A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy to Disorder-Specific Psychotherapy in the Recovery of Veterans With Social Anxiety Disorder and Comorbid PTSD Symptomatology

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

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a brief, efficient, and effective treatment for individuals with depressive/anxiety disorders. However, CBT is largely underutilized within the Department of Veterans Affairs due to the cost and burden of trainings necessary to deliver all of the related disorder-specific treatments (DSTs). Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy (TBT), in contrast, is specifically designed to address numerous distinct disorders within a single protocol in Veterans with depressive/anxiety disorders. The proposed research seeks to evaluate the efficacy of TBT by assessing psychiatric symptomatology and related impairment outcomes in Veterans with social anxiety disorder and comorbid posttraumatic stress via a randomized controlled trial of TBT and an existing DST. Assessments will be completed at pre-, mid-, and post-treatment, and at 6-month follow-up. Process variables also will be investigated.

Eligibility
Participation Requirements
Sex: All
Minimum Age: 18
Maximum Age: 80
Healthy Volunteers: f
View:

• Participants must be Veterans and registered at Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Health Care System

• Participants must be clearly competent to provide informed consent for research participation

• Participants must meet DSM-5 criteria for social anxiety disorder

• Participants must have clinically significant symptoms of comorbid posttraumatic stress

Locations
United States
South Carolina
Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC
RECRUITING
Charleston
Contact Information
Primary
Daniel F Gros, PhD MA BS
daniel.gros@va.gov
(843) 789-6225
Backup
Lacey Bonner, MA
lacey.bonner@va.gov
(843) 577-5011
Time Frame
Start Date: 2024-04-01
Estimated Completion Date: 2027-10-31
Participants
Target number of participants: 264
Treatments
Experimental: Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy
TBT was developed to address transdiagnostic avoidance via the use of four different types of exposure techniques (situational/in-vivo, physical/interoceptive, thought/imaginal, and \[positive\] emotional/behavioral activation). From the transdiagnostic avoidance perspective, the four exposure practices are matched to the type(s) of avoidance experienced by patients based upon their cluster of symptoms/disorders.
Active_comparator: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder
To provide an evidence-based comparison for the TBT condition, the research-supported psychological treatment of CBT for SAD will be used. CBT for SAD demonstrates efficacy in improving SAD symptoms and quality of life for patients with SAD, with durable improvements evidenced at follow-up assessments. CBT for SAD was used as a comparison to TBT in previous preliminary research. CBT for SAD involves several primary components, including: 1) psychoeducation, 2) training in cognitive restructuring, 3) exposures, 4) advanced cognitive restructuring, and 5) termination.
Related Therapeutic Areas
Sponsors
Leads: VA Office of Research and Development

This content was sourced from clinicaltrials.gov