Open Pilot of Written Exposure Therapy for Nurses Experiencing Work-Related Posttraumatic Stress
Overview
- Phase
- Early Phase 1
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
- Sponsor
- University of Texas at Austin
- Enrollment
- 10
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Posttraumatic stress disorder
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- last year
Overview
Brief Summary
Nurses often experience elevated levels of stress, overwork, and trauma in the workplace, leading to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, burnout, and even nurse turnover. While effective therapies for PTSD exist, barriers to treatment arise from nursing culture, such as workplace stigma about mental health problems, fear that psychological status may impact performance evaluations, and demands of shiftwork. There is a pressing need for scalable evidence-based interventions tailored to nursing culture to effectively address PTSD and related mental health issues. The study aimed to assess the feasibility, safety, and acceptability of a tailored evidence-based treatment, Written Exposure Therapy (WET), for nurses experiencing work-related traumatic stress.
This single-arm open pilot study with pre- and post-intervention assessments, included participants from two nursing schools' alumni. Eligibility criteria included nurses screening positive for work-related trauma with a report of at least two PTSD symptoms. Participants engaged in a self-administered, asynchronous, five-week online writing session, facilitated by WET-trained nurses. Outcomes measures (PTSD, depression, anxiety, burnout, and intention to quit) were assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and 5-weeks follow-up.
Investigators
Yang Li
Assistant Professor
University of Texas at Austin
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Work-related trauma
- •Posttraumatic stress disorder
Exclusion Criteria
- •Current substance abuse
- •Current suicidality
- •Current psychiatric treatment with psychotherapy or psychotropic medications other than selective serotonin (and norepinephrine) reuptake inhibitors (SSRI/SNRI).
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Posttraumatic stress disorder
Time Frame: Baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 5 weeks follow-up
The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 was used to assess symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder in the past month. The total score ranges from 0-80, with higher scores indicating more severe PTSD symptoms.
Secondary Outcomes
- Depression(Baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 5 weeks follow-up)
- Professional Quality of Life(Baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 5 weeks follow-up)
- Anxiety(Baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 5 weeks follow-up)
- Intention to Quit(Baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 5 weeks follow-up)