Trauma-related Mental Health Symptoms

The current proposal aims to refine and examine an intervention called Calm Moms. Calm Moms is a web-based treatment program designed to reduce anxiety, stress, and low mood symptoms among pregnant Veterans with a history of trauma exposure. Its contents are based on empirically supported cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques shown to be effective in reducing these symptoms. Further, the Calm Moms program is tailored towards the unique concerns of pregnant women and incorporates information on how to cope with and reduce the impact of trauma. Calm Moms may benefit pregnant Veterans by reducing their anxiety, stress, and low mood symptoms. Additionally, pregnant Veterans who engage in Calm Moms may have improved functioning, reduced impairment during pregnancy, and show increased interest and engagement with additional mental health care. The current proposal also aims to collect information regarding implementation of Calm Moms at additional sites, which will allow Calm Moms to impact a larger group of pregnant Veterans.

This study prospectively evaluates the effects of Integrative Bilateral Cervical Sympathetic Block (BCSB) on trauma-related symptoms in Special Operations Veterans, comparing outcomes in those receiving BCSB alone versus BCSB combined with structured integrative therapy. Using standardized FDA-approved dosing, validated symptom measures, and strict safety criteria, the study aims to determine whether this dual-level autonomic intervention improves PTSD-related and TBI-related symptoms, and whether pairing the procedure with therapy enhances durability and overall clinical benefit.