Study
Kuhn and colleagues (2017) conducted a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the impact of a smartphone app (PTSD Coach) used to assist individuals in managing their posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Study participants were recruited through flyers, media coverage, social media, and Craigslist. Participants were screened for eligibility using an online questionnaire or by phone. For the study, participants were eligible to use the PTSD Coach app if they met the following criteria: 1) were at least 18 years old, 2) were fluent in English, 3) owned a mobile device capable of using the PTSD Coach app, 4) had been exposed to a traumatic event more than 1 month ago, 5) scored 35 or greater on the PTSD Checklist-Civilian version (PCL-C), and 6) were not currently being treated for PTSD.
The study used 120 adults who were randomized into either the treatment or control group. Participants in the treatment group (n=62) were assigned to use the skills-based PTSD Coach app. Users assigned to the PTSD Coach app were instructed to download the app to their smartphone (i.e., any IOS or Android device). The treatment group was 74 percent female and had an average age of 39. The trauma index for the treatment group included 50 percent physical assaults, 16 percent sexual assaults, 26 percent serious accidents, 2 percent life-threatening illness or injury, 2 percent combat exposure, and 3 percent other. The study used a wait-list condition (n=58), where participants received a delayed intervention. Participants in the control condition were only able to download the app after the treatment period. The control group was 63 percent female and had an average age of 39 years old. The trauma index for the control group included 43 percent physical assault, 12 percent sexual assault, 16 percent serious accident, 10 percent life-threatening illness or injury, 5 percent disaster, 3 percent combat exposure, and 10 percent other. At baseline, there were no significant differences between the treatment group and the waitlist condition.
PTSD symptoms were measured using the PTSD Checklist-Civilian version (PCL-C)-C tool, a 17-item self-report measure of DSM-IV PTSD symptoms. PTSD coping self-efficacy was assessed using a nine-item self-report tool that measures confidence in managing PTSD and in reaching out for support. Depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire Depression Scale (PHQ-8), an eight-item self-report tool that measured depression symptom severity and potential diagnosis. Psychological functioning was measured using the Brief Inventory of Psychological Functioning (B-IPF), which rates how much trouble a person had in the past month in relationships or other important areas of functioning. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to measure the posttreatment effects. No subgroup analyses were conducted.
