In a study published in 2014, user satisfaction, perceived helpfulness, and usage patterns of PTSD coach were studied in a sample of 45 veterans receiving PTSD treatment. After using PTSD Coach for several days, participants completed a survey of satisfaction and perceived helpfulness and focus groups exploring app use and benefit from use. Data indicate that participants were very satisfied with PTSD Coach and perceived it as being moderately to very helpful with their PTSD symptoms. (Kuhn, E., Greene, C., Hoffman, J., Nguyen, T., Wald, L., Schmidt, J., … & Ruzek, J. 2014. https://academic.oup.com/milmed/article/179/1/12/4160716)
Another study, published in 2016, evaluated the use of PTSD coach in a primary care setting. Twenty primary care veterans with PTSD symptoms were randomized to either Self-Managed PTSD Coach consisting of one 10-min session providing instructions for application use or Clinician-Supported PTSD Coach consisting of four 20-min sessions focused on setting symptom reduction goals and helping veterans fully engage with application content. Research procedures and intervention conditions appear feasible as indicated by high rates of assessment and intervention retention and high clinician fidelity and satisfaction. Both treatments resulted in reductions in PTSD symptoms, with 7 Clinician-Supported PTSD Coach and 3 Self-Managed PTSD Coach participants reporting clinically significant improvements. (Possemato, K., Kuhn, E., Johnson, E., Hoffman, J. E., Owen, J. E., Kanuri, N., … & Brooks, E. 2016. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0163834315002236)
A community sample of trauma survivors with PTSD symptoms (N=49) were randomized to 1 month using PTSD Coach or a waitlist condition. Participants reported using the app several times per wek, that PTSD Coach were moderately helpful and that they had learned tools and skills from the app to manage their symptoms. Between conditions effect size estimates were modest for PTSD symptom improvement, but not statistically significant. (Miner, A., Kuhn, E., Hoffman, J. E., Owen, J. E., Ruzek, J. I., & Taylor, C. B. 2016. https://psycnet.apa.org/buy/2016-03896-001)
120 participants were randomized to either a PTSD Coach or a waitlist condition for 3 months. PTSD Coach participants had significantly greater improvements in PTSD symptoms, depressive sympotoms, and psychosocial functioning than did waitlist participants; however, at posttreatment, there were no significant mean differences in outcomes between conditions. A greater proportion of PTSD Coach participants achieved clinically significant PTSD symptom improvement than waitlist participants. (Kuhn, E., Kanuri, N., Hoffman, J. E., Garvert, D. W., Ruzek, J. I., & Taylor, C. B. 2017. https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000163)