Adaptation of Written Exposure Therapy in Substance Treatment

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

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Recruitment Status

NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

20 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-08-25

Study Completion Date

2026-09-30

Brief Summary

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The purpose of this pilot non-randomized, uncontrolled clinical trial is to test the feasibility and efficacy of written exposure therapy (WET) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as adapted for use within the context of residential substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. All participants meet criteria for PTSD and are in a short term residential SUD treatment program (target residential treatment duration = 28 days) regardless of the research. The main question the study aims to answer is: 1) Is the delivery of adapted WET feasible and acceptable in short term residential SUD treatment for individuals with severe SUD?

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Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Substance Use Disorders

Study Design

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Allocation Method

NA

Intervention Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Investigators are conducting an uncontrolled trial of approximately 20 subjects who will be assigned to adapted Written Exposure Therapy.

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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TAU + Adapted Written Exposure Therapy (WET)

Participants in this condition receive everything included in TAU plus 5 individual sessions of WET delivered by a therapist. WET has been adapted for delivery in a residential SUD setting according to expert feedback. Sessions average less than 60 minutes and primarily involve writing about the traumatic experience that is guided by the therapist.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Written Exposure Therapy

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Written Exposure Therapy is a brief, evidenced based intervention for PTSD. WET is generally delivered individually across 5 sessions in which the therapist guides the patient through writing exercises. Across exposure sessions, participants experience habituation so that their symptoms decrease by the end of treatment. WET has an established evidence base in general outpatient psychotherapy for PTSD, but has not been adapted or tested in residential SUD treatment settings. Further, the investigators have adapted WET for this setting based on stakeholder and expert feedback.

Treatment as Usual

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Treatment as Usual will include a variety of standard care services offered in short term residential treatment. For example, participants receiving TAU will participate in individual case management/general counseling sessions focused on substance use disorder and its consequences, group based psychoeducation sessions, group based counseling sessions (e.g., relapse prevention planning), individual services with a medical provider and pharmacotherapy (e.g., for withdrawal, relapse prevention, or co-occurring conditions)

Interventions

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Written Exposure Therapy

Written Exposure Therapy is a brief, evidenced based intervention for PTSD. WET is generally delivered individually across 5 sessions in which the therapist guides the patient through writing exercises. Across exposure sessions, participants experience habituation so that their symptoms decrease by the end of treatment. WET has an established evidence base in general outpatient psychotherapy for PTSD, but has not been adapted or tested in residential SUD treatment settings. Further, the investigators have adapted WET for this setting based on stakeholder and expert feedback.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Treatment as Usual

Treatment as Usual will include a variety of standard care services offered in short term residential treatment. For example, participants receiving TAU will participate in individual case management/general counseling sessions focused on substance use disorder and its consequences, group based psychoeducation sessions, group based counseling sessions (e.g., relapse prevention planning), individual services with a medical provider and pharmacotherapy (e.g., for withdrawal, relapse prevention, or co-occurring conditions)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Enrolled in residential SUD treatment at MTC
* Meet criteria for PTSD based on the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5
* Be 18 years of age or older
* Have sufficient memory of the index trauma to write about it
* Be English speaking.

Exclusion Criteria

* Inability to give informed consent for any reason (e.g., cognitive impairment)
* Presence of acute psychosis or suicidality that would interfere with study participation
* planning to leave residential treatment before WEST could realistically be completed as determined by the investigator

Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No