Actively Recruiting
PTSD Treatment for Veterans With Serious Mental Illness to Improve Functional Outcomes
Led by VA Office of Research and Development · Updated on 2026-05-06
48
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
226 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
PTSD is common among Veterans with serious mental illness (SMI). Co-occurring PTSD and SMI lead to poorer mental health and physical functioning than either diagnosis alone. Despite known high prevalence rates of PTSD in SMI populations as well as disparities in prevalence and treatment use for Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC), little research has been done to: a) evaluate leading treatments for PTSD in individuals with SMI, and b) develop culturally responsive methods to integrate with PTSD treatments for SMI Veterans. This study aims to address research and clinical gaps by: a) testing the feasibility and acceptability of Written Exposure Therapy (WET), a VA evidence-based psychotherapy for PTSD in Veterans with SMI, and b) incorporating culturally responsive assessment methods. Results from this study will inform whether WET and culturally responsive assessment are feasible to implement, acceptable to Veterans with SMI, and worth examining in standard or optimized form in a larger clinical trial.
CONDITIONS
Official Title
PTSD Treatment for Veterans With Serious Mental Illness to Improve Functional Outcomes
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Enrolled in outpatient mental health services within the VA Medical Health Care System
- Diagnosis of PTSD confirmed by the Clinician-administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) past month version
- Serious mental illness diagnosis as defined by VHA Directive 1160 (psychotic spectrum or bipolar disorders) confirmed by medical record
- Regular telephone access
You will not qualify if you...
- Engaging in moderate-to-severe substance use that affects participation or requires a higher level of care
- Currently receiving trauma-focused evidence-based PTSD treatment or completed such treatment within the past 6 months (e.g., WET, CPT, PE, or EMDR)
AI-Screening
AI-Powered Screening
Complete this quick 3-step screening to check your eligibility
Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
Baltimore VA Medical Center VA Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, MD
Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21201
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
M
Mary K Howell, PhD
CONTACT
A
Amy L Drapalski, PhD
CONTACT
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
SINGLE
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Model
PARALLEL
Primary Purpose
TREATMENT
Number of Arms
2
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