A clinician-monitored ‘PTSD Coach’ intervention: findings from two pilot feasibility and acceptability studies in a resource-constrained setting

Figures & data

Table 1. Key dimensions of the pilot studies.

Pilot 1
Intervention arm	Intervention delivery mode	Duration of intervention	Session length	Comparison arm
PTSD Coach Online (PCO) (web-based) (requires computer)	Supplemented with counsellor support	Eight sessions over 8 weeks	40–60 min	Enhanced treatment as usual (e-TAU)
Pilot 2
Intervention arm	Intervention delivery mode	Duration of intervention	Session length	Comparison arm
PTSD Coach (CS) (mobile application) (requires smartphone)	Supplemented with counsellor support	Four sessions over 4 weeks	30–40 min	PTSD Coach (SM) (mobile application) (self-managed use)

Table 2. Pilot 1: total CAPS-5 total score and RCI per patient from T1 to T2 and from T1 to T3.

Participants	Treatment arm	Baseline symptom severity T1	CAPS T1 to T2	CAPS RCI T1–T2	Mid-point symptom severity T1–T2	CAPS T1 to T3	CAPS RCI T1–T3	Post symptom severity T1–T3
PCO001	PCO	Severe	39 to 20	−5.26*	Mild
PCO002	PCO	Severe	39 to 29	−2.77*	Moderate	39 to 20	−5.26*	Mild
PCO006	PCO	Severe	38 to 40	0.55**	Severe	38 to 20	−9.96*	Mild
PCO010	PCO	Severe	39 to 30	−2.49**	Moderate	39 to 30	−2.49**	Moderate
PCO003	e-TAU	Severe	45 to 31	−3.87*	Moderate	45 to 14	−8.57*	Mild
PCO005	e-TAU	Severe	41 to 45	1.11**	Severe	41 to 30	−3.04*	Moderate
PCO007	e-TAU	Moderate	32 to 26	−1.66**	Moderate	32 to 20	−3.32*	Mild
PCO009	e-TAU	Moderate	25 to 36	3.04***	Severe	25 to 37	3.32***	Severe

Note: *improved; **unchanged; ***worsened.

CAPS-5 = Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5; RCI = reliable change index; PCO = PTSD Coach Online; e-TAU = enhanced treatment as usual.

Table 3. Pilot 2: total CAPS-5 total score and RCI per patient from T1 to T2.

Participants	Treatment arm	Baseline symptom severity T1	CAPS T1 to T2	CAPS RCI T1–T2	Post-symptom severity T1–T2
PTSD002	PTSD Coach-CS	Severe	44 to 21	−5.40*	Mild
PTSD003	PTSD Coach-CS	Extreme	48 to 15	−7.75*	Mild
PTSD005	PTSD Coach-CS	Severe	41 to 33	−1.88*	Moderate
PTSD006	PTSD Coach-CS	Severe	42 to 23	−4.46*	Moderate
PTSD007	PTSD Coach-CS	Extreme	55 to 26	−6.81*	Moderate
PTSD001	PTSD Coach-SM	Severe	43 to 33	−2.35*	Moderate
PTSD004	PTSD Coach-SM	Severe	42 to 27	−3.52*	Moderate
PTSD009	PTSD Coach-SM	Extreme	61 to 45	−3.37*	Severe

Note: *improved.

CAPS-5 = Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5; RCI = reliable change index; PTSD Coach-CS = counsellor-supported PTSD Coach; PTSD Coach-SM = self-managed PTSD Coach.