The MOST Study for Treating PTSD
Principal Investigator
Co-Investigators
Project Summary
The majority of children in the U.S. and around the world are affected by traumatic events, such as car accidents, scary medical procedures, fires, and even physical or sexual violence. Children who experience a trauma may struggle with something called post-traumatic stress disorder, better known as PTSD.
PTSD is a serious health condition that can have immediate and long-lasting effects if not treated successfully. The good news is that behavioral interventions, or “talk therapies”, are the most effective treatments available for children with PTSD. The bad news is that these treatments often take a long time to complete and many children still struggle with PTSD even after completing one of these treatments. To make matters worse, scientists and health professionals alike simply don’t know how behavioral interventions for PTSD actually work, making it difficult for us to improve these treatments.
The Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST) is an engineering-inspired approach for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of behavioral interventions across a variety of public health outcomes. The Investigative Team is currently applying the MOST framework for the treatment of PTSD in children. Here’s what we’re looking to do:
- Strengthen treatment effects and improve response rates for PTSD interventions
- Reduce the time it takes to treat PTSD, easing burdens on families
- Uncover the mechanisms of action for how PTSD treatments actually work
To accomplish these goals, we’re using MOST to identify the “active ingredients” of safe and effective behavioral interventions for children with PTSD. We are testing these ingredients to identify which ones produce the strongest effects, which ones work better alone or when combined with other ingredients, and how they create therapeutic changes in the brain, body, and behaviors of children. The results will tell us how to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of treatments for PTSD and related concerns, such as depression and anxiety.
The MOST Study is actively recruiting children, 8-17 years of age, to participate. These children, along with an accompanying parent or caregiver, will:
- Receive active ingredients of PTSD treatments at no cost
- Be compensated up to $350 for their time and participation
- Fill out surveys and questionnaires about how they think, feel, and act
- Complete tasks that measure brain, body, and behavior changes
You can contact the MOST Study PI:
Chad Shenk, PhD, ABPP
Professor
Department of Psychology & Mt. Hope Family Center
Email: chad.shenk@rochester.edu