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Behavioral Intervention

Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy for Depression and PTSD

N/A

Waitlist Available

Led By Daniel F Gros, PhD MA BS

Research Sponsored by VA Office of Research and Development

Eligibility Criteria Checklist

Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial

Must have

Participants must meet DSM-5 criteria for panic disorder, major depressive disorder, or posttraumatic stress disorder

Participants must be 18-80 years old

Must not have

acute, severe illness or medical condition that likely will require hospitalization and/or otherwise interfere with study procedures as documented in their medical record (e.g., active chemotherapy/radiation treatment for cancer)

diagnosis of moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury in their medical record and/or endorsement of screener questionnaire

Timeline

Screening 3 weeks

Treatment Varies

Follow Up change from baseline to week 6 to week 12 to 6-month followup

Awards & highlights

No Placebo-Only Group

Summary

This trial will compare the effectiveness of a new treatment, transdiagnostic behavior therapy (TBT), against existing treatments for veterans with major depressive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and panic disorder.

Who is the study for?

This trial is for Veterans aged 18-80 with depression, PTSD, or panic disorder who can consent to research. It's not for those recently hospitalized for psychiatric reasons, have severe illnesses like active cancer treatment, or started new psychiatric meds in the last month.

What is being tested?

The study compares Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy (TBT), a single protocol therapy designed to treat various disorders at once, with specific Cognitive Behavioral Therapies tailored individually for major depressive disorder (MDD), PTSD, and panic disorder.

What are the potential side effects?

While this trial involves psychological therapies rather than medications, participants may experience emotional discomfort discussing personal issues. Side effects are generally less severe than those associated with medication but can include increased anxiety or stress.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

You may be eligible if you check “Yes” for the criteria below

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I have been diagnosed with panic disorder, major depression, or PTSD.

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I am between 18 and 80 years old.

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I understand and can agree to the study's requirements.

Exclusion Criteria

You may be eligible for the trial if you check “No” for criteria below:

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I do not have a severe illness that would require hospitalization or interfere with the study.

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I have a moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks3 visits

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~ change from baseline to week 6 to week 12 to 6-month followup

Screening ~ 3 weeks

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~change from baseline to week 6 to week 12 to 6-month followup

This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and change from baseline to week 6 to week 12 to 6-month followup for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.

Primary study objectives

PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5)

Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS)

Patient Health Questionnaire - 9 (PHQ-9)

Awards & Highlights

No Placebo-Only Group

All patients enrolled in this study will receive some form of active treatment.

Trial Design

2Treatment groups

Experimental Treatment

Active Control

Group I: Transdiagnostic Behavior TherapyExperimental Treatment1 Intervention

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.

Group II: Disorder Specific TherapiesActive Control3 Interventions

To provide an evidence-based comparison for the TBT condition, DSTs will be used that are matched to the participant's most severe diagnosis, based upon the average of the ADIS interference and distress scores. If the scores are equivalent for two or more diagnoses, participants will be asked to list which diagnosis/symptoms that they find most impairing. DSTs will be included for each of the three targeted diagnoses, including PTSD (CPT for PTSD), PD/AG (CBT for PD/AG), and MDD (CBT for MDD). Each of these DSTs have published manuals for administration and have received extensive support in the literature (Barlow, 2014).

Treatment

First Studied

Drug Approval Stage

How many patients have taken this drug

Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy

2014

N/A

~110

0 / 5Eligibility criteria met