Helping Veterans with serious mental illness make better treatment decisions

Improving Collaborative Decision Making in Veterans with Serious Mental Illness

NIH-funded research VA San Diego Healthcare System · NIH-11299459

This study is all about helping Veterans with serious mental illness feel more confident in making choices about their own treatment by trying out a new training program that teaches decision-making skills, and we want to see how well it works with a small group at the VA San Diego.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionVA San Diego Healthcare System NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (San Diego, United States)
Project IDNIH-11299459 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This research focuses on improving collaborative decision-making (CDM) among Veterans with serious mental illness (SMI) by empowering them to actively participate in their treatment choices. The approach involves a new intervention called Collaborative Decision Skills Training (CDST), which aims to enhance the skills of Veterans in making informed decisions about their care. The study will first assess the feasibility of CDST through a small trial with Veterans at the VA San Diego Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center, gathering feedback from participants and healthcare providers to refine the program.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this research are Veterans aged 21 and older who are receiving services for serious mental illness.

Not a fit: Patients who do not have serious mental illness or are not Veterans may not benefit from this research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved treatment engagement and satisfaction for Veterans with serious mental illness.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research has shown that similar collaborative decision-making approaches can improve treatment outcomes in civilian populations, suggesting potential success in this context as well.

Where this research is happening

San Diego, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.