NHS PTSD Experimental Treatment Trial (NHS PETT) Version 1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Evaluating a brief novel treatment for COVID-related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the Health and Social Care workforce: a pre-RCT preparatory study
IRAS ID
317339
Contact name
Jackie A Sturt
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN00000000
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 5 months, 30 days
Research summary
Background
High levels of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are reported in frontline health and social care workers (HSCW) who worked through the pandemic. These levels of PTSD are comparable to those in military veterans involved in warfare. Staff with PTSD present a patient safety risk due to high staff absences and mistakes. Currently the best treatment available for PTSD is lengthy, costly and 30% of people undertaking this treatment drop out before the end. New PTSD treatments are needed.Aims
Our study aims to develop a FIRST therapy treatment route for HSCW with PTSD and to develop an understanding of what their employers consider to be important health benefits for their staff. We are asking three questions: 1) Do staff want to receive treatment and participate in research and how? 2) Can FIRST training undertaken by veteran-charity therapists also be successfully taught to multi-professional mental health practitioners employed by the NHS? 3) What employer benefits are important to measure e.g. sickness-absence rates and/or mistakes made by staff while working.Design and Methods
The main purpose of the study will be to develop a funding application to undertake further research of FIRST to determine whether it works, how it works and is it safe compared to similar treatment. We propose a 3-phase study. Phase 1 (does not require ethical approval) will recruit a PPI group of individuals directly affected by the pandemic including NHS and social care workers, patients and family members to discuss and answer the research questions. Phase 2 will train and assess four to six NHS qualified mental health practitioners (MHPs) in delivering FIRST. Phase 3 will deliver FIRST to twelve HSCW with PTSD to see if they will start therapy and take part as research participants.We are working within the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
REC name
East of Scotland Research Ethics Service REC 1
REC reference
23/ES/0037
Date of REC Opinion
25 Sep 2023
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion