Enhancing Delivery of Problem Solving Therapy Using SmartPhone Technology

October 17, 2016 updated by: VA Office of Research and Development
This project will be the first to evaluate the Moving Forward app in VA. Identifying an effective treatment for anxiety and depression in primary care is imperative within Veterans Health Administration as they are both common, chronic, and debilitating conditions associated with a number of personal and health-related costs. In close partnership with app developers at Mental Health Services, a major contribution of this research is the actionable feedback on the acceptability, feasibility and effectiveness of augmenting traditional Problem Solving Therapy with the Moving Forward app for future app development. If effectiveness can be established, Moving Forward has the potential for integration into the larger continuum of care for depression and anxiety in Primary Care-Mental Health Integration (e.g., care management, co-located collaborative care). Lastly, this pilot project will provide preliminary data for future research on SmartPhone technology. Veteran feedback on treatment components, ease of executing the study successfully and preliminary effect size calculations, will inform the design of the larger project.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Access and engagement in evidence-based psychotherapies for Veterans are high priorities for the Veterans Health Administration, especially the Office of Rural Health and the office of Mental Health Services. SmartPhone applications are an emerging technology with a vast potential to extend the reach of traditional in-person psychotherapy by allowing increased digital access to providers and self-management tools. Due to the relatively recent development of this technology, there are no data on the effectiveness of SmartPhone-delivered psychotherapy. Preliminary data on acceptability and satisfaction are promising, suggesting a need for further research. The National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in collaboration with the National Center for Telehealth & Technology (T2) recently completed the development of an app called Moving Forward, a Veteran-friendly adaptation of Problem Solving Therapy, an evidence based therapy available through Primary Care Integration Clinics. In partnership with Mental Health Services, this proposed pilot project will gather preliminary data on the effectiveness and acceptability of Moving Forward and provide timely feedback to the app creators. Participants will include approximately 40 Veterans diagnosed with an anxiety or mood disorder interested in obtaining mental health treatment in Primary Care -Mental Health Integration. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either Problem Solving Therapy augmented by the Moving Forward app or Problem Solving Therapy alone. Participants will complete assessments at baseline, 6 weeks and 12 weeks. Investigators propose 3 specific hypotheses. In hypothesis 1, investigators predict a moderate effect size will be observed when comparing homework completion and satisfaction for patients randomized to Problem Solving Therapy plus the Moving Forward app compared to patients randomized to Problem Solving Therapy alone. In hypothesis 2, investigators predict a moderate effect size will be observed when comparing change scores on the problem solving style for patients randomized to Problem Solving Therapy plus the Moving Forward app compared to patients randomized to Problem Solving Therapy alone. In hypothesis 3, investigators predict a moderate effect size will be observed when comparing depression, anxiety, stress and quality of life change for patients randomized to Problem Solving Therapy plus the Moving Forward app compared to patients randomized to Problem Solving Therapy alone. Key informant interviews will provide qualitative feedback on the Moving Forward app which investigators will share with our partners at Mental Health Services. The proposed project is important to the VA mission to improve access for all Veterans particularly those who face barriers to engagement in traditional face-to-face treatment. The proposed research addresses one of three primary focus areas of the Office of Research and Development (Access), two of Health Services Research &Development's research priorities (Access/Rural Health and Mental Health), and three of Secretary Shinseki's Transformational Initiatives for the 21st Century including improving: 1) access to care, 2) mental health, and 3) patient-centeredness. This proposed work is innovative as it focuses on a rapidly emerging mobile technology that has great potential to improve access and engagement in mental health service delivery. To date, there have been no randomized effectiveness trials that have examined SmartPhone apps for mental health service delivery. The project is also timely as there is a temporary moratorium (imposed by the Office of Information Technology) on app dissemination within Veterans Health Administration, presenting an opportunity to study Moving Forward prior to its release. At the completion of this project, investigators expect that the work proposed in this study will highlight the clinical value of the Moving Forward app, which will inform both VA policy makers and the scientific community at large about the utility of SmartPhone technology in mental health care delivery. Investigators also expect that this study will provide our partners at Mental Health Services with helpful feedback on the Moving Forward app design and future app development.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
33

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 2
  • Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Arkansas
      • No. Little Rock, Arkansas, United States, 72114-1706
        • Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System Eugene J. Towbin Healthcare Center, Little Rock, AR

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 64 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Veterans will be eligible if they are 18 years old or older,
  • speak and understand English,
  • are patients in the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System Primary Care-Mental Health Integration,

  • and have a current diagnosis of depression

    • major depressive disorder, 296.2x and 296.3x
    • dysthymic disorder, 300.4
    • depressive disorder not otherwise specified, 311

  • and/or anxiety

    • panic disorder without agoraphobia, 300.01
    • panic disorder with agoraphobia, 300.21
    • specific phobia, 300.29
    • social phobia, 300.23
    • obsessive-compulsive disorder; 300.3
    • posttraumatic stress disorder, 309.81
    • acute stress disorder, 308.3
    • generalized anxiety disorder, 300.02
    • anxiety disorder not otherwise specified, 300.00
  • We considered enrolling only those Veterans diagnosed with mild-to-moderate depression, but chose to include a range of anxiety and depression-related disorders in order to reflect the population of Veterans seen in Primary Care-Mental Health Integration.
  • Additionally, Problem Solving Therapy is designed to treat a range of stress-related problems, including both anxiety and depressive disorders.
  • Veterans taking prescribed anxiolytics or anti-depressants will be eligible if they are on a stable medication regimen.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Exclusionary criteria include any current suicidal ideation,
  • substance dependence diagnosis and current use,
  • any psychotic spectrum diagnoses or
  • inability to provide informed consent.
  • Diagnosis will be confirmed by chart review and Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview.
  • Acute suicidal ideation will be determined by the assessing or treating clinician.
  • During the baseline and follow-up interviews, any Veteran who endorses a "1" or higher on item # 21 on the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale "I feel that life isn't worthwhile" or item # 9 on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 "thoughts that you would be better off dead or of hurting yourself" will be asked follow-up questions on the suicide risk protocol (see appendix 3).
  • Current substance or alcohol use will be determined by the alcohol and substance use modules of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Problem Solving Therapy plus Moving Forward (PST-MF)
All Veterans will receive a standard 6-session administration of Problem Solving Therapy (Nezu & D'Zurilla, 1999). Session 1 will take place in-person during a scheduled appointment and will last for 1 hour. Subsequent sessions will take place over the telephone and will last for approximately 30 minutes. Participants in this arm will also receive the Moving Forward app for SmartPhones, which was adapted from Problem Solving Therapy to be used either as a standalone treatment or as an adjunct to other related therapies such as in-person Problem Solving Therapy or the Moving Forward website. The phone content matches Problem Solving Therapy. Benefits of the app include 24-hours accessibility of psychoeducational materials and worksheets.
Other: Problem Solving Therapy plus Moving Forward
All Veterans will receive a standard 6-session administration of Problem Solving Therapy (Nezu & D'Zurilla, 1999). Session 1 will take place in-person during a scheduled appointment and will last for 1 hour. Subsequent sessions will take place over the telephone and will last for approximately 30 minutes. Participants in this arm will also receive the Moving Forward app for SmartPhones, which was adapted from Problem Solving Therapy to be used either as a standalone treatment or as an adjunct to other related therapies such as in-person Problem Solving Therapy or the Moving Forward website. The phone content matches Problem Solving Therapy. Benefits of the app include 24-hours accessibility of psychoeducational materials and worksheets.
Active Comparator: Problem Solving Therapy
All Veterans will receive a standard 6-session administration of Problem Solving Therapy (Nezu & D'Zurilla, 1999). Session 1 will take place in-person during a scheduled appointment and will last for 1 hour. Subsequent sessions will take place over the telephone and will last for approximately 30 minutes.
Other: Problem Solving Therapy
All Veterans will receive a standard 6-session administration of Problem Solving Therapy (Nezu & D'Zurilla, 1999). Session 1 will take place in-person during a scheduled appointment and will last for 1 hour. Subsequent sessions will take place over the telephone and will last for approximately 30 minutes.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS)
Time Frame: 6 weeks, 12 weeks
The 7-item depression subscale on the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) is measured on a 0-42 scale. Higher scores represent worse depression symptoms. The 7-item anxiety subscale on the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) is measured on a 0-42 scale. Higher scores represent worse anxiety symptoms. The 7-item stress subscale on the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) is measured on a 0-42 scale. Higher scores represent worse stress symptoms.
6 weeks, 12 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Short Form Health Survey-12-Veterans (SF-12 V) Mental Composite Score
Time Frame: 6 weeks, 12 weeks
The 12-item Short Form Health Survey-12-Veterans (SF-12 V) Mental Composite Score is rated on a 0-100 scale. Higher scores represent better mental health functioning.
6 weeks, 12 weeks
Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8)
Time Frame: 6 weeks
The 8-item Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8) is rated on an 8-32 scale. Higher scores represent greater satisfaction with the intervention.
6 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
VA Office of Research and Development

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Kathleen M Grubbs, PhD, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System Eugene J. Towbin Healthcare Center, Little Rock, AR

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
April 1, 2014

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
March 1, 2015

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
March 1, 2015

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
June 25, 2013

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 28, 2013

First Posted (Estimate)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 3, 2013

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 28, 2016

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 17, 2016

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
October 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • PPO 13-122

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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