Involving families in treating PTSD for better outcomes
Family Involvement in Treatment for PTSD (FIT-PTSD): A Brief, Feasible Method for Enhancing Outcomes, Retention, and Engagement
This study is looking at how having family members involved in treatment can help veterans with PTSD feel better and stick with their therapy, by trying out a short family program alongside their regular treatments.
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-10909819 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This research investigates how including family members in the treatment of PTSD can improve outcomes for veterans. It focuses on a Brief Family Intervention (BFI) that complements existing therapies like Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Prolonged Exposure (PE). The study will recruit veteran-family member pairs to see if those whose families participate in the BFI experience lower dropout rates and improved PTSD symptoms. Assessments will be conducted at various intervals to measure the effectiveness of this approach.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are veterans beginning treatment for PTSD who are open to involving their family members in the therapeutic process.
Not a fit: Patients who are not veterans or those who do not wish to involve family members in their treatment may not benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved treatment retention and reduced PTSD symptoms for veterans.
How similar studies have performed: Preliminary testing of similar family-based interventions has shown promising results, indicating that this approach could be effective.
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.