# Examination of a Safety Aid Reduction Protocol for Treatment Resistant PTSD among Veterans

> **NIH VA IK2** · SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA VETERANS HEALTH CARE · 2022 · —

## Abstract

Rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among military personnel have surged in recent years. In
response, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has launched nationwide training initiatives to disseminate
two PTSD treatments with strong empirical support: prolonged exposure (PE) therapy and cognitive processing
therapy (CPT). Despite the well-documented effectiveness of PE and CPT, only a minority of Veterans with
PTSD initiate these trauma-focused treatments. One approach to addressing PTSD in a non-trauma focused
fashion is to utilize empirically supported treatments focused on safety aid reduction. Safety aids are
maladaptive cognitive and/or behavioral strategies designed to prevent, avoid, or alleviate anxiety. Initially
introduced as a way to explain how pathological anxiety can persist despite repeated exposure to feared
stimuli, safety aids have been found to play a critical role in the etiology and maintenance of various anxiety
and related conditions including PTSD. Importantly, a separate line of research suggests that safety aids are
amenable to change through cognitive behavioral interventions. While promising, these trials did not include
patients with PTSD. In this context, the purpose of the proposed Clinical Science Research and Development
(CSR&D) Career Development Award-2 (CDA-2) is to adapt and extend an existing safety aid reduction
treatment protocol for use among Veterans with PTSD. This treatment protocol, termed Safety Aid Reduction
Treatment for PTSD (START-PTSD), will then be evaluated for acceptability and feasibility, prior to testing the
efficacy compared to a wait-list control. Participants will include individuals with a diagnosis of PTSD who
decline to participate in evidence-based psychotherapies (EBPs) for PTSD, namely PE or CPT.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10316154
- **Project number:** 5IK2CX001978-02
- **Recipient organization:** SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA VETERANS HEALTH CARE
- **Principal Investigator:** Amanda Medley Raines
- **Activity code:** IK2 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-10-01 → 2024-09-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10316154

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10316154, Examination of a Safety Aid Reduction Protocol for Treatment Resistant PTSD among Veterans (5IK2CX001978-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10316154. Licensed CC0.

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