NCT03579706

Evaluation of a Brief, Online Intervention for Military Personnel

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 180 (actual)
• Sponsor: Florida State University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This randomized controlled trial will compare the effectiveness and acceptability of a computerized treatment targeting anxiety sensitivity compared to an active control: Physical Health Education Treatment (PHET) to determine efficacy among military personnel when delivered over the Internet. Purpose: To investigate the efficacy and acceptability of a computerized stress sensitivity treatment delivered online among a population of U.S. military personnel.

Detailed description

The objective of the current proposal is to evaluate the efficacy of the Cognitive Anxiety Sensitivity Treatment (CAST) program in an online RCT through Amazon's Mechanical Turk with Veterans and military personnel. The primary outcome variables will be traumatic stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. The study is being conducted at Florida State University. Specific Aims: (1) Evaluate the efficacy of the CAST program delivered over the Internet among Veterans and military personnel; (2) Assess acceptability and usability of the CAST program delivered over the Internet without in person appointments; (3) Determine the feasibility of using Amazon's Mechanical Turk to recruit and conduct a fully online randomized controlled trial of a computerized treatment. Veterans or active duty personnel (N = 100) who are at increased risk for mental health problems, as indicated by elevated anxiety sensitivity, will be recruited through Amazon's Mechanical Turk. Mechanical Turk is an online marketplace for individuals interested in completing computerized tasks, such as research surveys, for compensation. Participants will complete self-report symptom measures before and after the intervention as well as at a 4-month follow-up appointment. The intervention is a single session and lasts approximately 45 minutes. The intervention contains educational material to dispel commonly held false beliefs about the dangerousness of experiencing anxiety symptoms, for example elevated heart rate or a difficulty concentrating. Then participants are guided through an exercise designed to bring on these uncomfortable bodily sensations to help participants reduce the amount of distress these symptoms cause. Participants will also be asked to provide feedback related to acceptability and usability of the intervention.

Conditions

• Experimental
• Placebo Contol

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Cognitive Anxiety Sensitivity Treatment	The Cognitive Anxiety Sensitivity Treatment is a computerized treatment that is a combination of psychoeducation plus interoceptive exposure for anxiety sensitivity (AS). The psychoeducational component will focus on the nature of stress and its effect on the body. Interoceptive exposure (IE) exercises, designed to correct the conditioned fear to these bodily sensations, will be explained and practiced.
BEHAVIORAL	Physical Health Education Training	The Physical Health Education Training is a computerized active placebo matched in time and structure to CAST that includes information about general health and wellness (e.g. diet, exercise etc.).

Timeline

• Start date: 2018-06-25
• Primary completion: 2018-10-01
• Completion: 2018-10-01
• First posted: 2018-07-06
• Last updated: 2020-02-17

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States