ACT Workshops: A Novel Delivery Modality to Increase Access to Care for Rural Veterans

NCT ID: NCT05196464

Last Updated: 2024-04-22

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 37 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2021-04-01
• Study Completion Date: 2023-06-30

Brief Summary

This study investigates access, effectiveness, and acceptability of 1-day ACT workshops on problematic mental health symptoms.

Detailed Description

This study proposes to investigate access, effectiveness, and acceptability of 1-day ACT workshops delivered in 2 rural VA primary clinics with 32 Veterans with problematic mental health symptoms (i.e., depression, PTSD, or anxiety) that are risk factors for suicide.

Conditions

Access to Care; Psychological Distress

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

VA primary care patients

VA primary care patients with psychological distress are being enrolled

Group Type: OTHER

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Workshop

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

ACT workshops are single-day workshops that last 5-6 hours. The workshops will 1) Acceptance and Mindfulness Training emphasizing new ways of managing troubling thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations (e.g., learning how to recognize, and develop cognitive distance from unhelpful thoughts) and strategies to willingly face experiences that cannot be changed; and 2) Committed Action Training to help Veterans clarify what matters most to them (e.g., valued domains including family, friends, spirituality, career) and what they want to stand for in life, how they want to behave, and what strengths and qualities they want to develop. Within this context, the workshop will encourage engagement in, rather than avoidance of, actions consistent with valued directions, including engagement in healthcare. Workshop participants will be given homework related to implementing a key coping skill.

Treatment as usual (TAU)

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

TAU will consist of a consult to a mental health provider at their rural clinic. The patient will then be scheduled for an intake and offered traditional mental health treatment options. Treatment options are likely to include outpatient individual psychotherapy, psychotherapy groups, or medication management.

Interventions

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Workshop

ACT workshops are single-day workshops that last 5-6 hours. The workshops will 1) Acceptance and Mindfulness Training emphasizing new ways of managing troubling thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations (e.g., learning how to recognize, and develop cognitive distance from unhelpful thoughts) and strategies to willingly face experiences that cannot be changed; and 2) Committed Action Training to help Veterans clarify what matters most to them (e.g., valued domains including family, friends, spirituality, career) and what they want to stand for in life, how they want to behave, and what strengths and qualities they want to develop. Within this context, the workshop will encourage engagement in, rather than avoidance of, actions consistent with valued directions, including engagement in healthcare. Workshop participants will be given homework related to implementing a key coping skill.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Treatment as usual (TAU)

TAU will consist of a consult to a mental health provider at their rural clinic. The patient will then be scheduled for an intake and offered traditional mental health treatment options. Treatment options are likely to include outpatient individual psychotherapy, psychotherapy groups, or medication management.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• 1) current mental health symptoms as measured by one of the following indicators: PHQ-9 ≥ 10, PCL-5 ≥ 30, or GAD-7 ≥ 10.

Exclusion Criteria

1. cognitive impairment measured by BOMC,

2. current psychosis or mania as evidenced in the medical record,

3. current suicidal intent as measured by the P4,

4. use of mental health services within or outside of VA in the last 6 months as measured by CPRS and the non-VA services questionnaire.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

VA Office of Research and Development

FED

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center

FED

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Syracuse VA Medical Center

FED

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Locations

Syracuse Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Syracuse, New York, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

1576467

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id