# Delivering a Mobile and Web Based Self Directed Complementary And Integrative Health Program to Veterans and Their Partners to Manage Pain and PTSD

> **NIH VA I01** · JAMES A. HALEY VA MEDICAL CENTER · 2021 · —

## Abstract

Chronic pain is one of the most prevalent medical conditions in the Veteran population. Pain
often presents with comorbid conditions, specifically post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Comorbid chronic pain and PTSD significantly impact the quality of life of Veterans and their
families. Multi-faceted therapies leveraging complementary and integrative health (CIH) are
mandated within VA to complement clinical practice guidelines improve Veterans' quality of life and
ability to function. This research will evaluate a CIH intervention to manage pain and PTSD related
outcomes within a bio-psychosocial framework. The proposed intervention, Mission Reconnect
(MR), a user-driven, dyadic, self-care management program delivered online and by mobile app
that has previously shown to be effective in a non-clinically defined community-based
Veteran/military population. This research is needed to test MR's effects in a clinically defined
population as a complement to clinical services to assess for potential subsequent implementation
within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
 This proposal resubmission is responsive to Veterans' reported desire for CIH and several
VA initiatives, including RR&D's current special areas of interest for non-pharmacological activity-
based interventions for chronic pain impacting pain reduction, function and quality of life. The VA
Secretary of Health Strategic Priorities and the emerging VA Whole Health Program identify
access to CIH for pain and self-care management as a priority to achieve optimal Veteran health.
To be responsive to these priorities the 2016 VA State-of-the-Art Conference (SOTA) and
Comprehensive Addiction Recovery Act (CARA) mandated VA's commitment to conduct rigorous
research to integrate non-pharmacological and CIH approaches into care, with emphasis on pain
management. This proposal is also responsive to the VA's Opioid Safety Initiative (OSI) and Pain
Care Mission which prioritize the need for nonpharmacological treatment options for pain. The
short-term goal of this study is to determine the effects of MR on (1) chronic pain, PTSD and
related outcomes and (2) relationship outcomes for Veterans and their partners. The long-term
goal is to determine the effectiveness and sustainability of using CIH self-care management
programs like MR to improve outcomes for Veterans with chronic pain and PTSD, and their
partners. We propose a four-year mixed-methods randomized controlled trial of MR with two arms
(treatment & wait-list control) in a clinical sample of Veterans with comorbid pain and PTSD, and
their partners (e.g., spouse). The specific aims are to: (Aim 1) Determine MR effectiveness for
physical (pain, sleep), PTSD (intrusion, arousal, avoidance, numbing), and psychological
(depression, stress, anxiety) symptoms, and global health (quality of life); (Aim 2) Determine MR
effectiveness for social (relationship satisfaction, compassion for self/others) outcomes among
Veterans and their partners; and...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10038797
- **Project number:** 5I01RX002775-03
- **Recipient organization:** JAMES A. HALEY VA MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Jolie N. Haun
- **Activity code:** I01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-11-01 → 2022-10-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10038797

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10038797, Delivering a Mobile and Web Based Self Directed Complementary And Integrative Health Program to Veterans and Their Partners to Manage Pain and PTSD (5I01RX002775-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10038797. Licensed CC0.

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