Research paperA randomized clinical trial investigating perceived burdensomeness as a mediator of brief intervention effects on posttraumatic stress symptoms
Section snippets
Participants
Participants (n = 250) were recruited for a larger clinical trial investigating a computerized intervention targeting risk for suicide (NCT01941862; Schmidt et al., review). Current results focusing on a trauma-exposed sample and effects of mood-focused interventions on PTSD symptoms have not been reported elsewhere. Participants were selected if they experienced a trauma according to the Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale (PDS; Foa et al., 1997). Eligible participants were English speakers,
Descriptive statistics
Average PTSD symptoms measured by the PCL-C were above the clinical cutoff of 44 (Blanchard et al., 1996; see Table 1). Mean PB and TB scores were higher than in prior research on inpatients (Bryan et al., 2013). All variables were significantly positively correlated. There were no differences between the active and control group on PTSD, PB, or TB according to t-tests (ps > 0.288), suggesting successful randomization of participants into conditions.
Direct effect analyses
Results indicated a direct effect on
Discussion
The current study found brief, computerized interventions targeting PB, TB, and AS led to reductions in PTSD symptoms compared to a repeated contact control in a trauma-exposed mixed clinical sample. These reductions were mediated by reductions in the hypothesized mechanisms (i.e., PB). Moreover, improvements in PTSD symptoms were durable as they were still evident at the six-month follow-up via reductions in PB.
Consistent with hypothesis, reductions in PTSD symptoms were mediated by PB,
Role of the funding source
This work was in part supported by the Military Suicide Research Consortium(MSRC), Department of Defense, and VISN 19Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center(MIRECC), but does not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, or the United States Government. Support from the MSRC does not necessarily constitute or imply endorsement, sponsorship, or favoring of the study design, analysis, or recommendations. This research was also
Contributors
The first author conceptualized the study idea, ran the statistics, and wrote the majority of the manuscript. The second author wrote the methods. The third author assisted in writing. The fourth author provided critical feedback on all drafts. All authors have approved the final manuscript.
Declaration of Competing Interest
None.
Acknowledgments
None.
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2020, Journal of Psychiatric ResearchCitation Excerpt :In fact, recent research suggests that brief web-based interventions are effective in reducing perceived burdensomeness and, in turn, suicidality (Hill et al., 2019; Short et al., 2019). Additionally, one recent study found that intervening on perceived burdensomeness may decrease posttraumatic stress symptoms (Short et al., 2020). However, this study must be considered in the context of several limitations.
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