Partner-Assisted Prolonged Exposure Therapy Compared to Standard Treatment for PTSD in Post-911 Veterans

What this Trial Is About

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD affects up to 17% of post-911 US Service Members and is linked to long-term challenges such as family problems, unemployment, and risk of suicide. Trauma-focused therapies like Prolonged Exposure PE help many but are not effective for everyone, with about 40% retaining their PTSD diagnosis after treatment. This research aims to test whether adding a partner-assisted approach, called Partnered Prolonged Exposure PPE, can improve psychosocial functioning and treatment outcomes compared to standard PE in Veterans. The study compares standard PE, which involves weekly 90-minute therapy sessions with the Veteran and therapist, to PPE, which adapts PE by incorporating strategies from Integrative Behavioral Couples Therapy. PPE includes twice-weekly 60-minute sessions, some with the Veteran and their intimate partner together and some with the Veteran alone. The partner acts as a coach and helps with trauma-related discussions, aiming to enhance treatment effects. The trial is a randomized controlled study involving 210 Veterans and their partners. Participants and their partners will undergo assessments at the start, mid-treatment, end of treatment, and at 3- and 6-month follow-ups. These evaluations include measures of psychosocial functioning, PTSD symptoms, depression, relationship functioning, caregiver burden, and distress. Researchers will also conduct interviews to understand factors influencing treatment and explore differences based on military sexual trauma history. The total study duration spans several months of treatment and follow-up to monitor outcomes and implementation strategies.

A Hybrid 1 Effectiveness-Implementation Trial of Partner-Assisted Prolonged Exposure for PTSD