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-11273191 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is exploring a new way to help Veterans with PTSD get more involved in their mental health care by using a phone coaching service and a web program that supports families, making it easier for them to encourage their loved ones to seek help.
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 | 5I01HX002955-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11273191 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are combat Veterans experiencing PTSD who are not currently receiving mental health care.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are already receiving mental health care for PTSD 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), which has been shown to be effective in similar contexts. By empowering family members to support Veterans in seeking care, the research seeks to improve the initiation of mental health services among this population. Participants will be involved in a randomized controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of this combined intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly increase the number of Veterans with PTSD who engage in mental health care, leading to improved outcomes for both Veterans and their families.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown success with similar family-based interventions in improving mental health care engagement among Veterans.
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
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Family coaching plus VA‑CRAFT to help Veterans with PTSD start treatment
This project looks at whether adding an online program called VA‑CRAFT to the VA's phone-based Coaching Into Care helps family members support Veterans with PTSD to begin mental health care.
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Helping Veterans with PTSD through family support and coaching
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Helping Veterans with PTSD through family support and coaching.
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.
-
Improving sleep health for veterans with PTSD
This study is looking to help military veterans with PTSD who have trouble sleeping, like insomnia or nightmares, by using a special program called TranS-C that’s designed just for them, so they can get better sleep and feel more energized during the day.
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.