Trial Outcomes & Findings for Expressing Personal Recollections in English or Spanish to Alleviate Traumatic Emotions (Exprésate) (NCT NCT05090839)
NCT ID: NCT05090839
Last Updated: 2025-08-24
Results Overview
22-item self-report instrument that corresponds to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) symptoms of PTSD over last 7 days on a scale from 0 (not at all) to 4 (extremely) The IES has a total score ranging from 0 to 88 with the higher score indicating greater PTSD symptoms. The IES was assessed before and after the intervention and the change in score (mean and SD) is reported as the outcome measure.
Recruitment status
COMPLETED
Study phase
NA
Target enrollment
40 participants
Primary outcome timeframe
6 weeks
Results posted on
2025-08-24
Participant Flow
Participants were recruited by flyers presented at community locations such as outpatient clinics, women's shelters, and at research centers located on the campus of the University of Miami.
Of the 40 participants enrolled, incomplete data collection resulted in 5 participants not being randomized and 6 were loss to follow-up prior to randomization. Thus, a total of 11 enrolled participants were not randomized.
Participant milestones
| Measure |
Augmented Trauma-writing Intervention in Spanish
Participants in this group will be required to write once weekly for 4 consecutive weeks. Participants will be instructed to write objectively about what they did the day prior and to avoid writing about their emotions or opinions in Spanish.
Weekly Emotional Disclosure (WED) Spanish Online writing sessions, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, once a week, conducted virtually. Participants will be instructed to write about either a major traumatic life experience or what the participant did the previous day. in Spanish.
|
Augmented Trauma-writing Intervention in English
Participants in this group will be asked to write about their most traumatic or upsetting experiences for a total of 4 sessions (one session a week for 4 consecutive weeks) in English.
Weekly Emotional Disclosure (WED) Online writing sessions, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, once a week, conducted virtually. Participants will be instructed to write about either a major traumatic life experience or what the participant did the previous day.
|
Daily-event-writing Control in English
Participants in this group will be asked to conduct event writing condition in English and will be asked to write a description about what they did "yesterday from the time \[they\] got up until the time \[they\] went to bed" for 20 min continuously. They will be told to "avoid writing about \[their\] emotions or opinions" but to try to be as "accurate and objective as possible."
Weekly Emotional Disclosure (WED) Online writing sessions, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, once a week, conducted virtually. Participants will be instructed to write about either a major traumatic life experience or what the participant did the previous day.
|
Daily-event-writing Control in Spanish
Participants in this group will be asked to conduct event writing in condition in Spanish and will be asked to write a description about what they did "yesterday from the time \[they\] got up until the time \[they\] went to bed" for 20 min continuously. They will be told to "avoid writing about \[their\] emotions or opinions" but to try to be as "accurate and objective as possible."
Weekly Emotional Disclosure (WED) Spanish Online writing sessions, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, once a week, conducted virtually. Participants will be instructed to write about either a major traumatic life experience or what the participant did the previous day in Spanish.
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Overall Study
STARTED
|
11
|
7
|
5
|
6
|
|
Overall Study
COMPLETED
|
9
|
4
|
4
|
5
|
|
Overall Study
NOT COMPLETED
|
2
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
Reasons for withdrawal
| Measure |
Augmented Trauma-writing Intervention in Spanish
Participants in this group will be required to write once weekly for 4 consecutive weeks. Participants will be instructed to write objectively about what they did the day prior and to avoid writing about their emotions or opinions in Spanish.
Weekly Emotional Disclosure (WED) Spanish Online writing sessions, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, once a week, conducted virtually. Participants will be instructed to write about either a major traumatic life experience or what the participant did the previous day. in Spanish.
|
Augmented Trauma-writing Intervention in English
Participants in this group will be asked to write about their most traumatic or upsetting experiences for a total of 4 sessions (one session a week for 4 consecutive weeks) in English.
Weekly Emotional Disclosure (WED) Online writing sessions, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, once a week, conducted virtually. Participants will be instructed to write about either a major traumatic life experience or what the participant did the previous day.
|
Daily-event-writing Control in English
Participants in this group will be asked to conduct event writing condition in English and will be asked to write a description about what they did "yesterday from the time \[they\] got up until the time \[they\] went to bed" for 20 min continuously. They will be told to "avoid writing about \[their\] emotions or opinions" but to try to be as "accurate and objective as possible."
Weekly Emotional Disclosure (WED) Online writing sessions, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, once a week, conducted virtually. Participants will be instructed to write about either a major traumatic life experience or what the participant did the previous day.
|
Daily-event-writing Control in Spanish
Participants in this group will be asked to conduct event writing in condition in Spanish and will be asked to write a description about what they did "yesterday from the time \[they\] got up until the time \[they\] went to bed" for 20 min continuously. They will be told to "avoid writing about \[their\] emotions or opinions" but to try to be as "accurate and objective as possible."
Weekly Emotional Disclosure (WED) Spanish Online writing sessions, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, once a week, conducted virtually. Participants will be instructed to write about either a major traumatic life experience or what the participant did the previous day in Spanish.
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Overall Study
Lost to Follow-up
|
2
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
Baseline Characteristics
Expressing Personal Recollections in English or Spanish to Alleviate Traumatic Emotions (Exprésate)
Baseline characteristics by cohort
| Measure |
Augmented Trauma-writing Intervention in Spanish
n=11 Participants
Participants in this group will be required to write once weekly for 4 consecutive weeks. Participants will be instructed to write objectively about what they did the day prior and to avoid writing about their emotions or opinions in Spanish.
Weekly Emotional Disclosure (WED) Spanish Online writing sessions, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, once a week, conducted virtually. Participants will be instructed to write about either a major traumatic life experience or what the participant did the previous day in Spanish.
|
Augmented Trauma-writing Intervention in English
n=7 Participants
Participants in this group will be asked to write about their most traumatic or upsetting experiences for a total of 4 sessions (one session a week for 4 consecutive weeks) in English.
Weekly Emotional Disclosure (WED) Online writing sessions, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, once a week, conducted virtually. Participants will be instructed to write about either a major traumatic life experience or what the participant did the previous day.
|
Daily-event-writing Control in English
n=5 Participants
Participants in this group will be asked to conduct event writing condition in English and will be asked to write a description about what they did "yesterday from the time \[they\] got up until the time \[they\] went to bed" for 20 min continuously. They will be told to "avoid writing about \[their\] emotions or opinions" but to try to be as "accurate and objective as possible."
Weekly Emotional Disclosure (WED) Online writing sessions, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, once a week, conducted virtually. Participants will be instructed to write about either a major traumatic life experience or what the participant did the previous day.
|
Daily-event-writing Control in Spanish
n=6 Participants
Participants in this group will be asked to conduct event writing in condition in Spanish and will be asked to write a description about what they did "yesterday from the time \[they\] got up until the time \[they\] went to bed" for 20 min continuously. They will be told to "avoid writing about \[their\] emotions or opinions" but to try to be as "accurate and objective as possible."
Weekly Emotional Disclosure (WED) Spanish Online writing sessions, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, once a week, conducted virtually. Participants will be instructed to write about either a major traumatic life experience or what the participant did the previous day in Spanish.
|
Total
n=29 Participants
Total of all reporting groups
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
|
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=4 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=21 Participants
|
|
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
|
11 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
7 Participants
n=7 Participants
|
5 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
6 Participants
n=4 Participants
|
29 Participants
n=21 Participants
|
|
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
|
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=4 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=21 Participants
|
|
Sex: Female, Male
Female
|
11 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
7 Participants
n=7 Participants
|
5 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
6 Participants
n=4 Participants
|
29 Participants
n=21 Participants
|
|
Sex: Female, Male
Male
|
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=4 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=21 Participants
|
|
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Hispanic or Latino
|
11 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
6 Participants
n=7 Participants
|
5 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
6 Participants
n=4 Participants
|
28 Participants
n=21 Participants
|
|
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Not Hispanic or Latino
|
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
1 Participants
n=7 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=4 Participants
|
1 Participants
n=21 Participants
|
|
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
|
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=4 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=21 Participants
|
|
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
|
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=4 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=21 Participants
|
|
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
|
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=4 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=21 Participants
|
|
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
|
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=4 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=21 Participants
|
|
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
|
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
1 Participants
n=7 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=4 Participants
|
1 Participants
n=21 Participants
|
|
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
|
11 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
6 Participants
n=7 Participants
|
5 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
6 Participants
n=4 Participants
|
28 Participants
n=21 Participants
|
|
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
|
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=4 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=21 Participants
|
|
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
|
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=4 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=21 Participants
|
PRIMARY outcome
Timeframe: 6 weeksPopulation: Data not analyzed from 19 participants that either did not complete a baseline or follow-up assessment of IES or who were lost to follow-up during the intervention.
22-item self-report instrument that corresponds to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) symptoms of PTSD over last 7 days on a scale from 0 (not at all) to 4 (extremely) The IES has a total score ranging from 0 to 88 with the higher score indicating greater PTSD symptoms. The IES was assessed before and after the intervention and the change in score (mean and SD) is reported as the outcome measure.
Outcome measures
| Measure |
Augmented Trauma-writing Intervention in Spanish
n=11 Participants
Participants in this group will be required to write once weekly for 4 consecutive weeks. Participants will be instructed to write objectively about what they did the day prior and to avoid writing about their emotions or opinions in Spanish.
Weekly Emotional Disclosure (WED) Spanish Online writing sessions, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, once a week, conducted virtually. Participants will be instructed to write about either a major traumatic life experience or what the participant did the previous day. in Spanish.
|
Augmented Trauma-writing Intervention in English
n=7 Participants
Participants in this group will be asked to write about their most traumatic or upsetting experiences for a total of 4 sessions (one session a week for 4 consecutive weeks) in English.
Weekly Emotional Disclosure (WED) Online writing sessions, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, once a week, conducted virtually. Participants will be instructed to write about either a major traumatic life experience or what the participant did the previous day.
|
Daily-event-writing Control in English
n=6 Participants
Participants in this group will be asked to conduct event writing condition in English and will be asked to write a description about what they did "yesterday from the time \[they\] got up until the time \[they\] went to bed" for 20 min continuously. They will be told to "avoid writing about \[their\] emotions or opinions" but to try to be as "accurate and objective as possible."
Weekly Emotional Disclosure (WED) Online writing sessions, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, once a week, conducted virtually. Participants will be instructed to write about either a major traumatic life experience or what the participant did the previous day.
|
Daily-event-writing Control in Spanish
n=5 Participants
Participants in this group will be asked to conduct event writing in condition in Spanish and will be asked to write a description about what they did "yesterday from the time \[they\] got up until the time \[they\] went to bed" for 20 min continuously. They will be told to "avoid writing about \[their\] emotions or opinions" but to try to be as "accurate and objective as possible."
Weekly Emotional Disclosure (WED) Spanish Online writing sessions, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, once a week, conducted virtually. Participants will be instructed to write about either a major traumatic life experience or what the participant did the previous day.
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Change in PTSD Symptoms as Assessed by the Impact of Event Scale
|
-.383 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 12.19
|
6.43 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 4.27
|
-3.18 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 16.22
|
-2.11 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 9.59
|
PRIMARY outcome
Timeframe: baselinePopulation: Data could not be collected at both timepoints due to time restraints and participant burden during. Hence, there was only one assessment of delayed recall performance on the HVLT.
Measures verbal learning and memory function based on the initial word learning list (0 no words recalled - 12 all words recalled).
Outcome measures
| Measure |
Augmented Trauma-writing Intervention in Spanish
n=7 Participants
Participants in this group will be required to write once weekly for 4 consecutive weeks. Participants will be instructed to write objectively about what they did the day prior and to avoid writing about their emotions or opinions in Spanish.
Weekly Emotional Disclosure (WED) Spanish Online writing sessions, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, once a week, conducted virtually. Participants will be instructed to write about either a major traumatic life experience or what the participant did the previous day. in Spanish.
|
Augmented Trauma-writing Intervention in English
n=3 Participants
Participants in this group will be asked to write about their most traumatic or upsetting experiences for a total of 4 sessions (one session a week for 4 consecutive weeks) in English.
Weekly Emotional Disclosure (WED) Online writing sessions, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, once a week, conducted virtually. Participants will be instructed to write about either a major traumatic life experience or what the participant did the previous day.
|
Daily-event-writing Control in English
n=2 Participants
Participants in this group will be asked to conduct event writing condition in English and will be asked to write a description about what they did "yesterday from the time \[they\] got up until the time \[they\] went to bed" for 20 min continuously. They will be told to "avoid writing about \[their\] emotions or opinions" but to try to be as "accurate and objective as possible."
Weekly Emotional Disclosure (WED) Online writing sessions, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, once a week, conducted virtually. Participants will be instructed to write about either a major traumatic life experience or what the participant did the previous day.
|
Daily-event-writing Control in Spanish
n=5 Participants
Participants in this group will be asked to conduct event writing in condition in Spanish and will be asked to write a description about what they did "yesterday from the time \[they\] got up until the time \[they\] went to bed" for 20 min continuously. They will be told to "avoid writing about \[their\] emotions or opinions" but to try to be as "accurate and objective as possible."
Weekly Emotional Disclosure (WED) Spanish Online writing sessions, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, once a week, conducted virtually. Participants will be instructed to write about either a major traumatic life experience or what the participant did the previous day.
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Changes in Verbal Learning as Assessed by Hopkins Verbal Learning Task
|
10.43 Total words recalled following delay.
Standard Deviation 1.272
|
11.67 Total words recalled following delay.
Standard Deviation .577
|
12 Total words recalled following delay.
Standard Deviation .00
|
9.80 Total words recalled following delay.
Standard Deviation 1.92
|
SECONDARY outcome
Timeframe: 6 weeksPopulation: Data not analyzed from 23 participants that either did not complete a baseline or follow-up fMRI assessment, or who's data could not be analyzed due to fMRI data not passing quality control (e.g., excessive motion, did not finish scan, signal distortion, etc.)
DMN is a large-scale network of interacting brain regions implicated in emotion and memory. Activity of the DMN hub indexed by Beta weight of activity within the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) was compared as a contrast between the visualizing trauma vs. visualizing stress conditions of the exposure. The VMPFC hub of the default mode network is a region integral to emotion regulation and is shown to be active during the use of cognitive-emotional regulation tasks (Andrewes and Jenkins, 2019). Hence, a randomization related increase in VMPFC activity while processing traumatic memories is associated with greater task engagement and cognitive-emotion regulation, which is a positive outcome.
Outcome measures
| Measure |
Augmented Trauma-writing Intervention in Spanish
n=8 Participants
Participants in this group will be required to write once weekly for 4 consecutive weeks. Participants will be instructed to write objectively about what they did the day prior and to avoid writing about their emotions or opinions in Spanish.
Weekly Emotional Disclosure (WED) Spanish Online writing sessions, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, once a week, conducted virtually. Participants will be instructed to write about either a major traumatic life experience or what the participant did the previous day. in Spanish.
|
Augmented Trauma-writing Intervention in English
n=2 Participants
Participants in this group will be asked to write about their most traumatic or upsetting experiences for a total of 4 sessions (one session a week for 4 consecutive weeks) in English.
Weekly Emotional Disclosure (WED) Online writing sessions, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, once a week, conducted virtually. Participants will be instructed to write about either a major traumatic life experience or what the participant did the previous day.
|
Daily-event-writing Control in English
n=3 Participants
Participants in this group will be asked to conduct event writing condition in English and will be asked to write a description about what they did "yesterday from the time \[they\] got up until the time \[they\] went to bed" for 20 min continuously. They will be told to "avoid writing about \[their\] emotions or opinions" but to try to be as "accurate and objective as possible."
Weekly Emotional Disclosure (WED) Online writing sessions, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, once a week, conducted virtually. Participants will be instructed to write about either a major traumatic life experience or what the participant did the previous day.
|
Daily-event-writing Control in Spanish
n=4 Participants
Participants in this group will be asked to conduct event writing in condition in Spanish and will be asked to write a description about what they did "yesterday from the time \[they\] got up until the time \[they\] went to bed" for 20 min continuously. They will be told to "avoid writing about \[their\] emotions or opinions" but to try to be as "accurate and objective as possible."
Weekly Emotional Disclosure (WED) Spanish Online writing sessions, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, once a week, conducted virtually. Participants will be instructed to write about either a major traumatic life experience or what the participant did the previous day.
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Change in Functional Activity of the Default Mode Network (DMN).
|
.702 Beta-weight reflecting change in BOLD
Standard Deviation .858
|
-.716 Beta-weight reflecting change in BOLD
Standard Deviation .906
|
-.225 Beta-weight reflecting change in BOLD
Standard Deviation .543
|
-.118 Beta-weight reflecting change in BOLD
Standard Deviation .762
|
SECONDARY outcome
Timeframe: 6 weeksPopulation: Data not analyzed from 29 participants that either did not complete a baseline or follow-up saliva collection or associated trauma recall tasks, were lost to follow-up during the intervention, had missing data from 1 of the three salivary time collection points, or samples not correctly recorded or collected.
200 uL of saliva will be used for immunosorbent assay of salivary alpha amylase (sAA) measured by picograms per milliliter
Outcome measures
| Measure |
Augmented Trauma-writing Intervention in Spanish
n=1 Participants
Participants in this group will be required to write once weekly for 4 consecutive weeks. Participants will be instructed to write objectively about what they did the day prior and to avoid writing about their emotions or opinions in Spanish.
Weekly Emotional Disclosure (WED) Spanish Online writing sessions, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, once a week, conducted virtually. Participants will be instructed to write about either a major traumatic life experience or what the participant did the previous day. in Spanish.
|
Augmented Trauma-writing Intervention in English
n=3 Participants
Participants in this group will be asked to write about their most traumatic or upsetting experiences for a total of 4 sessions (one session a week for 4 consecutive weeks) in English.
Weekly Emotional Disclosure (WED) Online writing sessions, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, once a week, conducted virtually. Participants will be instructed to write about either a major traumatic life experience or what the participant did the previous day.
|
Daily-event-writing Control in English
n=3 Participants
Participants in this group will be asked to conduct event writing condition in English and will be asked to write a description about what they did "yesterday from the time \[they\] got up until the time \[they\] went to bed" for 20 min continuously. They will be told to "avoid writing about \[their\] emotions or opinions" but to try to be as "accurate and objective as possible."
Weekly Emotional Disclosure (WED) Online writing sessions, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, once a week, conducted virtually. Participants will be instructed to write about either a major traumatic life experience or what the participant did the previous day.
|
Daily-event-writing Control in Spanish
n=4 Participants
Participants in this group will be asked to conduct event writing in condition in Spanish and will be asked to write a description about what they did "yesterday from the time \[they\] got up until the time \[they\] went to bed" for 20 min continuously. They will be told to "avoid writing about \[their\] emotions or opinions" but to try to be as "accurate and objective as possible."
Weekly Emotional Disclosure (WED) Spanish Online writing sessions, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, once a week, conducted virtually. Participants will be instructed to write about either a major traumatic life experience or what the participant did the previous day.
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Change in Salivary Measures of Stress Reactivity.
|
-871.9 picograms per milliliter
Standard Deviation NA
Only 1 participant in this cell.
|
-250.87 picograms per milliliter
Standard Deviation 11.9
|
-622.3 picograms per milliliter
Standard Deviation 487.1
|
-129.53 picograms per milliliter
Standard Deviation 267.15
|
Adverse Events
Augmented Trauma-writing Intervention in Spanish
Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths
Augmented Trauma-writing Intervention in English
Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths
Daily-event-writing Control in English
Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths
Daily-event-writing Control in Spanish
Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths
Serious adverse events
Adverse event data not reported
Other adverse events
Adverse event data not reported
Additional Information
Results disclosure agreements
- Principal investigator is a sponsor employee
- Publication restrictions are in place