Evaluation of Outcomes Following Surf Therapy

Sponsor

United States Naval Medical Center, San Diego (U.S. Fed)

Overall Status

Completed

CT.gov ID

NCT02857751

Collaborator

Naval Health Research Center (U.S. Fed)

Enrollment

Location

Actual Duration (Months)

2.4

Patients Per Site Per Month

Study Details

Study Description

Brief Summary

The current study evaluates psychological and physical health outcomes for active-duty service members following participation in an established surf therapy program. Participants complete assessments before and after the surf therapy program, as well as brief assessments before and after each surf therapy session.

Condition or Disease	Intervention/Treatment	Phase
Depression Posttraumatic Stress Disorder	Behavioral: Surf therapy

Detailed Description

The proposed study would evaluate whether an existing surf therapy program that is part of the Wounded, Ill, and Injured (WII) Wellness Program at Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD), significantly reduces both psychological symptoms (e.g., PTSD, depression, anxiety, negative affect, lack of positive affect) and physical symptoms (e.g., pain, sleep) among active-duty service members. Psychological and physical symptoms will be assessed before beginning the surf program and at program completion. In addition, brief assessments of mood and symptoms will be completed before and after each individual surf therapy session.

Study Design

Study Type:

Observational

Actual Enrollment :

75 participants

Observational Model:

Cohort

Time Perspective:

Prospective

Official Title:

Evaluation of Health Outcomes Following the NMCSD Surf Therapy Program

Actual Study Start Date :

Jun 1, 2016

Actual Primary Completion Date :

Dec 15, 2017

Actual Study Completion Date :

Dec 31, 2018

Arms and Interventions

Arm	Intervention/Treatment
Surf therapy cohort 1 The first cohort of participants to enroll in the study (i.e., participants in the first 6-week program)	Behavioral: Surf therapy The NMCSD surf therapy program is approximately 6 weeks in duration. Each surf therapy session lasts 2-3 hours and occurs in a group setting that can accommodate up to 20 service members per session. Each service member is paired with a surf instructor who works with him or her each week for the 6-week session. Goals are individually-tailored to the service member (based on participant's level of comfort in the water, experience with surfing, etc.) and can incorporate both physical and psychological objectives.
Surf therapy cohort 2 The second cohort of participants to enroll in the study (i.e., participants in the second 6-week program)	Behavioral: Surf therapy The NMCSD surf therapy program is approximately 6 weeks in duration. Each surf therapy session lasts 2-3 hours and occurs in a group setting that can accommodate up to 20 service members per session. Each service member is paired with a surf instructor who works with him or her each week for the 6-week session. Goals are individually-tailored to the service member (based on participant's level of comfort in the water, experience with surfing, etc.) and can incorporate both physical and psychological objectives.
Surf therapy cohort 3 The third cohort of participants to enroll in the study (i.e., participants in the third 6-week program)	Behavioral: Surf therapy The NMCSD surf therapy program is approximately 6 weeks in duration. Each surf therapy session lasts 2-3 hours and occurs in a group setting that can accommodate up to 20 service members per session. Each service member is paired with a surf instructor who works with him or her each week for the 6-week session. Goals are individually-tailored to the service member (based on participant's level of comfort in the water, experience with surfing, etc.) and can incorporate both physical and psychological objectives.
Surf therapy cohort 4 The fourth cohort of participants to enroll in the study (i.e., participants in the fourth 6-week program)	Behavioral: Surf therapy The NMCSD surf therapy program is approximately 6 weeks in duration. Each surf therapy session lasts 2-3 hours and occurs in a group setting that can accommodate up to 20 service members per session. Each service member is paired with a surf instructor who works with him or her each week for the 6-week session. Goals are individually-tailored to the service member (based on participant's level of comfort in the water, experience with surfing, etc.) and can incorporate both physical and psychological objectives.
Surf therapy cohort 5 The fifth cohort of participants to enroll in the study (i.e., participants in the fifth 6-week program)	Behavioral: Surf therapy The NMCSD surf therapy program is approximately 6 weeks in duration. Each surf therapy session lasts 2-3 hours and occurs in a group setting that can accommodate up to 20 service members per session. Each service member is paired with a surf instructor who works with him or her each week for the 6-week session. Goals are individually-tailored to the service member (based on participant's level of comfort in the water, experience with surfing, etc.) and can incorporate both physical and psychological objectives.

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8) [From pre- to post-program (e.g., approximately 6-8 weeks)]
Self-reported depression symptoms

Secondary Outcome Measures

Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8) [From pre- to post-program (e.g., approximately 6-8 weeks)]
Report of satisfaction with the surf therapy program

Eligibility Criteria

Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years and Older

Sexes Eligible for Study:

All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

Yes

Inclusion Criteria:

Active-duty military service members seeking surf therapy at NMCSD and have been medically cleared to participate
Diagnosis of either a psychological (e.g., PTSD, depression) or physical (e.g., amputated limb; traumatic brain injury) condition that served as a reason for referral

Exclusion Criteria:

Service members who cannot receive medical clearance to participate in the NMCSD surf therapy program
Service members who have previously participated in the NMCSD surf therapy program