Guided Imagery for Military Sexual Trauma-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Guided Imagery for Military Sexual Trauma-Related PTSD

Military sexual trauma (MST) is a significant women's mental health issue. There is a crucial need for effective therapies for MST-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that are well-tolerated and can be flexibly administered in a variety of treatment settings. Guided imagery is a novel, transportable intervention technique that meets these requirements and warrants research in PTSD. The proposed study will be a randomized controlled trial of the Guided Imagery for Trauma (GIFT) intervention for women veterans with MST-related PTSD. This minimal contact intervention is designed to increase coping, affect management and relaxation skills, and to fostering more positive images and beliefs associated with surviving trauma. The feasibility and tolerability of GIFT have already been demonstrated in an open-label pilot of 15 women veterans with MST-related PTSD, with very promising initial results.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Stress Disorder, Post Traumatic; Military Sexual Trauma
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Guided Imagery Audio; Behavioral: Music Audio

Detailed Description

Study Aims: The primary aims of this study are: (1) To determine the efficacy of the GIFT intervention for women veterans with MST-related PTSD. (2) To determine the effects of GIFT on mental health and health services utilization, and neurobiological outcomes. (3) To identify predictors of GIFT treatment outcomes.

Research Plan: We will conduct a 12-week randomized, controlled trial of GIFT in 38 women veterans with MST-related PTSD. Half will be randomly assigned to GIFT and half to a music control group. GIFT includes a pretreatment orientation and midpoint consultation session with a clinician facilitator, a guided imagery audio, daily self-monitoring of audio use, and weekly telephone coaching calls with the facilitator. The music control condition is designed to control for all nonspecific aspects of GIFT and matches the GIFT protocol in all ways but the two specific "ingredients" through which GIFT is hypothesized to have its effect: (1) the guided imagery audio, and (2) the facilitator's help in structuring and focusing use of the guided imagery audio. Thus, the key differences between the two groups are that controls will receive an audio of the relaxing background music used on the guided imagery audio, but not the guided imagery exercises, and controls' contacts with the facilitator is limited to psychoeducational information and general support, and will not include help in structuring and focusing use of the audio, which is a key component of GIFT.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 40
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • North Carolina
    • Durham, North Carolina, United States, 27705
      • Durham VA Medical Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age 18-65
2. Status as a women veteran
3. Receives care at the Durham VAMC
4. History of MST, confirmed by CAPS interview
5. DSM-IV diagnosis of PTSD, confirmed by CAPS interview
6. Able to participate in a research interview in English.
7. Regular telephone access

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Current diagnosis of organic, psychotic, or bipolar disorder
2. Suicidality or parasuicidality
3. Ongoing family violence
4. Alcohol or drug abuse within previous 3 months
5. Enrolled in cognitive-behavioral/exposure-based therapy for PTSD during study period. Supportive therapy and some psychiatric medications (if stabilized at least 3 months prior to enrollment) are acceptable. Although patients may use medications, no new medications will be started during the study. This includes, but is not restricted to, SSRIs, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, antiepileptic drugs, antidepressants, buspirone, non-benzodiazepine hypnotics, stimulants, or antipsychotics.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: 1; Guided Imagery Audio	Behavioral: Guided Imagery Audio; Guided Imagery Audio listened to 5x per week
Active Comparator: 2; Music Audio	Behavioral: Music Audio; Music only audio to be listened to 5x per week

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
PTSD Severity - Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS)	Midpoint and Endpoint

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Neuroactive Steroid assay	Endpoint

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Duke University
• Collaborators: National Institutes of Health (NIH); Durham VA Medical Center
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Jennifer L Strauss, PhD, Duke University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: October 1, 2007
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 1, 2010
• Study Completion (Actual): May 1, 2010

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 9, 2008
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 13, 2008
• First Posted (Estimate): March 14, 2008

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): May 26, 2010
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 25, 2010
• Last Verified: May 1, 2010

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Guided Imagery; Depression,; Military Sexual Trauma; Anxiety,
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders; Stress Disorders, Traumatic; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Wounds and Injuries; Sexual Trauma
• Other Study ID Numbers: Pro00001282