What the trial was testing
The trial enrolled 635 patients with ptsd. The study was sponsored by University of Washington and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
Researchers followed patients through treatment and into recovery, tracking the outcomes that mattered most for the disease being studied.
What the results showed
Patients who got early mental health support had fewer PTSD symptoms at 6 months compared to those who didn't.
JAMA surgery · 2021 · NCT02655354
These findings — that early mental health support reduced PTSD symptoms compared to usual care — were published in the JAMA surgery and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 635 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with ptsd, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
If you or someone close to you is hospitalized after a serious injury, ask about mental health support before discharge. This treatment is not standard everywhere yet, but some trauma centers now offer early counseling and check-ins to prevent lasting PTSD. The support worked best when it started right after the injury and continued for several months.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open ptsd trials
Multifaceted Intervention to Restore Resilience and Overcome Risk
The MIRROR study will compare the effectiveness of two interventions in improving emotion regulation and reducing PTSD symptoms in female Veterans with military sexual trauma (MST) and/or intimate partner violence (IPV) and co-occurring brain injury.
Boosting Refugee Integration Through Psychological Intervention
Refugees and asylum seekers (RAS) face numerous stressors and adversities which put them at risk for developing mental health problems. However, access to adequate mental health care in host countries is limited. To address this problem, the World Health Organization (WHO) introduced Problem Management Plus (PM+), a short, low-intensity psychological intervention administered by non-professionals, aiming to alleviate common mental disorders among crisis-affected communities. The present study aims at expanding the existing PM+ intervention by providing additional booster sessions and homework reminders while evaluating its effectiveness and implementation in the public health system.