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NCT07738445

Overview

NCT ID: NCT07738445
Lead Sponsor: VA Office of Research and DevelopmentFED
Official Title: A Pilot Study to Examine Acceptability and Feasibility of Growth, Resilience, Insight, and Togetherness (GRIT), a Retreat-Based Program for Violence-Exposed Women Veterans
Brief Summary: Given their elevated risk for suicide and barriers to engaging in VHA healthcare, violence-exposed women Veterans represent a specialized population for which expansions to current VHA programming are needed. This pilot study is to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the Growth, Resilience, Insight, and Togetherness (GRIT), a therapeutic retreat program developed with and for Veteran women, to improve social functioning as a potential upstream suicide prevention strategy in comparison to a self-guided program. If found acceptable and feasible, data gathered will inform subsequent program development and identify avenues for further research on use of retreats grounded in Whole Health principles for additional subpopulations of women Veterans and/or other high-risk populations that may benefit.
Conditions

Status and Timeline

Status: Not yet recruiting
Last Update Posted: Jul 31, 2026Actual
Start Date: Dec 1, 2026Estimated
Primary Completion Date: May 31, 2028Estimated
Completion Date

Participation Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study: Adult (18-64)Older Adult (65+)
Sexes Eligible for Study: Female
Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No
Eligibility Criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

Experienced interpersonal violence as evidenced by endorsement of items 6, 7, 8, 9, or 11 from the Life Events Checklist for DSM-5®

Are willing and able to participate in a two overnight, three-day, retreat and complete pre- and post-retreat surveys

Are actively engaged in VHA mental healthcare (i.e., have a documented mental health visit with a VA provider within the last 90 days

Endorse some difficulties in social functioning as indicated by a score >2 on at least two items of the social functioning questionnaire

Ability to speak, read, and understand spoken English sufficiently well to complete the procedures of the study

Have access to a mobile phone or computer device that will enable participation in virtual video sessions

Exclusion Criteria:

Current suicidal thoughts and intent (using the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale; C-SSRS, (i.e., endorses items 1, 2, and 4 or 5)

Diagnosis of alcohol or substance use dependence in medical record. In cases where alcohol or substance use is identified as problematic but not reaching the threshold for diagnosis of SUD dependence, additional consultation with mental health providers and chart review by the PI will be used to determine suitability for participation

Current psychosis or mania as indicated by electronic health records, or as identified during baseline administration of Quick SCID

Study Plan

Study Type: Interventional
Phase: Phase 2
Enrollment: 48Estimated
Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)

Contacts and Locations

Central Contacts: Jennifer M Primack, PhD MAContact
Jennifer.Primack@va.gov(401) 273-7100 ext. 13400

Similar Studies

Participant Group/Arms

GRITExperimental

GRIT is a 3-day retreat-based program designed to enhance social functioning for women Veterans as an upstream suicide prevention strategy. The intervention includes an initial 90-minute group introduction session (approximately 7 days before the retreat) and a 90-minute group wrap up session (one week after completion of the retreat.

Behavioral: GRIT

GRIActive Comparator

GRI is a self-guided version of the retreat-program which includes writing, psychoeducational videos, reflection, worksheets, and activity prompts along with pre-recorded mindfulness activities to complete during the same 3-day timeframe. GRI participants are similarly introduced to Whole Health personal health planning during the initial virtual session and guided toward completing a personal health inventory and setting personal health goals that are followed up on in the post-program virtual wrap-up session. GRI is self-guided over 3 days and participants complete the workbook but do not participate in the group retreat.

Behavioral: GRI