New therapy aims to help veterans battle both alcohol abuse and PTSD

NCT ID NCT06249386

Completed Symptom relief Sponsor: RTI International Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tested a type of talk therapy called Behavioral Activation (BA) in 10 U.S. veterans who have both alcohol use disorder and PTSD. BA helps people change their daily activities and thinking to reduce drinking and PTSD symptoms. The study compared BA to another therapy called Relapse Prevention. The goal was to see if BA is practical and acceptable for this group, and to measure changes in drinking and PTSD severity.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Behavioral Activation (a talk therapy that helps people change behaviors and improve mood)
What this could lead to: If it works, this could point toward a practical, non-drug therapy to help veterans reduce drinking and PTSD symptoms.
What could go wrong: This is a very small pilot study with only 10 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The therapy may not work better than standard care.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for ALCOHOL USE DISORDER are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

alcohol abuse post-traumatic stress disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

ALCOHOL USE DISORDER POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

Contacts and locations

Show contact details

Locations

Duke University School of Medicine

Durham, North Carolina, 27710, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.