Functional Outcomes of Cannabis Use (FOCUS) in Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Status: Recruiting
Location: See location...
Intervention Type: Behavioral
Study Type: Interventional
Study Phase: Not Applicable
SUMMARY

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disabling psychiatric disorder that affects 20%-30% of U.S. Veterans. PTSD is strongly associated with increased risk for substance abuse comorbidity, including cannabis use disorder. Multiple states now include PTSD as a condition for which patients can be legally prescribed medical marijuana, despite the fact that there has not been a single large-scale randomized clinical trial demonstrating the efficacy of cannabis to treat PTSD to date. The overall objective of the current proposal is to study the impact of reduced cannabis use on functioning among Veterans with PTSD. The investigators will evaluate the relationship between cannabis use and daily functioning among cannabis users and heavy cannabis users. The central hypothesis is that reductions in cannabis use will lead to positive changes in the functional outcomes of Veterans. The rationale for this research is that it will provide the first and only real-time data concerning the impact of reduced cannabis use on daily functioning among Veterans with PTSD.

Eligibility
Participation Requirements
Sex: All
Minimum Age: 18
Healthy Volunteers: f
View:

• Veteran status

• Ability to speak and write fluent English

• Current PTSD diagnosis

• Use of cannabis on 13+ days in the past month (i.e., use on 3+ days per week)

Locations
United States
North Carolina
Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC
RECRUITING
Durham
Contact Information
Primary
Angela C Kirby, MS
angela.kirby@va.gov
(919) 286-0411
Backup
Jean C Beckham, PhD
jean.beckham@va.gov
(919) 286-0411
Time Frame
Start Date: 2022-01-26
Estimated Completion Date: 2025-12-30
Participants
Target number of participants: 40
Treatments
Experimental: Contingency Management (CM)
Mobile contingency management (CM) will be used to promote reductions in cannabis use among Veterans with PTSD who are heavy cannabis users. CM is an intensive behavioral therapy in which participants are paid to reduce substance use.
Related Therapeutic Areas
Sponsors
Leads: VA Office of Research and Development

This content was sourced from clinicaltrials.gov