Retreat-Based Program for Violence-Exposed Women Veterans
ConditionSuicide Prevention
Trial statusNot yet recruiting
Trial phasePhase 2
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexFemale
Age18+
SponsorVA Office of Research and Development
About this trial
Given their elevated risk for suicide and barriers to engaging in VHA healthcare, violence-exposed women Veterans represent a specialized population for which expansions to current VHA programming are needed. This pilot study is to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the Growth, Resilience, Insight, and Togetherness (GRIT), a therapeutic retreat program developed with and for Veteran women, to improve social functioning as a potential upstream suicide prevention strategy in comparison to a self-guided program. If found acceptable and feasible, data gathered will inform subsequent program development and identify avenues for further research on use of retreats grounded in Whole Health principles for additional subpopulations of women Veterans and/or other high-risk populations that may benefit.
Eligibility criteria
This trial does not accept healthy volunteersQualifiers
Experienced interpersonal violence as evidenced by endorsement of items 6, 7, 8, 9, or 11 from the Life Events Checklist for DSM-5®
Are willing and able to participate in a two overnight, three-day, retreat and complete pre- and post-retreat surveys
Are actively engaged in VHA mental healthcare (i.e., have a documented mental health visit with a VA provider within the last 90 days
Endorse some difficulties in social functioning as indicated by a score >2 on at least two items of the social functioning questionnaire
Disqualifiers
Current suicidal thoughts and intent (using the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale; C-SSRS, (i.e., endorses items 1, 2, and 4 or 5)
Diagnosis of alcohol or substance use dependence in medical record. In cases where alcohol or substance use is identified as problematic but not reaching the threshold for diagnosis of SUD dependence, additional consultation with mental health providers and chart review by the PI will be used to determine suitability for participation
Current psychosis or mania as indicated by electronic health records, or as identified during baseline administration of Quick SCID
Trial design
Design model
Parallel
Treatments tested in this trial
GRIT
Behavioral3-day retreat conducted in person, in a group setting.
GRI
Behavioral3-day self paced program. Conducted individually with group pre- and post-program sessions.
Treatment groups
48 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groupsGroup A: GRITExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group B: GRIActive comparator 1 intervention
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Feasibility (study created metrics)
Feasibility will be assessed by collecting information on the number of Veterans screened, enrolled, dropout rates, number of GRIT/GRI sessions completed. Determination of feasibility will be made by comparing the obtained metrics to the following metrics: * Recruit and enroll 12 participants per condition per year. * Dropout rate is \< 25% * 75% of participants complete ≥75% each condition sessions
Time frame
2 months2
Client Satisfaction Questionnaire
An 8-item self-report measure assessing participants' satisfaction with services received. Items are rated on a 4-point Likert scale with higher scores indicating greater satisfaction with services.
Time frame
2 months3
UCLA Loneliness scale
A 20-item self-report measure assessing subjective feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Items are rated on 4-point Likert scale ranging from 1 to 4 with higher scores indicated greater loneliness
Time frame
2 monthsSecondary outcomes
1
Social Functioning Questionnaire
The Social Functioning Questionnaire (SFQ) consists of 8 items designed to assess an individual's social functioning across various domains. Each item evaluates key aspects such as interpersonal relationships, work performance, and leisure activities through concise questions. Responses are measured on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (not at all) to 3 (most of the time), allowing for quantifiable assessment of social engagement and difficulties.
Time frame
2 months2
Social Connectedness Scale, revised
The Social Connectedness Scale - Revised (SCS-R) is a 20-item instrument designed to measure an individual's sense of connectedness and belonging within their social environment. The scale consists of 20 items rated on a 6-point Likert scale, where 1 indicates "strongly disagree" and 6 indicates "strongly agree." This allows for a nuanced understanding of an individual's feelings of connectedness. Scores are summed to yield a total score ranging from 20 to 120. A higher score reflects greater feelings of connectedness, while a lower score may indicate feelings of isolation or disconnection
Time frame
2 months3
Thwarted belongingness subscale of the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire
This subscale is a self-report measure of perceived social disconnection, loneliness, and unmet need to belong. The subscale consists of 9 items rated on a 7-point Likert scale. Higher scores indicate greater thwarted belongingness.
Time frame
2 monthsSponsors and contacts
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Source ClinicalTrials.gov
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