Relaxation Response Training for PTSD Prevention in US Military Personnel (RR)

William Beaumont Army Medical Center

Status: Terminated

Conditions: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Treatments: Behavioral: Relaxation Response training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT01725854

W81XWH-10-1-1011/ 367294

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purposes of this study are to evaluate the acceptability and utility of a mind-body intervention on a convenience sample of Soldiers (n=120) who have screened positive through RESPECT-MIL for symptoms that may lead to post-traumatic stress and to test the effectiveness of this Relaxation Response (RR) intervention designed to decrease the physiological and psychosocial effects of stress and trauma. The study aims to enhance the psychological health of Soldiers with a RR intervention designed to promote self-awareness of physiological responses to stress and the ability to increase relaxation responses.

Full description

Specific Aims:

1. Demonstrate that trainers can be trained effectively to deliver the intervention, a mind-body skills training program based on the Benson-Henry Institute's standard RR training curriculum and tailored to a military population.
2. Evaluate feasibility, acceptability, and compliance to the training program in an active duty military population.
3. Compare outcomes on sleep disturbance, PTSD, stress-related symptoms, quality of life, and psychosocial variables related to resilience of Soldiers who receive the 6-week training program to promote the Relaxation Response to those Soldiers who do not receive the intervention.

Enrollment: 8 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• 18 years or older, male and female volunteer individual military Service Members, DoD civilians or approved contractors working for DoD, primarily from multidisciplinary healthcare providers.
• Willingness to participate in the research project.
• Committed to the entire period of time of the research project.
• Currently working or stationed at Ft Bliss, Texas.
• No impending orders for deployment/ TDY/ PCS/ ETS or retirement for at least 8 weeks from the day of study enrollment.
• Able to read and speak English.
• Capable to consent.

Exclusion criteria

• Diagnosed with severe PTSD or other mental health issues disclosed as self-reported

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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8 participants in 2 patient groups

Relaxation Response Training

Experimental group

Description:

The Military tailored RR training program will consist of six weekly small group sessions which involve group presentations, in-group skill building exercises, and at-home assignments. Groups will contain 5-8 participants who are active-duty Soldiers enrolled in either Respect-MIL or the Interdisciplinary Pain Management Center (IPMC).

Treatment:

Behavioral: Relaxation Response training

Standard of Care

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants randomized to the control group will receive standard care through their providers at Respect-MIL or at the IPMC. Participants randomized to the control group will remain on the wait list for further standard care. After the collection of the final data point, these participants will also have the option to participate in an abbreviated, two-hour version of the RR training.