RecruitingACTRN12625000317493

Evaluating Couple HOPES (i.e. Helping Overcome Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Enhancing Satisfaction) within Australian first responders with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and their partners.

Evaluating the effectiveness and feasibility of Couple HOPES (i.e. Helping Overcome Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Enhancing Satisfaction) within Australian first responders with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and their partners.

Sponsor

Monash University

Enrollment

42 participants

Start Date

May 30, 2025

Study Type

Interventional

Conditions

Caregiver Burden Caregiver Burnout Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Summary

This study is a clinical trial evaluating an online, guided self-help intervention called Couple HOPES (i.e., Helping Overcome PTSD and Enhance Satisfaction). It was adapted from Cognitive Behavioural Conjoint Therapy and designed for couples seeking to address PTSD symptoms and enhance relationship satisfaction. Couple HOPES has been piloted in Canada and the US, and a waitlist clinical trial has been registered in Canada. We aim to understand whether Couple HOPES is effective at improving the health and wellbeing of Australian first responders with symptoms of PTSD and their partners. We are also interested in couples' views regarding whether it is an acceptable approach and how it might be tailored to the Australian context.

Eligibility

Sex: Both males and femalesMin Age: 18 Yearss

Plain Language Summary

Simplified for easier understanding

First responders — paramedics, firefighters, and police officers — face extreme stress in their work, and many develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD doesn't only affect the individual; it can strain intimate relationships and leave partners feeling helpless. This study is testing an online program called Couple HOPES that was designed specifically for couples where one partner has PTSD, helping both people understand and work through trauma symptoms together while also strengthening their relationship. Couple HOPES is a self-guided program with coaching support that couples work through together at home. It has been tested in Canada and the US, and this study is adapting it for the Australian context. Researchers will look at whether the program reduces PTSD symptoms and improves relationship satisfaction. You may be eligible if you are an Australian first responder (paramedic, firefighter, or police officer) with significant PTSD symptoms, and your partner is willing to participate with you. Couples where there is a history of intimate partner violence, where both partners have severe PTSD to a similar degree, or where there is a current risk of suicide are not eligible.

This summary was AI-generated to explain the trial in plain language. It is not medical advice. Always discuss eligibility with your doctor before enrolling in a clinical trial.

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Interventions

Couples will be randomly allocated, using stratified counterbalancing based on occupation (i.e., police officer, firefighter, paramedic), to either receive immediate access to Couple HOPES or delayed

Couples will be randomly allocated, using stratified counterbalancing based on occupation (i.e., police officer, firefighter, paramedic), to either receive immediate access to Couple HOPES or delayed access to Couple HOPES. Couples allocated to receive 'immediate access to Couple HOPES' will immediately access the intervention. They will complete measures at three time-points, including baseline, mid-intervention and post-intervention. Participants in the 'immediate access' group will also complete a 3-month follow-up period, outside the scope of this clinical trial. The intervention: Couple HOPES (i.e., Helping Overcome PTSD and Enhance Satisfaction) is an online self-help intervention adapted from Cognitive Behavioural Conjoint Therapy (Monson, et al., 2021). It was designed for couples seeking to address PTSD symptoms and enhance relationship satisfaction. The program consists of 7 x 30-minute online modules, which are completed approximately once a week over 8 weeks. Couples watch educational content via video and apply these skills through in-session exercises and brief practice assignments completed between modules. They are completed online and from a location of the couples' choosing. Module content encompasses psychoeducation regarding trauma recovery in the context of a relationship, increasing safety between partners, developing effective communication skills, engaging in behavioural experiments aimed at reducing avoidance, understanding the connection between thoughts, feelings and behaviours, and creating a plan to take these skills forward. Practice assignments build on what is learnt within the module and include activities like reflecting on how PTSD has impacted your life and relationship, catching your partner doing something nice, practicing communication skills like timeouts during arguments, paraphrasing skills and channel checking and sharing thoughts and feelings with their partner, and approaching previously avoided activities. Participants are also supported by a coach, who helps them to overcome barriers encountered in completing the intervention and monitor symptoms. Participants will have access to 5 x coaching sessions up to 30 minutes in length conducted over Telehealth (i.e., via Zoom). Coaching sessions will be held after modules 1, 3, 5 and 7, with one additional meeting that couples can book at a time they need. Sessions will be guided using a coaching manual designed for the intervention (unpublished). Coaches will be completing postgraduate study in Psychology, receive training and supervision. Adherence: Adherence will be measured by completion of module content and attendance at coaching sessions. Coaches will help couples get the most out of the intervention by monitoring progress and helping them overcome any barriers to their participation.