NCT00530985

Preserving Function Among Disability Applicants

Preserving Function Among Disability Applicants: A Motivational Enhancement Approach to Benefits Counseling

• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 1
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 120 (estimated)
• Sponsor: US Department of Veterans Affairs · Federal
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

To test the hypothesis that veterans counseled around managing their benefits will work more and have a better quality of life than those receiving non-specific counseling.

Detailed description

The aim is to develop and test the efficacy of Benefits Counseling to improve quality of life among veterans who apply for VA benefits. Benefits Counseling involves providing claimants information about rehabilitation and work-related activities, benefits determination and management, and available substance abuse treatment . Benefits Counseling is designed to increase motivation to be active and promote engagement in substance abuse treatment. After enrolling 15 participants in an open-label pilot phase, 300 veterans who are not receiving benefits and are applying to VBA for disability benefits will be randomly assigned to Benefits Counseling or the control condition, VA Orientation, and both groups will be followed for one year. The primary outcome measures will be observer-rated and self-rated quality of life. Secondary outcome measures will include substance use and treatment utilization.

Conditions

• Disability

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Benefits Counseling	Help deciding whether to work
BEHAVIORAL	VA Orientation	Orientation to services available at VA

Timeline

• Start date: 2007-02-01
• Primary completion: 2009-06-01
• Completion: 2009-06-01
• First posted: 2007-09-18
• Last updated: 2009-07-02

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States