The Effectiveness of Group Guided Written Exposure Therapy for CPTSD Symptoms Among Adolescents

NCT ID: NCT06931093

Last Updated: 2025-09-26

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 120 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-04-10
• Study Completion Date: 2026-05-10

Brief Summary

This study aims to examine the effectiveness of group-delivered Guided Written Exposure Therapy for Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (GWE-C) among Chinese adolescents through a randomized controlled trial. A total of 120 participants will be recruited, with 60 randomized to the GWE-C group and 60 randomized to the supportive therapy (ST) group. The GWE-C intervention will consist of 7 to 10 group sessions. The primary outcome, assessed by the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ), will be measured at baseline, post-treatment, 1-month follow-up, and 3-month follow-up.

Conditions

CPTSD, Compelx Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

GWE-C

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Group Guided Written Exposure Therapy for CPTSD (GWE-C)

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Group Guided Written Exposure Therapy for CPTSD (GWE-C) is a manualized, exposure-based therapeutic program consisting of 7 to 10 sequential sessions. The intervention follows a structured sequence of trauma processing that addresses trauma details, associated emotions, cognitions, and impacts. Writing tasks incorporate imagery dialogues, self-compassion exercises, and resource identification to help participants alleviate C-PTSD symptoms.

The interval between two consecutive sessions ranges from 0 to 2 days, with participants expected to complete all sessions within 1 to 2 weeks. The first and last sessions are scheduled to last 1.5 hours each, while the intermediate sessions are 60 minutes in duration. Each group will consist of 6 to 10 participants and will be facilitated by one counselor and one assistant.

Supportive counselling treatment group (ST)

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Supportive counselling

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Supportive counselling, the comparator intervention, is a non-trauma-focused treatment based on the Rogerian psychotherapy model and has been used as an active comparator in previous trials of trauma-focused therapies. The program comprises seven sessions: the first two employ group activities such as card games and interactive drawing to build a sense of belonging; sessions three to six focus on stress management and emotion regulation skills through methods including expressive drawing, relaxation training, and resource identification; the final session emphasizes reflection and sharing. Throughout, counsellors provide supportive guidance to encourage emotional expression, mutual listening, and peer support, while discussions deliberately exclude participants' individual traumatic experiences.

Interventions

Group Guided Written Exposure Therapy for CPTSD (GWE-C)

Group Guided Written Exposure Therapy for CPTSD (GWE-C) is a manualized, exposure-based therapeutic program consisting of 7 to 10 sequential sessions. The intervention follows a structured sequence of trauma processing that addresses trauma details, associated emotions, cognitions, and impacts. Writing tasks incorporate imagery dialogues, self-compassion exercises, and resource identification to help participants alleviate C-PTSD symptoms.

The interval between two consecutive sessions ranges from 0 to 2 days, with participants expected to complete all sessions within 1 to 2 weeks. The first and last sessions are scheduled to last 1.5 hours each, while the intermediate sessions are 60 minutes in duration. Each group will consist of 6 to 10 participants and will be facilitated by one counselor and one assistant.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Supportive counselling

Supportive counselling, the comparator intervention, is a non-trauma-focused treatment based on the Rogerian psychotherapy model and has been used as an active comparator in previous trials of trauma-focused therapies. The program comprises seven sessions: the first two employ group activities such as card games and interactive drawing to build a sense of belonging; sessions three to six focus on stress management and emotion regulation skills through methods including expressive drawing, relaxation training, and resource identification; the final session emphasizes reflection and sharing. Throughout, counsellors provide supportive guidance to encourage emotional expression, mutual listening, and peer support, while discussions deliberately exclude participants' individual traumatic experiences.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Aged between 10 and 18 years;
• Meet the diagnostic or subclinical criteria for Complex PTSD (C-PTSD), defined as the presence of at least one positive symptom in each of the PTSD symptom clusters, along with at least one positive symptom in each of the Disturbance in Self-Organization (DSO) symptom clusters;
• Possess sufficient literacy and language skills to complete writing-based tasks;
• Be able to understand the study procedures and complete the required assessments;
• Provide written informed consent, with consent also obtained from their legal guardians.

Exclusion Criteria

• Presence of a severe psychiatric disorder or neurodevelopmental disorder, such as schizophrenia, bipolar I disorder, autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, or other severe psychiatric conditions that would interfere with study participation;
• Presence of a severe physical illness that would impair the ability to engage in the intervention;
• Suicidal ideation within the past six months;
• Ongoing exposure to traumatic events;
• Currently receiving other trauma-focused psychological treatments.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 10 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Peking University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Yinyin Zang, PhD

Research Fellow

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Peking University

Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

China

Central Contacts

Yinyin Zang, Ph.D.

Role: CONTACT

yinyin.zang@pku.edu.cn

00861062756953

Other Identifiers

GWE-C on Adolescents CPTSD

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id