Crisis Response Planning added to intensive Cognitive Processing Therapy to reduce suicide risk in PTSD

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This randomized trial enrolls active-duty service members and veterans with PTSD or subthreshold PTSD who have recent suicidal ideation or a recent suicide attempt. Participants are randomly assigned to massed Cognitive Processing Therapy (10 daily sessions over two consecutive weeks) plus either Crisis Response Planning (CRP) or usual-care safety planning. CRP is introduced at intake and reviewed throughout the CPT course while outcomes such as suicidal ideation, attempts, and PTSD symptoms are tracked. The study combines two evidence-based interventions to see if the addition of CRP improves short-term suicide-related outcomes during an intensive PTSD treatment protocol.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Active duty service member or veteran aged 18 or older eligible for military medical care.
2. Able to read, write, and speak English.
3. Meeting diagnostic criteria for PTSD or subthreshold PTSD (i.e., meeting diagnostic threshold for 3 of 4 symptom criteria within the past month) on the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5).
4. Active suicidal ideation within the past week as assessed by scoring ≥ 1 on Scale for Suicidal Ideation (SSI) item 4 (i.e., active suicidal ideation within the past month) or report an interrupted, aborted, or actual suicide attempt within the preceding month on the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview-Revised (SITBI-R).
5. Regular use of an iPhone or Android smartphone.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Inability to comprehend and complete the consent and baseline screening questionnaires.
2. Current suicide or homicide risk meriting crisis intervention.
3. Serious mental health symptoms, such as mania, psychosis, alcohol or substance use disorders warranting immediate clinical attention based on interviewer assessment and clinical judgement.
4. Currently engaged in evidence-based psychotherapy for PTSD (e.g., Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure Therapy, Written Exposure Therapy).

Where it's running

• Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center
  Fort Hood, Texas, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Craig J Bryan — University of Vermont
• Study coordinator: C. Rosie Bauder, PhD, MPH
• Email: rosie.bauder@osumc.edu
• Phone: 614-814-0119

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.