SimCoach Evaluation: A Virtual Human Intervention to Encourage Servicemember Help-seeking for PTSD and Depression

SimCoach, a computer program featuring a virtual human that speaks and gestures in a videogame-like interface, is designed to encourage servicemembers, especially those with signs or symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression, to seek help to improve their psychological health. The assessment included a formative component assessing SimCoach's design, development, and implementation approaches, as well as a summative component assessing outcomes among participants in a user experience survey and a randomized controlled trial (RCT).

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Key information

Conditions

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Depression Mental Disorders Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders, Traumatic Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

18 years of age and
active duty or Reserve servicemember or National Guard servicemember and
being off duty

Exclusion criteria

under the age of 18 years
retired servicemember or not a servicemember
currently on duty
currently incarcerated, on parole, or on probation

Treatment and study plan

SimCoach

Behavioral

Primary outcomes

Help-seeking intentions

Time frame: within 30 days

Participants were asked the following question: "How likely is it that you will seek help for issues such as stress, emotional, alcohol, drug, or family problems from the following people in the next month?" and responded using a Likert scale ranging from 1=extremely unlikely to 7=extremely likely.
Perceived barriers to care

Time frame: within 30 days

Subjects were asked about their perceptions of both stigma-related and practical barriers to seeking help.

Secondary outcomes

User experience

Time frame: Immediately following their interaction with SimCoach or online form (up to 5 min)

Participants responded to questions about their experience with the tool or the online form.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

RAND

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start: 2012
Primary completion: 2013
Study completion: 2013
First posted: Jan 9, 2015
Registry last updated: Jan 9, 2015

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.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed