Written Exposure Therapy Versus Prolonged Exposure: a Non-inferiority Trial

Not Applicable

Completed

Brief Summary: The goal of this study is to examine whether a brief, exposure-based treatment (Written Exposure Therapy) approach is just as effective in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared with a more commonly used time-intensive approach called Prolonged Exposure. One hundred and fifty Veterans diagnosed with PTSD will be randomly assigned to either Written Exposure therapy or Prolonged Exposure. Veteran participants will be assessed at pre-treatment, and 10-, 20-, and 30- weeks post first treatment session. Primary outcome measure will be PTSD symptom severity. The secondary outcome measure will be quality of life. In addition, treatment dropout during the first five sessions will be examined. WET is expected to have a lower treatment dropout rate relative to PE.

Detailed Description: Although Written Exposure Therapy (WET) is listed in the upcoming VA/DoD PTSD Practice Guidelines as an evidence-based, recommended PTSD treatment, there are limited data supporting the use of WET with Veterans suffering from PTSD. Additional research is needed to support the use of WET for the treatment of Veterans diagnosed with PTSD. The goal of this study is to investigate whether WET is non-inferior in the treatment of PTSD in a sample of Veterans diagnosed with PTSD. Men and women Veterans diagnosed with PTSD will be randomly assigned to either WET (n = 88) or Prolonged Exposure (PE; n = 90). PTSD symptom severity will serve as the primary outcome. Quality of life will serve as a secondary outcome measure. Assessments will be conducted by independent evaluators at baseline, 10-, 20-, and 20-week post first treatment session. WET is expected to be non-inferior to PE in reducing PTSD symptom severity and functioning. In addition, WET is expected to have significantly lower treatment dropout rate relative to the first five sessions of PE (i.e., better treatment engagement). If WET is found to be non-inferior to the more time intensive PE treatment then the VA will have evidence to support the use of a brief PTSD treatment, which will assist in addressing the high demand for PTSD clinical services.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria

Veteran status
Current DSM-5 diagnosis of PTSD (assessed with the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5; CAPS-5)
If taking psychotropic medication, on a stable dose for at least 30 days prior to study entry

Exclusion Criteria

Current engagement psychosocial treatment for PTSD
Current diagnosis of substance dependence
- abuse will not be excluded; determined with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID)
Current psychosis or unstable bipolar disorder diagnosis
- determined with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI)clinician-administered interview
High suicidal risk
- i.e., intent with a plan; assessed with the MINI suicide module
Significant cognitive impairment (assessed with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment [MoCA] and clinical judgment)

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Prolonged Exposure	trauma-focused treatment	Prolonged Exposure (PE) is a 8-15, 90 minute trauma-focused treatment which consists of imaginal and in vivo exposures
written exposure therapy	trauma-focused treatment	The WET condition consists of 5-7 weekly treatment sessions, with the first session lasting 1 hour and each subsequent session lasting approximately 40 minutes. The first session consists of education about common trauma reactions and the WET rationale. The participant is then given general instructions for completing the trauma narratives and specific instructions for completing the first 30-minute narrative writing session. All WET sessions begin with the therapist reading the specific writing instructions, clarifying any questions the person has, and leaving the instructions with the participant during the 30-minute writing session. Writing instructions begin with a focus on the details of the trauma and then shift to the meaning of the trauma event. After 30 minutes of writing, the therapist stops the writing and conducts a 5-10 minute check-in regarding how the writing session went for the participant.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for Diagnostic (CAPS-5) and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)	change score baseline to 20 weeks	The CAPS-5 is a structured diagnostic interview and the gold standard for assessing the DSM-5 symptoms of PTSD (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The scale also assesses social and occupational functioning, dissociation symptoms, and the validity of symptom reports. The CAPS-5 uses a single 5-point ordinal rating scale to measure symptom severity. Symptom severity ratings combine information about symptom frequency and intensity obtained by the interviewer. Psychometric properties indicate high criterion and construct validity and high agreement with a self-report measure of PTSD (Weathers et al., 2018). The CAPS-5 requires approximately 40 minutes to administer. Scores can range from 0-80, with higher scores indicating greater severity.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
World Health Organization Quality of Life BREF	change score baseline to 20 weeks	The World Health Organization Quality of Life BREF (WHOQOL-BREF; WHO, 1998) instrument comprises 26 items, which measure the following broad domains: physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environment. The WHOQOL-BREF is a shorter version of the original instrument that is more convenient for use in large research studies or clinical trials. This measure requires 5-10 minutes to complete. Total score 0-100, with higher scores indicate greater quality of life.

Locations (3): VA Boston Healthcare System Jamaica Plain Campus, Jamaica Plain, MA
🇺🇸
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC
🇺🇸
Charleston, South Carolina, United States
William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI
🇺🇸
Madison, Wisconsin, United States