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Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD and Substance Use in Prisons

This study is looking at how well Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) works for people in prison who have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and/or Substance Use Disorder (SUD). CPT is a type of group therapy where you learn about trauma and how to change upsetting thoughts related to it. You would attend up to 12 sessions, 1-2 times a week, for 90 minutes. Another group will use a self-help workbook to learn skills for recovering from trauma. We want to see if these approaches can reduce drug use and PTSD symptoms after people are released from prison. To join, you need to be 18 or older, speak English, and be currently in one of the participating prisons with a drug use disorder in the past year. The study's current status is unclear, and it aims to include 640 participants.

Study design
This interventional study plans to enroll 640 participants. It compares two behavioral interventions: Group Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and a self-help workbook.
What's involved
Participants in the CPT group will attend up to 12 sessions, 1-2 times a week for 90 minutes. Assessments will occur before treatment, after treatment, before release, and then 3 and 6 months after release from prison.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Participants will be followed for 3 and 6 months after their release from prison to measure drug use and 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.

NCT06923423

Effectiveness, Implementation, and Cost of Cognitive Processing Therapy in Prisons

Recruiting
NAAges 18+InterventionalTreatment
University of Arkansas
~640 participants
Updated 2026-01-21 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Group Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)Control Group Individual trauma focused self-help via workbook

At a glance

Recruiting sites
5 of 6 listed sites are recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Drug Use Frequency (Count)
Measured over 3- and 6-month post-release from prison
+3 more outcomes measured

Conditions

PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
PTSD and Alcohol Use Disorder
PTSD and Trauma-related Symptoms
Substance Use Disorder (SUD)
Depression
Mental Health
Trauma
Trauma Exposure
Traumatic Stress Disorder
Traumatic Stress
Post Traumatic Stress Symptoms

Explore related trials

DepressionPost-Traumatic Stress DisorderSubstance use disorder

Where it's being run

6 sites across 2 states
Arkansas4
North Dakota2

Study leadership

  • Melissa J Zielinski, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · University of Arkansas

Who to contact

Melissa J Zielinski, PhD
[email protected]
501-526-8229
Email the study team

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

18 years of age or older
Able to understand and speak English
Able to give informed consent
Be currently incarcerated in one of the prisons that have partnered as study sites
Have met criteria for a drug use disorder in the year prior to their current incarceration (≥ 2 symptoms on a DSM-5 drug use disorder checklist)
Have used drugs in the 30 days prior to their current incarceration
Have a history of traumatic event exposure
Endorse clinically significant posttraumatic stress symptoms (score ≥ 4 on the Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5; PC-PTSD-5)
Expect to be incarcerated for at least long enough to complete CPT-CJ as it is being implemented at the particular site (i.e., anticipated to be \~3 months, but will depend on dates associated with next available intervention group)
Expect to be released from prison within 12 months following the end of treatment (i.e., within \~15 months of the pre-treatment assessment)
Willing to consent to randomization to treatment condition

Exclusion

Unable to provide any locator information for post-release assessments
Determined to be releasing sooner than would allow the individual to complete CPT-CJ

What this trial measures

  • Drug Use Frequency (Count)3- and 6-month post-release from prison

    Participants complete a Timeline Follow Back Interview assessment of illicit drug use during the previous 30 days at 3- \& 6-months post-release from prison. The total number of days of drug use will be summed to represent drug use frequency.

  • Drug use (Binary)3- and 6-month post-release from prison

    Participants complete a Timeline Follow Back Interview assessment of illicit drug use during the previous 30 days at 3- \& 6-months post-release from prison. The total number of days of drug use will be dichotomized to indicate presence or absence of drug use since release.

  • Posttraumatic Stress Symptom Severity (Sum)Pre-treatment assessments will be ~2 wks before tx starts; post-treatment will be ~2 wks after tx ends; pre-release will be ~3 days before release; post-release follow-ups will be 3- and 6-mo after prison exist

    Participants complete the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) at all assessments to examine change the effectiveness of the intervention and control groups on posttraumatic stress symptom severity. Scores range from 0-80 with higher scores indicating more severe PTSD symptoms.

  • Treatment fidelity (ratio)Fidelity assessments will be done during the active treatment period which can be as short as 6 weeks to as long as 3 months for participants. The active treatment period is expected to span 1.5 years at each site.

    The ratio of the number of CPT-CJ components delivered to the number of CPT-CJ components planned per completed fidelity monitoring templates.