Family support to improve PTSD therapy for Veterans
Family Involvement in Treatment for PTSD (FIT-PTSD): A Brief, Feasible Method for Enhancing Outcomes, Retention, and Engagement
This adds a short, two-session family program to standard PTSD therapy to help Veterans stay in treatment and feel better.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA Boston Health Care System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11513868 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, you and a family member will be enrolled as a pair when you begin Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) or Prolonged Exposure (PE) at participating VA clinics. Family members will be randomly assigned to either receive a two-session Brief Family Intervention (BFI) or continue usual care without the BFI. The BFI offers psychoeducation and skills to help family members support the Veteran through treatment, and outcomes like PTSD symptoms and whether Veterans complete therapy will be tracked. Independent evaluators will measure progress at baseline and at 6, 12, 18, and 26 weeks.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are Veterans aged 21 or older who are starting CPT or PE at a participating VA site and who can bring a willing family member to participate.
Not a fit: Veterans without an available or willing family member, those not receiving CPT/PE, or non-Veterans are unlikely to be eligible or to benefit directly from this intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help more Veterans complete CPT/PE and lead to larger improvements in PTSD symptoms.
How similar studies have performed: Early pilot testing showed promising results, including about 50% less dropout and a large improvement in PTSD symptoms at 16 weeks, but this larger trial will test those findings more fully.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- VA Boston Health Care System — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Thompson-Hollands, Johanna — VA Boston Health Care System
- Study coordinator: Thompson-Hollands, Johanna
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.