. Although evidence-based treatments for PTSD reduce suicide risk, Veterans at high risk for suicidal behavior rarely receive these potentially life-saving treatments. Prior research suggests that a treatment that combines Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) with the DBT Prolonged Exposure protocol (DBT PE) for PTSD improves both PTSD and suicide-related outcomes. This study will evaluate whether DBT + DBT PE improves these outcomes more than Prolonged Exposure plus suicide risk management, the gold standard VA care for this population. The proposed study will also examine factors that make it easier and harder to implement these treatments in VA settings. The results will help to inform treatment guidelines for this high-priority Veteran population.
Official title: A Hybrid Effectiveness-Implementation Trial of Treatments for Veterans With PTSD at Elevated Acute Risk for Suicide
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - Any
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
125
Start Date
2024-07-08
Completion Date
2027-08-31
Last Updated
2025-12-23
Healthy Volunteers
No
Interventions
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Standard Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), including DBT individual therapy (1 hour/week), DBT group skills training (2 hours/week), between-session coaching (as needed during business hours), and therapist consultation team (1-1.5 hours/week).
Dialectical Behavior Therapy Prolonged Exposure protocol
DBT PE is designed to be integrated into DBT to formally treat PTSD once patients meet standardized readiness criteria. The core procedures are in vivo and imaginal exposure with processing that are delivered in individual therapy sessions (1.5 hours/week).
Prolonged Exposure therapy
Standard PE is delivered in individual therapy sessions (1.5 hours/week) and uses the core procedures of in vivo and imaginal exposure with processing.
Suicide risk management
Standard VA suicide risk management procedures, including comprehensive suicide risk assessment and safety planning.
Locations (4)
Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC
Durham, North Carolina, United States
South Texas Health Care System, San Antonio, TX
San Antonio, Texas, United States
VA Puget Sound Health Care System Seattle Division, Seattle, WA
Seattle, Washington, United States