Relief of Symptoms of Post-traumatic Stress for Victims of Gun Violence

Yale University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Gunshot Wound; PTSD; Stress, Psychological

Treatments: Behavioral: Screening Tool for Relief of Trauma (START); Behavioral: standard of care

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03916614

2000025580

Details and patient eligibility

About

To test the hypothesis that adult individuals who are victims of gun violence will have decreased symptoms of post-traumatic stress after an individual-level intervention with the Screening and Tool for Awareness and Relief of Trauma (START).

Full description

In response to the lack of targeted mental health intervention for gunshot wound survivors, the Screening and Tool for Awareness and Relief of Trauma (START) was developed for patients that come from communities with sustained and persistent trauma. It consists of six screening questions adapted from the validated Primary Care PTSD Screen,[30] with input from focus groups, surveys and in-depth interviews with victims of violence and in particular, boys and young men of color. START has been shown to be effective at decreasing symptoms of PTSD in a one-month follow-up, but it has not been piloted on recently injured victims of gun violence specifically nor has it been tested in a randomized control trial design. A better understanding of the utility of this tool and others like it in victims of violent crime for relief of symptoms of post-traumatic stress and prevention of PTSD would contribute to the larger body of literature on PTSD prevention for victims of gun violence while simultaneously addressing a major need in this community.

Enrollment: 14 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Survivors of gunshot wound presenting to the Emergency room and/or admitted as inpatient that are eligible for the Violence Prevention and Outreach Program (VPOP).

Exclusion criteria

• Patients with severe traumatic brain injury
• Children under the age of 18
• Patients otherwise unable to give consent
• Non-English speaking patients
• Victims of sexual assault
• Patients with history of a severe mental illness and/or those already undergoing treatment for a mental illness by a licensed professional.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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14 participants in 2 patient groups

START treatment

Experimental group

Description:

Participants randomized into the treatment arm will receive the START intervention as described above alongside usual care from the VPOP staff

Treatment:

Behavioral: Screening Tool for Relief of Trauma (START)

standard of care

Active Comparator group

Description:

Those randomized to the control arm will receive the usual screening for PTSD and referral for outpatient services if warranted as well as usual care from VPOP staff.

Treatment:

Behavioral: standard of care