NCT07388654

PTSD and Alcohol Couples Treatment for Veterans

Adapting a Brief Dyadic Intervention for Co-occurring Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Alcohol Use Disorder

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: EARLY_Phase 1
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 80 (estimated)
• Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development · Federal
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment for Veterans is challenging for Veterans. Veterans often benefit from social support from friends and loved ones while in treatment; however, the symptoms of PTSD and AUD often are associated with increased relationship conflict. It is essential to identify new ways to improve PTSD-AUD treatment, and involving loved ones in the process may be a way to improve treatment. The purpose of this study is to pilot test a brief couples intervention that is designed to be delivered while Veterans are in treatment for PTSD-AUD. Over the course of 12 weeks, Veterans will receive individual treatment through Concurrent Treatment of PTSD and Substance Use Disorders with Prolonged Exposure (COPE), and Veterans and their romantic partners will attend 3-4 sessions of Brief Family Involved Treatment (B-FIT) which has been modified specifically for Veterans with PTSD-AUD. Veterans and their romantic partners will complete a baseline visit, 12 weeks of weekly measures, and a 3-month follow-up visit. This is a stage 1a one-armed non-randomized pilot trial.

Detailed description

Co-occurring PTSD-AUD is a complex and urgent public health crisis. COPE is a highly efficacious integrated intervention that has strong positive effects on reducing PTSD symptoms, but has substantial room for improvement regarding AUD outcomes. Adapting a brief dyadic intervention designed to target AUD to be delivered alongside COPE (COPE + B-FIT) is a promising way to bolster AUD outcomes and increase relationship functioning to promote recovery for Veteran and their families. The present study will test a modified version of B-FIT that is specifically designed to be delivered to Veterans with PTSD-AUD and their romantic partners. The goals of B-FIT are to: 1. increase reinforcement for AUD treatment engagement, 2. increase positive rewards from drinking reductions, and 3. decrease drinking cues by decreasing negative communication and increasing positive communication. This trial will recruit Veterans and their romantic partners (N=40 couples/80 individuals). This Stage 1a/1b trial will look at primary outcomes of feasibility and acceptability of the adapted B-FIT intervention, and secondary outcomes of PTSD symptoms, AUD symptoms, and psychosocial functioning.

Conditions

• PTSD, AUD

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	COPE + BFIT	Veterans will engage in 12 sessions of COPE individually, and Veterans and their significant others will participate in in 3-4 sessions of the adapted B-FIT intervention specifically for Veterans with PTSD + AUD and their partners. COPE will be delivered concurrently with the adapted B-FIT.

Timeline

• Start date: 2027-03-01
• Primary completion: 2030-09-30
• Completion: 2031-02-03
• First posted: 2026-02-05
• Last updated: 2026-02-10

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States