ACT on Health Lab

ACT on Health Lab Projects

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Current Research Projects

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PrePARE: Preoperative Pain and Rehabilitation Education

Preventing Persistent Post-Surgical Pain and Dysfunction in At-Risk Veterans: Effect of a Brief Behavioral Intervention #1 R01 NR017610-01

  • Grant funding from National Institute of Nursing Research (Feb. 1, 2019 - Jan. 30, 2023)
  • Preoperative Pain and Rehabilitation Education (‘PrePARE’), a multi-site, multi-PI study aims to compare the effectiveness of a pre-surgical therapeutic workshop (ACT) to Attention Control (AC) on pain and functioning among veterans who are at-risk for developing chronic pain post-orthopedic surgery.
     

SOAR- Supportive Outreach and Reintegration

Combination Outreach and Wellness Intervention for Distressed Out-Of-Care Rural Veterans

  • Grant funding from VA Office of Rural Health (Oct. 1, 2019 - Aug. 30, 2021)
  • Supportive Outreach and Reintegration (‘SOAR’) is building partnerships with Veteran-centered community organizations and VHA CBOCs in areas serving rural-dwelling veterans to identify distressed veterans who may not otherwise seek mental health care and deliver 1-day Acceptance and Commitment Training  plus Education, Resources and Support (ACT+ERS) workshops in community-based settings.
  • Video: A one-day Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) Workshop for Veterans
     

SERVE Support and Education for Returning Veterans

One-day Life Skills Workshop for Veterans with TBI, Pain, and Psychopathology: Evaluating Efficacy and Mechanism of Change.  #1 I01 RX003117-01A1

  • Grant Funding from VA Rehabilitation Research and Development Service (Feb. 1, 2020 - Dec. 31, 2023)
  • Support & Education for Returning veterans (‘SERVE’) is a randomized controlled trial for veterans returning from the operations in Iraq and Afghanistan (OIF/OEF/OND) with polytrauma (mTBI, pain, psychopathology). The aims are to:
    • Compare the efficacy of an ACT workshop to an active treatment comparison on symptoms of distress and social, occupational, and community reintegration.
    • Examine mediators and moderators of treatment response to identify which ACT components are directly responsible for treatment effectiveness and whether treatment benefits are constrained by various personal factors.
       

TRIVE - Targeting HIV Retention and Improved Viral Load Through Engagement

  • Grant funding from National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
  • The goal of the project is to adapt, refine, and pilot an ACT intervention for out-of-care people with HIV (PWH) who present with avoidant coping. ‘Targeting HIV Retention and Improved Viral load through Engagement’ (‘THRIVE’) will aim to help out-of-care PWH overcome the cycle of avoidance coping which can keep PWH out of care and exacerbate/maintain stigma and comorbid mental health difficulties that are common in PWH.
     

BRAVE- Building Relationships with Vitality and Engagement

Engaging out-of-care distressed rural veterans and their partners in outreach and an ACT-based intervention

  • Grant funding from VA Office of Rural Health (Oct. 1, 2021 -)
  • Building Relationships with Vitality and Engagement (“BRAVE) is identifying rural-dwelling distressed veterans with the help of veteran-centered community organizations and VHA CBOCs in rural areas and delivering a one-day evidence-based mental health workshop followed by a one-day couples’ workshop for veterans and their partners.