Helping Veterans with PTSD through family support and coaching.
Official title: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Coaching into Care with VA-CRAFT to Promote Veteran Engagement in PTSD Care
Funded at Veterans Admin Palo Alto Health Care Sys · NIH-11145693 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing a new phone coaching service to help Veterans with PTSD get more involved in their mental health care, while also supporting their families, so they can work together to encourage the Veterans to start and stick with treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Veterans Admin Palo Alto Health Care Sys NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Palo Alto, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2020 |
| Project end | August 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| NIH project number | 5I01HX002955-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11145693 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are Veterans struggling with PTSD who are not currently receiving mental health care and their family members seeking to support them.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are already engaged in mental health care or do not have family support may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates a new approach to enhance the engagement of Veterans with PTSD in mental health care by utilizing a telephone-based coaching service called Coaching Into Care (CIC). The study aims to integrate this service with a web program known as VA Community Reinforcement and Family Training (VA-CRAFT) to better support family members who are seeking care for their loved ones. By empowering families, the research seeks to improve the likelihood that Veterans will initiate and continue mental health services. The goal is to create a scalable and effective intervention that addresses both the needs of Veterans and their families.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly increase the number of Veterans with PTSD who seek and receive mental health care, benefiting both them and their families.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that family involvement can enhance treatment outcomes for Veterans, indicating that this approach has potential based on established principles.
Where this research is happening
-
Veterans Admin Palo Alto Health Care Sys
Palo Alto, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kuhn, Eric Roland — Veterans Admin Palo Alto Health Care Sys
- Study coordinator: Kuhn, Eric Roland
Related research
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Helping Veterans with PTSD through family support and coaching
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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.