Comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and respiratory illness continue to burden World Trade Center (WTC) responders over a decade post disaster, despite pharmaceutical and psychotherapeutic treatment efforts. Mind-body treatments have demonstrated promise for reducing both PTSD and respiratory symptoms, and potential biological markers underlying these conditions; however no randomized control trial (RCT) has evaluated this treatment approach among patients with comorbid PTSD and respiratory illness. This study will be the first RCT to evaluate a novel mind-body treatment among WTC responders with these comorbidities and could have important implications for health care costs, quality of life and functioning, morbidity and possibly mortality.
Comorbid PTSD and respiratory illness continue to burden WTC responders. Mind-body treatments have demonstrated promise for reducing both PTSD and respiratory symptoms, and potential biological markers underlying these conditions; however, no randomized clinical trial (RCT) has evaluated this treatment approach among patients with these comorbidities.
One of the leading mind-body treatment protocols is the Relaxation Response Resiliency Program (3RP). This protocol was shown to reduce both psychological and physical health symptoms and has lead to positive biological changes in cellular management of chronic stress.
The objective of this study is to adapt the 3RP to WTC responders and test its efficacy for simultaneously reducing PTSD and respiratory symptoms in a RCT. The comparator will be a Health Enhancement Program that addresses negative health behaviors. We will randomly assign 154 patients with comorbid WTC-related PTSD and respiratory illness to the two adjunctive treatments and assess outcomes immediately post-intervention and at 3 and 6 month follow-ups.
The specific aims are: Aim 1: To compare the effects of the 3RP versus the Health Enhancement Program on PTSD and respiratory symptom severity. Aim 2: To evaluate the effects of these interventions on occupational and psychosocial functioning. Aim 3: To evaluate the effects of the 3RP versus the Health Enhancement Program on respiratory functioning, blood pressure and pro-inflammatory markers.
This study will be the first RCT to evaluate mind-body treatment among WTC responders with these comorbidities, and thus, it will have important implications for quality of life and functioning, morbidity and possibly mortality.
Evelyn Bromet, PhD, Benjamin Luft, MD
No publications available at this time.
