Written Exposure Therapy for Veterans with SUD and PTSD
This study is for Veterans who are dealing with both substance use disorders (SUD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It's testing if adding Written Exposure Therapy (WET) to their usual SUD treatment helps more than adding a neutral topic writing exercise. WET involves writing about a traumatic event in a specific way over five sessions. The study wants to see if WET can improve PTSD symptoms and addiction outcomes. To join, you must be a Veteran aged 18 or older, have both SUD and PTSD diagnoses, and be approved for SUD treatment at VA Connecticut Healthcare System. The study will measure success by looking at changes in PTSD symptoms using a special checklist at 8 and 12 weeks after treatment. The current status of this study is unclear.
- Study design
- This is a randomized clinical trial, meaning participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. It plans to enroll 170 Veterans.
- What's involved
- You would attend five writing sessions, either about a traumatic experience or a neutral topic. You would also have assessments at the start, after the writing sessions, and at 8 and 12 weeks later.
- Compensation
- Not stated in the trial record.
- Follow-up
- Participants will be followed for 12 weeks after their baseline assessment to check on their PTSD symptoms.
AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.
Written Exposure Therapy for Veterans With SUD and PTSD
At a glance
Conditions
Where it's being run
1 sites across 1 statesStudy leadership
- Sarah Meshberg-Cohen, PhD MS BS · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · VA Connecticut Healthcare System West Haven Campus, West Haven, CT
Who to contact
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Do you actually qualify for this trial?
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Inclusion
Exclusion
What this trial measures
- PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5)8-week Post-Baseline Follow-up
PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) will be used to collect information on PTSD symptoms. The PCL-5 for DSM-5 is a 20-item self-report measure, selected for its dimensional sensitivity, with higher scores reflecting greater PTSD severity. Scoring is based on how much the patient has been bothered by the symptoms on a scale from "0 = not at all" to "4 = extremely." PCL scores will be collected based upon symptoms experienced in the past month at Baseline as well as each Post-Baseline Follow-up (8-weeks and 12-weeks), while the weekly PCL-5 will be administered at each of the five writing sessions and post-treatment (after 5 writing sessions) assessment. PCL-5 total symptom severity scores range from 0 to 80 with higher scores indicating greater PTSD severity.
- PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5)12-week Post-Baseline Follow-up
PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) will be used to collect information on PTSD symptoms. The PCL-5 for DSM-5 is a 20-item self-report measure, selected for its dimensional sensitivity, with higher scores reflecting greater PTSD severity. Scoring is based on how much the patient has been bothered by the symptoms on a scale from "0 = not at all" to "4 = extremely." PCL scores will be collected based upon symptoms experienced in the past month at Baseline as well as each Post-Baseline Follow-up (8-weeks and 12-weeks), while the weekly PCL-5 will be administered at each of the five writing sessions and post-treatment (after 5 writing sessions) assessment. PCL-5 total symptom severity scores range from 0 to 80 with higher scores indicating greater PTSD severity.