# Family Involvement in Treatment for PTSD (FIT-PTSD): A Brief, Feasible Method for Enhancing Outcomes, Retention, and Engagement

> **NIH VA I01** · VA BOSTON HEALTH CARE SYSTEM · 2022 · —

## Abstract

Although effective treatments for PTSD exist, high rates of treatment dropout and sub -optimal response rates
remain common. Incorporating family members in treatment represents one avenue for improving outcomes
and providing Veteran-centered care, and surveys of Veterans in outpatient VA PTSD care indicate that 80%
desire family involvement. The VA has invested many years and millions of dollars on the dissemination of
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Prolonged Exposure (PE) for PTSD. A family-based intervention that
complements these two first-line treatments would capitalize on existing treatment infrastructure while also
potentially boosting outcomes and retention. Preliminary testing of the proposed Brief Family Intervention (BFI)
resulted in 50% less dropout from CPT/PE among Veterans whose family members received the BFI. There
was also a large impact on PTSD symptoms at 16 weeks (d = 1.12) in favor of the BFI group. The goal of this
study is to test the effectiveness of the BFI among a fully-powered sample. One hundred Veteran-family
member dyads (n = 200) will be recruited. Veterans will be beginning a course of usual-care CPT or PE at one
of two VA sites. Family members will be randomized to receive or not receive the BFI, a two -session
psychoeducational and skills-based protocol. PTSD symptom severity and treatment retention will be the
primary outcomes. Assessments will be conducted by independent evaluators at baseline, 6 -, 12-, 18-, and 26-
weeks. Veterans whose family members receive the BFI are expected to have lower dropout and a greater rate
of change in their PTSD symptoms compared to Veterans whose family members do not receive the BFI. If the
BFI is found to increase the effectiveness of and retention in CPT/PE, it will be a highly appealing option for
incorporating families into Veterans’ PTSD care.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10361786
- **Project number:** 1I01CX002339-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** VA BOSTON HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
- **Principal Investigator:** Johanna Thompson-Hollands
- **Activity code:** I01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-04-01 → 2026-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10361786

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10361786, Family Involvement in Treatment for PTSD (FIT-PTSD): A Brief, Feasible Method for Enhancing Outcomes, Retention, and Engagement (1I01CX002339-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10361786. Licensed CC0.

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