NCT03364361

Acupuncture for Perceived Stress in Military Personnel

Completed NA Last updated 29 March 2018

What this trial tests

NA trial testing Acupuncture in Acupuncture in 22 participants. Completed in 16 March 2018.

Timeline

12 February 2018

Primary endpoint
16 March 2018

16 March 2018

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	United States Naval Medical Center, San Diego
Phase	NA
Status	Completed
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	na
Design	single group
Masking	none
Primary purpose	prevention
Enrollment	22
Start date	12 February 2018
Primary completion	16 March 2018
Estimated completion	16 March 2018
Sites	1 location across United States

Drugs / interventions tested

• Acupuncture — full drug profile →

Conditions studied

• Acupuncture — all drugs for Acupuncture →
• Perceived Stress — all drugs for Perceived Stress →
• Military Personnel — all drugs for Military Personnel →

Sponsor

United States Naval Medical Center, San Diego

Who can join

Adults 18 to 65, any sex, with Acupuncture or Perceived Stress. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Sponsor's own description

Introduction: Although the physiologic response to stress is necessary for mammals to survive, prolonged stress response as a result of perceived stress can lead to allostatic load and loss of resilience to future stressors. To mitigate the consequences of allostatic load, researchers have investigated the effects of acupuncture as a promising intervention.

Objectives/Aims: The purpose of this study is to explore the feasibility and effect of a standardized stress acupuncture (SSA) approach on perceived stress in U.S. military personnel. Specific aims include the following: a) to determine feasibility of recruitment for SSA and implementation of study procedures in preparation for a methodologically rigorous study, b) to determine the acceptability of SSA treatment in a sample of military personnel with perceived stress, and c) to assess perceived stress and general health before and after SSA.

Methods and Analysis: This is a single-arm, single-site study protocol to assess feasibility of SSA in a total of 15 patients with perceived stress. Upon IRB approval and written informed consent, the participants will receive 4 weekly sessions of SSA which consists of 6 acupuncture points. Demographic information and attrition of participants will be monitored throughout the study. Patient-reported questionnaires including Acupuncture Expectancy Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, and SF-36 will be administered at baseline and then at the completion of the study. Descriptive statistics, reliable change indices (RCI), and Wilcoxon Signed-Ranks tests will be conducted to assess the magnitude of changes in scores.

Military Relevance: The three most common disability conditions in the military include musculoskeletal, psychiatric, and neurological body systems. Among these problems, however, mental health disorders remain a significant contributor to disability and suicide. Given the role of perceived stress in disability and suicidality in the military, intervening early before service members become at risk for severe injuries, hospitalizations, and chronic disability could help decrease burdensome problems.

Publications & conference data

No peer-reviewed publications indexed yet for this trial. Completed trials usually publish results within 12-18 months.