Using CBT for insomnia to help women veterans engage in PTSD care
Official title: Increasing PTSD Treatment Engagement in Women Veterans: Role of CBT for Insomnia
Funded at VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System · NIH-11365625 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will try giving Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT‑I) to women veterans with PTSD to help them get into and stick with PTSD treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2023 |
| Project end | December 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5IK2HX003332-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11365625 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Women veterans with PTSD who also have significant insomnia and who receive care through the VA Greater Los Angeles system (or via VA telehealth) are the best fit.
✕Less likely to help
People without insomnia, non-veterans, or those unable to access VA Greater Los Angeles services are unlikely to benefit from this specific approach.
What this research studies
You would be offered trauma-informed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT‑I) because many women veterans with PTSD also have insomnia. The team will deliver brief CBT‑I through the VA (in person or by VA telehealth) and track sleep, PTSD symptoms, and whether you start and complete PTSD psychotherapy afterwards. They will use standard questionnaires and appointment records to measure sleep, mood, emotion regulation, and treatment attendance. The approach is meant to be brief and acceptable so it could be rolled out more widely within VA care if it helps.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help more women veterans begin and complete effective PTSD therapies by improving sleep and readiness for trauma-focused treatment.
How similar studies have gone: CBT‑I is a well-established, first-line treatment that improves sleep and helps people with comorbid psychiatric conditions, but using trauma-informed CBT‑I specifically to increase PTSD treatment engagement in women veterans is a new application.
Where this research is happening
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VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Carlson, Gwendolyn — VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
- Study coordinator: Carlson, Gwendolyn
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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.