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OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT00715650

Benefits Counseling to Preserve Function Among Disability Applicants

This study will address the problem that claimants with psychiatric disabilities who apply for and receive disability benefits go on to work less than those whose claims are denied.

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Key information

Conditions

Veterans' Disability Claims

Age range

18 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 2

Primary location

VA Connecticut Healthcare System West Haven Campus, West Haven, CT

West Haven, Connecticut, 06516, United States

About this study

The objective of this research is to conduct a 6-month randomized clinical trial comparing participants assigned to Benefits Counseling and to those assigned to the control condition, VA Orientation. Benefits Counseling is an adaptation of two counseling approaches to foster veterans' involvement in work and work-related activity compared to the control condition, VA Orientation. The first approach helped recipients of Social Security disability benefits for psychiatric illness return to work in part by alleviating beneficiaries' concerns that they would lose their benefits if they worked. The second approach is a Motivational Interviewing approach that showed great promise in engaging veterans with psychiatric disabilities in compensated work therapy.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Has never received VBA benefits
  • Able to provide valid consent
  • Expresses willingness to discuss benefits with a counselor
  • Difficulty working as evidenced by a "Yes" to either (a), (b), or (c) of the question below about work-related difficulties: During the past 4 weeks, have you had any of the following problems (such as feeling depressed and anxious):
  • Cut down on the amount of time you spent on work or other activities?
  • Accomplished less than you would like?
  • Didn't do work or other activities as carefully as usual?
  • Expresses willingness to try Benefits Counseling if assigned to it
  • An evaluation by a psychiatrist or psychologist is scheduled

Exclusion criteria

  • Already receiving VA payments
  • Already receiving SSI or SSDI payments
  • Has a conservator

Treatment and study plan

Benefits Counseling

Behavioral

Benefits counseling is designed to improve the quality of life of disability applicants by accomplishing two functions: 1) Providing information concerning what vocational rehabilitation services are available and how they will affect receipt of disability payments, 2) Amplifying applicants' existing motivation to engage in work and related-activities, using a Motivational Interviewing approach.

Other names: Motivational Interviewing

VA Orientation

Behavioral

VA Orientation is designed to provide the Veteran with information regarding the services available, how to access the services and where the service is located on the VA campus.

Other names: New patient orientation

Primary outcomes

  1. Days of Work and Work-related Activity

    Time frame: Baseline

    Number of days in the past 28 spent engaged in any kind of work or related activity. Measured using a timeline follow-back calendar.

  2. Days of Work and Work-related Activity

    Time frame: Month 1

    Number of days in the past 28 spent engaged in any kind of work or related activity. Measured using a timeline follow-back calendar.

  3. Days of Work and Work-related Activity

    Time frame: Month 3

    Number of days in the past 28 spent engaged in any kind of work or related activity. Measured using a timeline follow-back calendar.

  4. Days of Work and Work-related Activity

    Time frame: Month 6

    Number of days in the past 28 spent engaged in any kind of work or related activity. Measured using a timeline follow-back calendar.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

VA Office of Research and Development

Fed

Collaborators

  • Yale University

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2008
Primary completion
2012
Study completion
2015
First posted
Jul 15, 2008
Registry last updated
Mar 11, 2016

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.