Pilot Evaluation of AboutFace: Novel Peer Education Resource for Veterans
Study Details
Study Description
Brief Summary
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the AboutFace peer education website for the purpose of reducing stigma and improving attitudes toward seeking mental health services among Veterans.
| Condition or Disease | Intervention/Treatment | Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
N/A |
Detailed Description
Research suggests that at least 1 in 10 Veterans will meet criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to their military experience. Treatment is widely available to Veterans with PTSD, and national dissemination initiatives have increased Veterans' access to best practice interventions. However, treatment seeking remains strikingly low among Veterans with PTSD. In fact, most Veterans with PTSD do not seek mental health services due to perceived stigma and other associated barriers. The National Center for PTSD recently developed and launched AboutFace, a peer education resource for Veterans. The investigators of this study believe that AboutFace has tremendous potential to reduce stigma and improve attitudes toward seeking mental health services among Veterans. However, it has not yet been evaluated. Investigators have partnered with the National Center for PTSD to launch this mixed methods pilot evaluation of AboutFace. There will be two phases to this study. During Phase I- Usability, 20 Veterans will be recruited to participate in individual interviews during which they will be asked to describe the ease of use of the AboutFace website for the researchers. During Phase II- Feasibility, 60 Veterans will be randomized to one of two conditions- About Face or Usual Care. All participants will complete several brief assessments measuring PTSD symptoms and attitudes toward seeking mental health services. Participants will then be randomized to either receive a link to the About Face website or to receive a link to a general online brochure about PTSD. After two weeks, participants will complete the assessment measures once again to determine any changes in attitudes toward seeking mental health services and potential changes in PTSD symptoms.
Study Design
Arms and Interventions
| Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
|---|---|
| Experimental: Phase II- Experimental Group Participants were provided with instructions and a web link for accessing the AboutFace website after the baseline assessment. |
Other: AboutFace Website
AboutFace is an informational website that utilizes digital storytelling to describe PTSD symptoms and different treatments for PTSD.
|
| No Intervention: Phase II- Usual Care Group Participants were provided with instructions and a web link for accessing some online PTSD education materials after the baseline assessment. |
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
- Endorsed and Anticipated Stigma Inventory (EASI) [pre-treatment (baseline) & post-treatment (two-week) assessment]
THE EASI assesses for perceptions of treatment effectiveness, stigma, and external barriers to treatment seeking. Answers are ranked from 1 to 5 with 1 being "Strongly Disagree" and 5 being "Strongly Agree" and higher scores are indicative of greater stigma. Total scores can range from 40 to 190. Phase I participants did not participate in Phase II (the clinical trial portion of the study) and were not assessed using this measure.
- PTSD Checklist (PCL-V) [pre-treatment (baseline) & post-treatment (2-week) assessment]
The PCL-V is a 20-item self-report measure that assesses PTSD severity. Individual item responses can range from 0-4 with 0 being "Not At All" and 4 being "Extremely" and total scores can range from 0 to 80. Higher numbers on the PCL-V are indicative of greater PTSD severity. Phase I participants did not participate in Phase II (the clinical trial portion of the study) and were not assessed using this measure.
- PTSD Treatment Initiators [two weeks post assessment]
percentage/rate of PTSD treatment initiation at post assessment (2-weeks) Phase I participants did not participate in Phase II (the clinical trial portion of the study) and were not assessed using this measure.
Eligibility Criteria
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
-
Must be 18 years of age
-
Recommended for PTSD treatment following evaluation
-
Internet access
-
English Speaking
Exclusion Criteria:
-
Minors under the age of 18
-
Non-Veterans
-
Negative for PTSD
Contacts and Locations
Locations
| Site | City | State | Country | Postal Code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC | Charleston | South Carolina | United States | 29401-5799 |
Sponsors and Collaborators
- VA Office of Research and Development
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Kenneth J Ruggiero, PhD MA BA, Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC
Study Documents (Full-Text)
None provided.More Information
Publications
None provided.- PPO 14-360
Study Results
Participant Flow
| Recruitment Details | |
|---|---|
| Pre-assignment Detail |
| Arm/Group Title | Phase II-Experimental | Phase II- Usual Care Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Arm/Group Description | Participants using AboutFace AboutFace Website: AboutFace is an informational website that utilizes digital storytelling to describe PTSD symptoms and treatment for PTSD. | Education and Print materials only |
| Period Title: Overall Study | ||
| STARTED | 30 | 30 |
| COMPLETED | 26 | 23 |
| NOT COMPLETED | 4 | 7 |
Baseline Characteristics
| Arm/Group Title | Phase II-Experimental | Phase II- Usual Care Condition | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arm/Group Description | Participants using AboutFace AboutFace Website: AboutFace is an informational website that utilizes digital storytelling to describe PTSD symptoms and treatment for PTSD. | Education and Print materials only | Total of all reporting groups |
| Overall Participants | 30 | 30 | 60 |
| Age (Count of Participants) | |||
| <=18 years |
0
0%
|
0
0%
|
0
0%
|
| Between 18 and 65 years |
28
93.3%
|
27
90%
|
55
91.7%
|
| >=65 years |
2
6.7%
|
3
10%
|
5
8.3%
|
| Age (years) [Mean (Full Range) ] | |||
| Mean (Full Range) [years] |
42.27
|
42.13
|
42.20
|
| Sex: Female, Male (Count of Participants) | |||
| Female |
11
36.7%
|
6
20%
|
17
28.3%
|
| Male |
19
63.3%
|
24
80%
|
43
71.7%
|
| Region of Enrollment (Count of Participants) | |||
| United States |
30
100%
|
30
100%
|
60
100%
|
Outcome Measures
| Title | Endorsed and Anticipated Stigma Inventory (EASI) |
|---|---|
| Description | THE EASI assesses for perceptions of treatment effectiveness, stigma, and external barriers to treatment seeking. Answers are ranked from 1 to 5 with 1 being "Strongly Disagree" and 5 being "Strongly Agree" and higher scores are indicative of greater stigma. Total scores can range from 40 to 190. Phase I participants did not participate in Phase II (the clinical trial portion of the study) and were not assessed using this measure. |
| Time Frame | pre-treatment (baseline) & post-treatment (two-week) assessment |
Outcome Measure Data
| Analysis Population Description |
|---|
| Total N=60; Only 49 randomized (26 in EXP arm and 23 in Usual Care arm) because 11 participants did not access website portal to obtain their randomization assignment. The EASI was also missing for 1 participant at post. |
| Arm/Group Title | Phase II-Experimental | Phase II- Usual Care Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Arm/Group Description | Participants using AboutFace AboutFace Website: AboutFace is an informational website that utilizes digital storytelling to describe PTSD symptoms and treatment for PTSD. | Education and Print materials only |
| Measure Participants | 26 | 22 |
| pre-treatment (baseline) mean |
57.9
(27.2)
|
62.3
(31.4)
|
| post-treatment (2-week) mean |
57.5
(33.1)
|
54.1
(30.7)
|
| Title | PTSD Checklist (PCL-V) |
|---|---|
| Description | The PCL-V is a 20-item self-report measure that assesses PTSD severity. Individual item responses can range from 0-4 with 0 being "Not At All" and 4 being "Extremely" and total scores can range from 0 to 80. Higher numbers on the PCL-V are indicative of greater PTSD severity. Phase I participants did not participate in Phase II (the clinical trial portion of the study) and were not assessed using this measure. |
| Time Frame | pre-treatment (baseline) & post-treatment (2-week) assessment |
Outcome Measure Data
| Analysis Population Description |
|---|
| Total N=60; Only 49 randomized (26 in EXP arm and 23 in Usual Care arm) because 11 participants did not access the website portal to obtain their randomization assignment. |
| Arm/Group Title | Phase II-Experimental | Phase II- Usual Care Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Arm/Group Description | Participants using AboutFace AboutFace Website: AboutFace is an informational website that utilizes digital storytelling to describe PTSD symptoms and treatment for PTSD. | Education and Print materials only |
| Measure Participants | 26 | 23 |
| pre-treatment (baseline) mean (sd) |
51.1
(10.6)
|
52.1
(11.4)
|
| post-treatment (2-week) mean (sd) |
49.4
(9.7)
|
49.5
(12.5)
|
| Title | PTSD Treatment Initiators |
|---|---|
| Description | percentage/rate of PTSD treatment initiation at post assessment (2-weeks) Phase I participants did not participate in Phase II (the clinical trial portion of the study) and were not assessed using this measure. |
| Time Frame | two weeks post assessment |
Outcome Measure Data
| Analysis Population Description |
|---|
| Total N=60; Only 49 randomized (26 in EXP arm and 23 in Usual Care arm) because 11 participants did not access the website portal to obtain their randomization assignment. Data was also missing for 1 participant at post. |
| Arm/Group Title | Phase II-Experimental | Phase II- Usual Care Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Arm/Group Description | Participants using AboutFace AboutFace Website: AboutFace is an informational website that utilizes digital storytelling to describe PTSD symptoms and treatment for PTSD. | Education and Print materials only |
| Measure Participants | 26 | 22 |
| Count of Participants [Participants] |
20
66.7%
|
15
50%
|
Adverse Events
| Time Frame | Up to two weeks for Phase II participants (baseline to 2 weeks post assessment). | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adverse Event Reporting Description | No adverse events were reported in Phase I. Participation involved a single visit. | |||
| Arm/Group Title | Phase II- Experimental | Phase II- Usual Care Condition | ||
| Arm/Group Description | Participants using AboutFace AboutFace Website: AboutFace is an informational website that utilizes digital storytelling to describe PTSD symptoms and treatment for PTSD. | Education and Print materials only | ||
All Cause Mortality |
||||
| Phase II- Experimental | Phase II- Usual Care Condition | |||
| Affected / at Risk (%) | # Events | Affected / at Risk (%) | # Events | |
| Total | 0/30 (0%) | 0/30 (0%) | ||
Serious Adverse Events |
||||
| Phase II- Experimental | Phase II- Usual Care Condition | |||
| Affected / at Risk (%) | # Events | Affected / at Risk (%) | # Events | |
| Total | 0/30 (0%) | 0/30 (0%) | ||
Other (Not Including Serious) Adverse Events |
||||
| Phase II- Experimental | Phase II- Usual Care Condition | |||
| Affected / at Risk (%) | # Events | Affected / at Risk (%) | # Events | |
| Total | 0/30 (0%) | 0/30 (0%) | ||
Limitations/Caveats
More Information
Certain Agreements
Principal Investigators are NOT employed by the organization sponsoring the study.
There is NOT an agreement between Principal Investigators and the Sponsor (or its agents) that restricts the PI's rights to discuss or publish trial results after the trial is completed.
Results Point of Contact
| Name/Title | Anouk Grubaugh |
|---|---|
| Organization | Ralph H. Johnson VAMC |
| Phone | 843-532-6672 |
| grubaugh@musc.edu |
- PPO 14-360