Addressing PTSD symptoms in first responders and healthcare workers through trauma-focused treatment in Employee Assistance Programs: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

backgroundHealthcare workers and first responders are frequently exposed to traumatic events and subsequently are more susceptible to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but few receive treatment. Although Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are available at almost all large-sized companies, they lack the capacity to provide time-intensive first-line treatments for PTSD. To address this problem, our study team adapted a standard first-line PTSD treatment into a brief, 4-6 session format (Processing Emotions in Primary Care; PE-PC) and demonstrated its efficacy in military and veteran populations. This paper describes a study protocol to leverage the existing resource of the EAP to test intervention effectiveness among healthcare workers and first responders with treatment need.

methodWe are currently conducting a Hybrid Type 1 Effectiveness-Implementation trial to test the effectiveness of PE-PC, delivered by EAP counselors, versus EAP treatment as usual (TAU) in 360 healthcare workers and first responders with PTSD, and gather data regarding implementation. The specific aims are to compare the effectiveness of PE-PC versus EAP TAU in reducing PTSD symptoms at 6-week (post-treatment), 3-, and 6-month follow-ups, and prepare for future implementation through process evaluation and implementation mapping. We expect the study to yield an implementation strategy that is targeted to address EAP-specific implementation barriers.

conclusionsThis project will contribute a point-of-care intervention for frontline healthcare workers and first responders with PTSD, thus improving clinical practice for populations vulnerable to PTSD and increasing preparedness for public health emergencies. CLINICALTRIALS: gov Identifier: NCT05751473.