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New 3-session therapy aims to curb aggression in veterans with PTSD

NCT ID NCT04793776

Symptom relief Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests a short, 3-session program called MERA (Manage Emotions to Reduce Aggression) for veterans with PTSD who struggle with impulsive aggression. The program teaches skills to manage emotions better, with the goal of reducing aggressive outbursts and preparing veterans for longer PTSD treatments. Researchers will compare MERA to a standard supportive therapy in 204 veterans who served since 9/11.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
Manage Emotions to Reduce Aggression (MERA) - a brief behavioral therapy
What this could lead to
If successful, this could provide a short, practical treatment to help veterans with PTSD control impulsive aggression and feel more ready for standard PTSD therapy.
What could go wrong
This is a relatively small, early-stage trial (204 participants) comparing two behavioral interventions, so results may not generalize widely. The treatment is brief (3 sessions), which may not be enough for some veterans.

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

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 204 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Jan 2022

Expected to finish

Dec 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

A government agency

The lead sponsor is a US federal agency other than the NIH.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 64 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Male and female Veterans who deployed to combat zones since 9/11. 2. Currently meets criteria for full or subthreshold PTSD, determined by the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 3. Engaged in at least 3 self-reported aggressive acts (e.g., yelling, throwing objects, hitting objects/people) in the last month, measured by the Overt Aggression Scale 4. Impulsive aggression is his/her primary form of aggression, determined by the Impulsive Premeditated Aggression Scale 5. Each Veteran must allow an independent aggression rater (live-in partner, family member, or roommate above 18 years of age)\] verify the number of aggressive acts, using the Overt Aggression Scale. 6. Agreement not to change psychotropic medications through the duration of the study. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Currently suicidal with intent of self-harm in the last week. 2. Currently homicidal with plans to hurt a specific person. 3. Unable to complete self-report measures. 4. Meets diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder or psychotic disorder. 5. Had a psychotropic medication change within 4 weeks prior to the baseline assessment. Veterans receiving general mental health services or engaging in usual care will be allowed to participate.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Aggression Emotional Regulation post-traumatic stress disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Aggression Emotion regulation Stress disorders, post-traumatic

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    2 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, Tampa, FL

    RECRUITING

    Tampa, Florida, 33612, United States

  • Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX

    RECRUITING

    Houston, Texas, 77030, United States

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