About DE-Stress

DE-Stress stands for Delivery of Self-Training and Education for Stressful Situations. It is a program that offers coached, confidential, online self-help for Marines experiencing on-going stress symptoms following return from operational deployment. The program uses principles from psychology, education, and other disciplines to teach Marines skills that will help them more effectively deal with combat-related stress and its effect on their work and life. DE-Stress is not therapy or treatment but training in a set of skills to promote recovery and coping, to restore health and readiness, and to increase resilience to future stress.

DE-Stress was first tested and found effective in Army personnel who experienced persistent stress symptoms after the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon or combat in Iraq. Now DE-Stress is being evaluated in Marines with combat-related stress symptoms with the goal of developing a safe, effective, and confidential training and self-help tool for Marines.

The DE-Stress study objectives include:

• To implement a brief, resource-efficient, Internet-delivered, self-management program based on evidence-based interventions for combat stress injury. 
• To provide the program to Marines returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who are experiencing symptoms of combat related stress and are interested in learning new stress management skills.
• To assess the impact of the program on the level of functioning and overall readiness of Marines in the short-term and over a 6 month follow-up period.

What Does the DE-Stress Study Involve?

DE-Stress is a (1) private (conducted over the Internet), (2) individualized (completed at each Marine’s own pace and tailored to their needs), and (3) coached training program for learning self-management skills. Participation in DE- Stress involves four steps:

1) Confidential assessment with study coordinator to determine eligibility 
2) If eligible, random assignment to either “immediate start” or “delayed start” group (Marines assigned to the delayed start group simply wait 3 months before beginning the program, while the rest begin right away.) 
3) Completion of the online training program, including several brief questionnaires during training. Training takes about 6 weeks to complete. 
4) Following the online training program, Marines will be asked to complete several online follow-up questionnaires over a 6 month time period.

How Will DE-Stress Help Marines?

DE-Stress may offer a number of potential benefits to Marines participating in the study. The potential benefits include:

• Reduction in the physical and emotional problems associated with exposure to combat stress 
• Reduction in family problems that can result from combat-related stress, PTSD, and other associated problems 
• Improved job functioning, overall readiness, and retention 
• Improved handling of stress in both combat and non-combat situations

If proven to be successful the program may also provide the Marine Corps with a new approach to reducing the impact of combat stress in Marines.

Is DE-Stress Confidential?

Participation in the DE-Stress Training Program and Study will remain strictly confidential. No information about participants will be given to their commanders, leadership or their medical officers.

Who Is Conducting the DE-Stress Study?

The DE-Stress study is sponsored by the National Institutes for Mental Health (NIMH). It is endorsed by the Combat/Operational Stress Control Program at Headquarters Marine Corps. The study team is lead by RTI International (RTI). Headquartered in Research Triangle Park, NC, RTI is a leading independent, nonprofit institute that provides innovative scientific research and technical solutions for government, military, and business clients worldwide. Also participating in this project will be researchers from the National Center for PTSD at the Veterans Affairs Boston Health Care System (Boston, MA) and Abt Associates Inc. (Research Triangle Park, NC).

How Do I Participate in DE-Stress?

Marines interested in participating in DE-Stress must directly contact the Camp Lejeune DE-Stress coordinator. Marines cannot be referred by others– they must contact the study coordinator themselves. All Marines who are screened for the study that do not meet the eligibility criteria or choose not to participate will receive information about other possible sources of care and support, both on-base and off-base.

For screening and enrollment in DE-Stress contact the Camp Lejeune DE-Stress Coordinator at 910-320-3480 or destress@rti.org. The program is Internet-based, however, to get started with the program Marines must first complete a screening evaluation to determine if they are eligible. This can be done in person at a location and time you agree on with the Coordinator.

Where Do I Get More Information?

If you have questions about DE-Stress please feel free to contact one of the following:

For questions about the study methodology, please contact:

• Dr. Juesta Caddell, Principal Investigator, at 1-866-784-1958 (toll free), Ext. 26523 or jmc@rti.org 
• Dr. Murrey Olmsted, Co-Investigator, at 1-866-784-1958 (toll free), Ext. 25506 or molmsted@rti.org

For questions about study participant rights, please contact:

• The RTI Office of Research Protection at 1-866-214-2043 (toll free)