---
title: Telephone Administered Psychotherapy for the Treatment of Depression for Veterans in Rural Areas
nct_id: NCT00012974
overall_status: COMPLETED
phase: PHASE1, PHASE2
sponsor: US Department of Veterans Affairs
study_type: INTERVENTIONAL
primary_condition: Heart Failure
countries: United States
canonical_url: "https://parkinsonspathways.com/agent/trials/NCT00012974.md"
clinicaltrials_gov: "https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT00012974"
ct_last_update_post_date: 2015-04-07
last_seen_at: "2026-05-12T06:05:19.785Z"
source: ClinicalTrials.gov (mirrored, no enrichment)
---
# Telephone Administered Psychotherapy for the Treatment of Depression for Veterans in Rural Areas

**Official Title:** Innovative Strategies for Implementing New CHF Guideline Recommendations

**NCT ID:** [NCT00012974](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT00012974)

## Key Facts

- **Status:** COMPLETED
- **Phase:** PHASE1, PHASE2
- **Study Type:** INTERVENTIONAL
- **Target Enrollment:** 60
- **Lead Sponsor:** US Department of Veterans Affairs
- **Conditions:** Heart Failure, Beta-blocker Treatment
- **Start Date:** 2005-11
- **Completion Date:** 2007-05
- **CT.gov Last Update:** 2015-04-07

## Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy of telephone-administered cognitive-behavioral therapy (T-CBT) in treating major depression among veterans served by community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) in the Veteran�s Integrated Service Network (VISN) 21, which serves rural areas in Northern California

## Detailed Description

More that 20% of patients in primary care have depressive disorders. While primary care is the principal venue for treatment for depression, fewer than 25% of depressed patients receive adequate treatment for their depression. These outcomes can be worse when there are barriers to treatment such as living in a rural area. Several studies have found that given a choice, about two-thirds of depressed primary care patients prefer psychotherapy or counseling over antidepressant medication.

This is a controlled, randomized trial in which subjects meeting criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) from primary care settings in VISN 21 including CBOCs will be randomly assigned to one of two conditions: 1) a 16-session manualized telephone administered cognitive behavioral therapy (T-CBT) delivered over 24 weeks or 2) a treatment-as-usual (TAU) condition. Telephone-administered cognitive behavioral therapy (T-CBT) is an intervention aimed at improving coping skills and social functioning. It is divided into two phases: 1) an initial treatment phase consisting of 12 weekly sessions aimed at reducing symptoms of depression, and 2) a booster phase in which 4 sessions are provided at increasingly greater intervals to target maintenance of treatment gains. T-CBT, administered by doctoral level psychologists, will be compared to a treatment-as-usual (TAU) condition that controls for the natural course of depression during the course of treatment.

## Eligibility

- **Minimum age:** 18 Years
- **Sex:** ALL
- **Healthy Volunteers:** No

```
Inclusion Criteria:

Patients must have chronic heart failure, systolic left ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction less than or equal to 45%), not be receiving beta-blockers, and not have contraindications to beta-blockers.

Exclusion Criteria:
```

## Arms

- **Arm 1** (OTHER)

## Interventions

- **GTelephone-administered Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (T-CBT)** (BEHAVIORAL)
- **Provider education, computer reminders, nurse case management** (PROCEDURE)

## Primary Outcomes

- **Reduction in severity of depression; scores on depression rating scales at baseline, 12 weeks and 24 weeks**

## Secondary Outcomes

- **Maintenance of treatment gains at 6 month follow-up (week 48).**

## Locations (2)

- VA Northern California Health Care System, Mather, CA, Sacramento, California, United States
- San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, San Francisco, California, United States

## Recent Field Changes (last 30 days)

- `status.overallStatus` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `status.completionDate` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `status.lastUpdatePostDate` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `design.phases` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `design.enrollmentCount` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.criteria` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.minAge` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.sex` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `outcomes.primary` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `outcomes.secondary` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `armsInterventions.arms` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `armsInterventions.interventions` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `sponsor.lead` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `results.hasResults` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `locations.va northern california health care system, mather, ca|sacramento|california|united states` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `locations.san francisco va medical center, san francisco, ca|san francisco|california|united states` — added _(2026-05-12)_

---

*Canonical: https://parkinsonspathways.com/agent/trials/NCT00012974.md*  
*Source data (authoritative): https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT00012974*  
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