New therapy could help veterans with PTSD who Haven't responded to standard care
NCT ID NCT03755401
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests a type of talk therapy called Trauma-Focused Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (TFPP) for veterans with PTSD who haven't gotten better with standard VA treatments. About 75 veterans will be randomly assigned to receive either TFPP or usual care. The goal is to see if TFPP reduces PTSD symptoms more than standard treatment.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Trauma-Focused Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (TFPP)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could offer a new therapy option for veterans with PTSD who haven't gotten better with standard treatments.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small pilot study with only 75 participants, so results may not apply to all veterans. The therapy is also time-intensive and may not work for everyone.
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
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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
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About 75 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Nov 2018
- Expected to finish
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May 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 70 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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: * Reporting moderate PTSD, as defined by a CAPS score of \>40 * Have at least one of the following history with CPT and/or PE: * offered and declined * dropped out of treatment * been determined unsuitable by their treatment team * received treatment but continue to experience symptoms meeting entrance criteria. * Require stabilization on psychiatric medication for 2 month period prior to entry into study to avoid confounding treatments Exclusion Criteria: * Presence of SCID-5 assessed psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder, or substance use that would interfere with trial demands * Severe suicidality that would require immediate crisis management * Organic mental syndromes, delirium, or unstable medical conditions that would interfere with trial demands * Inability to meet trial demands.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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
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VA New York Harbor Healthcare System - Manhattan Campus
RECRUITINGNew York, New York, 10010, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Can a therapist on a screen ease both trauma and pain?
- Zapping the Brain's fear hub: a new hope for PTSD?
- Can a drug combo or therapy dogs ease PTSD?
- Can six short writing sessions ease PTSD in underserved patients?
- Can a psychedelic compound help veterans and first responders with PTSD and alcohol use disorder?