Helping Veterans with serious mental illness make better treatment decisions
Official title: Improving Collaborative Decision Making in Veterans with Serious Mental Illness
Funded at VA San Diego Healthcare System · NIH-11299459 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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 type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA San Diego Healthcare System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Diego, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2020 |
| Project end | December 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| NIH project number | 5IK2RX003079-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11299459 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are Veterans aged 21 and older who are receiving services for serious mental illness.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have serious mental illness or are not Veterans may not benefit from this research.
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.
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 gone: 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
-
VA San Diego Healthcare System
San Diego, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Treichler, Emily — VA San Diego Healthcare System
- Study coordinator: Treichler, Emily
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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.