Recruiting

MARI vs. HED

Sponsor:

VA Office of Research and Development

Code:

NCT06094933

Conditions

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Anger

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 0+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Mobile Anger Reduction Intervention (MARI)

Health Education Condition (HED)

Study Details

Brief summary:

Difficulty controlling anger is the most commonly reported reintegration concern among combat Veterans, especially those with a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Problematic anger is associated with significant functional impairment. In the current project, the investigators will compare the Mobile Anger Reduction Intervention (MARI) with a health education mobile intervention (HED) among Veterans with PTSD and problematic anger. Participants will be randomized to the MARI or HED condition. The hypothesis is that participants in the MARI condition will experience greater anger reductions and functional improvements relative to the HED condition.

Conditions

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Anger

Study ID

NCT06094933

Start date

Nov 12, 2024

Status verified date

Oct, 2025

Completion date

Mar 31, 2028

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Oct 30, 2027

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 0+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Veterans diagnosed with PTSD, established via chart review and a score of greater than or equal to 33 on the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5)
  • Reporting a score of greater than or equal to 12 on the 5-item Dimensions of Anger Reactions Scale
  • Have not had any changes to type or dose of psychiatric medications for 3 months, with no plans to make adjustments in the next 6 months
  • Able to read at least 6th grade level material

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Currently in a period of active psychosis or mania
  • Exhibit current prominent suicidal or homicidal ideation requiring immediate intervention
  • Have used the MARI application before as part of another research study
  • Receiving (or plan to receive) other anger management psychotherapy or trauma-focused therapy for PTSD (i.e., prolonged exposure, cognitive processing therapy during the course of the study

Study Design

Enrollment

150 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Mobile Anger Reduction Intervention (MARI)

Participants in this arm will download the MARI application (app) on their own smart phone device and will use the app for a period of 4 weeks.

active comparator: Health Education Condition (HED)

Participants in this arm will download the HED application (app) on their own smart phone device and will use the app for a period of 4 weeks.

Interventions

Mobile Anger Reduction Intervention (MARI)

This is a mobile intervention that uses interpretation bias modification (IBM) techniques to reduce the hostile interpretation bias. Participants will download the MARI app and be instructed to complete at least 5 treatment sessions each week for a period of 4 weeks. Each session takes approximately 10 minutes. The app also includes a Nightly Diary to track symptoms, a calendar to program session reminders, and a My Progress feature to track use and performance.

Health Education Condition (HED)

This is a mobile application that delivers videos with psychoeducation about healthy habits and selfcare for general wellness. Participants will download the HED app and be instructed to use it at least 5 times a week for a period of 4 weeks.

Primary outcome measure

  • number of participants below the clinical cut off for problematic anger [ Time Frame: Post-treatment (approx. one month after baseline assessment) ]
  • number of participants below the clinical cut off for problematic anger [ Time Frame: 6-month follow-up ]
  • number of participants below the clinical cut off for problematic anger [ Time Frame: 3-month follow-up ]
  • number of participants with decreased hostile interpretation bias scores [ Time Frame: from baseline to post-treatment assessments (approx. one month after baseline assessment) ]
  • number of participants with decreased hostile interpretation bias scores [ Time Frame: from baseline to 3-month follow-up ]
  • number of participants with decreased hostile interpretation bias scores [ Time Frame: from baseline to 6-month follow-up ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Kirsten H Dillon, PhD

(919) 286-0411Kirsten.Dillon@va.gov

Angela C Kirby, MS

(919) 286-0411angela.kirby@va.gov

Locations

Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC

Recruiting

Durham, North Carolina, United States, 27705-3875

Contacts

Kirsten H Dillon, PhD

(919) 286-0411Kirsten.Dillon@va.gov

Principal Investigator:

Kirsten H Dillon, PhD

More Information

Sponsor

VA Office of Research and Development

Last update posted

Oct 20, 2025

Last verified

Oct, 2025

Keywords

  • posttraumatic stress disorder
  • anger
  • hostile interpretation bias
  • mHealth

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-09. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by VA Office of Research and Development on 2025-10-20.