Examining Written Disclosure as a Treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

48 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2008-08-31

Study Completion Date

2011-08-31

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

This study will test the effectiveness of writing about a traumatic incident to treat post-traumatic stress disorder in people who have been in car accidents.

Related Clinical Trials

Explore similar clinical trials based on study characteristics and research focus.

Written Exposure Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

NCT01800773

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

COMPLETED NA

Written Exposure Therapy for Post-traumatic Stress Syndrome

NCT04328935

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

UNKNOWN NA

Narrative Exposure Based Intervention For Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

NCT03229525

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

UNKNOWN NA

Effects of Narrative Writing Duration and Post-writing Processing Instructions on PTSD

NCT01773811

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

COMPLETED NA

Exploring Clinical Study Experiences of People With Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

NCT06146049

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic and debilitating disorder caused by experiencing a stressful or traumatic event. Although there is evidence that treatments for PTSD are effective, many people do not seek treatment or seek treatment only after their PTSD has become severe. This study will test a low-cost, brief, and easily implemented treatment that may encourage people to seek treatment for PTSD. The treatment, called written disclosure (WD), involves writing about the traumatic event that caused a person's PTSD. In this study, people who have PTSD as the result of a motor vehicle accident will test two versions of WD, one administered in a clinic and the other administered over the phone.

Participation in this study will last 5 weeks, with follow-up assessments continuing until 6 months after treatment. After screening, participants will be assigned to one of three conditions: WD treatment delivered in the clinic, WD treatment delivered via phone, and waitlist. The WD treatment involves five weekly writing sessions. During the first session, trauma reactions and the rationale for WD will be explained to all participants, and then participants will write for 30 minutes about their motor vehicle accident. The next four sessions will involve only writing for 30 minutes. For those receiving treatment in the clinic, a therapist will communicate directions and explanations to participants, and participants will have their heart rate activity recorded continuously for 5 minutes prior to writing and during the 30 minutes of writing. For those receiving treatment over the phone, explanations of the study will be provided in writing, and a study staff member will call participants before and after each writing session to ensure that participants understand the directions and are not experiencing any unexpected negative reactions after writing. Participants in the waitlist condition will not receive treatment for the first 4 months. After that period, they will be offered the WD treatment.

Assessments of all participants will occur at baseline, after treatment, and 3 months after treatment. Participants assigned to receive WD treatment, either in a clinic or via phone, will also be assessed 6 months after treatment. Assessments administered at these points will involve semi-structured clinical interviews, self-report questionnaires, and measures of mood-related symptoms. Participants receiving treatment will also complete self-report measurements of emotional response after each writing session and the Daily Experiences Questionnaire every day during the 5 weeks of treatment. Participants on the waitlist will also undergo assessments of suicidal thoughts and PTSD symptoms every 2 weeks.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Group 1 Treatment in Clinic

Participants will complete the written disclosure treatment in a clinic setting.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Written Disclosure

Intervention Type OTHER

Five sessions, each spaced 1 week apart, during which participants are asked to write about their motor vehicle accident for 30 minutes. The first session of the intervention also involves a description of common reactions to a motor vehicle accident and the rationale for this treatment.

Group 2 Treatment via telephone

Participants will complete the written disclosure treatment in their homes via telephone.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Written Disclosure

Intervention Type OTHER

Five sessions, each spaced 1 week apart, during which participants are asked to write about their motor vehicle accident for 30 minutes. The first session of the intervention also involves a description of common reactions to a motor vehicle accident and the rationale for this treatment.

Group 3 Waitlist

Individuals will be placed on a waitlist for a period of 4 months, during which they will receive a phone call every other week to assess their suicidal ideation and post-traumatic stress disorder symptom severity.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Written Disclosure

Five sessions, each spaced 1 week apart, during which participants are asked to write about their motor vehicle accident for 30 minutes. The first session of the intervention also involves a description of common reactions to a motor vehicle accident and the rationale for this treatment.

Intervention Type OTHER

Other Intervention Names

Discover alternative or legacy names that may be used to describe the listed interventions across different sources.

Written Emotional Disclosure Narrative Writing Narrative Exposure

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* Primary diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder
* Involved in motor vehicle accident that occurred at least 3 months ago

Exclusion Criteria

* Current diagnosis of mania, hypomania, bipolar depression, psychotic disorder, substance abuse disorder, or severe depression
* History of psychosis
* Active suicidality or history of two or more suicide gestures or attempts in the past year
* Significant cognitive impairment
* Current participation in a psychosocial treatment, such as individual or group therapy led by a clinician

Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No