Adapting and Piloting Behavioral Activation for Veterans With Alcohol Use Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Completed · Not applicable
Conditions studied: Alcohol Use Disorder, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
In brief
The goal of this clinical trial is to compare an adaptation of Behavioral Activation, a behavioral intervention, to Relapse Prevention treatment, another behavioral intervention, in a sample of U.S. military veterans with co-occurring alcohol use disorder (AUD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The primary aims of this study are to: 1. Adapt Behavioral Activation to treat veterans with AUD/PTSD, 2. Evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of Behavioral Activation for AUD/PTSD, and 3. Explore geospatial analysis as a new method for measuring AUD/PTSD recovery. Participants will complete self-report and interview measures immediately before and immediately after treatment. Participants will also be asked to participate in passive geospatial assessment for 14-day periods immediately before and immediately after treatment. Participants will be randomized to treatment condition, which involves 8 sessions of either Behavioral Activation or Relapse Prevention, delivered individually by a trained study therapist.
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT06249386
- Run by
- RTI International
- People needed
- 10
- Starts
- 2025-01-17
- Expected to finish
- 2025-10-06
- Last updated by the study team
- 2026-06-09
Who can join
Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.
You may qualify if…
- Be a U.S. veteran,
- Be at least 18 years old,
- Meet Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) criteria for current AUD,
- Report 3+ heavy drinking days (5+ drinks for men/4+ drinks for women) or 1+ heavy drinking week (15+ drinks men/8+ drinks women) in the past 30 days,
- Meet DSM-5 criteria for current PTSD or satisfy the definition of current subthreshold PTSD (i.e., up to one of symptom clusters B-E may fall below diagnostic threshold),
- Be fluent and literate in English, and
- Be able to provide voluntary, informed consent to participate.
You may not qualify if…
- Current mania/hypomania or current psychosis,
- Lifetime alcohol withdrawal-related seizures, delirium, or hallucinations,
- Prior inpatient alcohol withdrawal management,
- Current DSM-5 severe drug use disorder (DUD) except for severe tobacco use disorder,
- Psychotropic (including alcohol abstinence) medication changes within 30 days of study enrollment or plans to change medications during the study,
- Current/planned non-study BA for any disorder during the study, or
- Current/planned evidence-based psychotherapy for AUD, PTSD, or DUD during the study.
Where it is running
- Duke University School of Medicine — Durham, North Carolina, United States
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
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