Group Written Exposure Therapy for PTSD

(GWET Trial)

Overseen By Jenna Boyd, Ph.D.

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton

Disqualifiers: Severe SUD, Psychotic disorder, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Approved in 2 Jurisdictions This treatment is already approved in other countries

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 6

Duration: 6 weeks

63 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It's best to discuss this with the trial coordinators or your doctor.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Group Written Exposure Therapy for PTSD?

Research shows that Written Exposure Therapy (WET) is effective for treating PTSD, with studies indicating significant symptom improvement in patients, including veterans. WET is a brief, efficient treatment that has shown similar long-term benefits to more intensive therapies like Cognitive Processing Therapy. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is Group Written Exposure Therapy safe for humans?

Written Exposure Therapy (WET) is generally considered safe for treating PTSD, as it is a brief and well-tolerated treatment with no significant safety concerns reported in studies. ^{1 2 3 5 6}

How is Group Written Exposure Therapy different from other PTSD treatments?

Group Written Exposure Therapy is unique because it is a brief treatment consisting of only five sessions, requires no homework between sessions, and is designed to be efficient and tolerable, making it more accessible and easier to complete compared to other PTSD treatments that typically require more sessions. ^{1 2 3 5 7}

What is the purpose of this trial?

The goal of this clinical trial is to test if Written Exposure Therapy (WET) works well in a group setting in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does group WET lead to a reduction in symptoms of PTSD? * Is group WET better at reducing the number of patients that drop out of treatment in comparison to group Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)? Participants will: * Attend 6 weekly sessions of group WET that will be delivered online by two therapists (psychologist and social worker) * Complete questionnaires relating to their symptoms at different points throughout the treatment Researchers will evaluate change in PTSD symptoms over time for people who participate in group WET. They will also compare the results of group WET to the results of group CPT to see if group WET shows a similar reduction in symptoms of PTSD and fewer treatment drop-outs.

Research Team

Jenna Boyd, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for adults aged 18-65 with PTSD who can read and write in English. They must be able to give informed consent. It's not clear what excludes someone from participating, but typically it would involve factors that could interfere with the treatment or data collection.

Inclusion Criteria

I have been diagnosed with PTSD.

Able to provide written informed consent and can read and write in English

Exclusion Criteria

Untreated active psychotic, manic or hypomanic symptoms

Diagnosis of an active severe substance use disorder (SUD)

Has engaged in high-risk self-harm (e.g., cutting, burning, asphyxiation) in the 2 months prior to beginning treatment

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants attend 6 weekly sessions of group Written Exposure Therapy (WET) delivered online by two therapists

6 weeks

6 visits (virtual)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in PTSD symptoms and related measures at 1-month post-treatment

4 weeks

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Group Written Exposure Therapy

Trial Overview The trial tests Group Written Exposure Therapy (WET) for PTSD, comparing its effectiveness and dropout rates against group Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). Participants will attend six weekly online sessions led by therapists and complete symptom questionnaires over time.

Participant Groups

Group I: Group Written Exposure Therapy Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Patients will be invited to participate in group Written Exposure Therapy (described in the "Interventions" section).

Group Written Exposure Therapy is already approved in United States, European Union for the following indications:

Approved in United States as Written Exposure Therapy for:

• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Approved in European Union as Written Exposure Therapy for:

• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton

Lead Sponsor

Trials

203

Recruited

26,900+

Findings from Research

Written exposure therapy (WET) significantly reduced PTSD symptoms in Korean patients, with 60.9% of participants no longer meeting PTSD criteria at 6 weeks, increasing to 77.8% at 24 weeks, demonstrating its efficacy.

The therapy also improved depressive symptoms and global functioning, with a low dropout rate of 8%, indicating that WET is a feasible and effective treatment option for PTSD in diverse populations.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

An Open Pilot Trial of Written Exposure Therapy for Patients With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Korea. Park, JE., Choi, KS., Han, YR., et al.[2021]

Written Exposure Therapy (WET) is an effective 5-session treatment for PTSD that shows significant symptom improvement and requires less time from both patients and therapists compared to traditional therapies.

WET has similar efficacy to Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) but with a much lower dropout rate (6% for WET vs. 39% for CPT), making it a promising option for diverse populations, including veterans.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Brief novel therapies for PTSD: Written Exposure Therapy. Thompson-Hollands, J., Marx, BP., Sloan, DM.[2022]

Written Exposure Therapy (WET) is as effective as Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for treating PTSD, maintaining similar outcomes even 60 weeks after treatment, with large effects on PTSD symptoms for both therapies.

Both WET and CPT significantly reduced depressive symptoms over the study period, although CPT showed a quicker reduction; however, the overall difference in effectiveness for depression was small.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Long-term treatment gains of a brief exposure-based treatment for PTSD. Thompson-Hollands, J., Marx, BP., Lee, DJ., et al.[2022]

Written Exposure Therapy (WET) significantly reduced PTSD symptoms (effect size d = .84), depression symptoms (d = .47), and functional impairment (d = .36) in a study involving 277 veterans, demonstrating its effectiveness in a clinical setting.

The treatment was effective regardless of whether it was delivered in-person or via telehealth, with telehealth showing a lower dropout rate, suggesting it may be a more accessible option for patients.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effectiveness of written exposure therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder in the Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare System. LoSavio, ST., Worley, CB., Aajmain, ST., et al.[2023]

Written exposure therapy (WET) was found to be noninferior to prolonged exposure therapy (PE) in reducing PTSD symptoms among 178 veterans, demonstrating similar effectiveness with fewer sessions required.

Participants in the WET group had significantly lower dropout rates (12.5%) compared to those in the PE group (35.6%), suggesting that WET may be a more accessible treatment option for PTSD.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Written Exposure Therapy vs Prolonged Exposure Therapy in the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Sloan, DM., Marx, BP., Acierno, R., et al.[2023]

Written exposure therapy (WET) is as effective as cognitive processing therapy (CPT) in treating PTSD, showing noninferior symptom reduction over time in a study of 126 participants.

WET requires significantly fewer sessions (5 sessions) compared to CPT (12 sessions) and resulted in lower dropout rates, suggesting it may be a more efficient treatment option for patients with PTSD.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Brief Exposure-Based Treatment vs Cognitive Processing Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Noninferiority Clinical Trial. Sloan, DM., Marx, BP., Lee, DJ., et al.[2022]

Written exposure therapy, a brief 5-session intervention, was found to be noninferior to the more intensive cognitive processing therapy in treating PTSD among military service members, indicating it can be an effective alternative.

The study involved 169 active-duty military participants, with a high completion rate of 76.5% for written exposure therapy, suggesting it may be a more efficient treatment option with lower dropout rates.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effect of Written Exposure Therapy vs Cognitive Processing Therapy on Increasing Treatment Efficiency Among Military Service Members With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Noninferiority Trial. Sloan, DM., Marx, BP., Resick, PA., et al.[2022]

References

1. Korea (South) pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

An Open Pilot Trial of Written Exposure Therapy for Patients With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Korea. [2021]

2. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Brief novel therapies for PTSD: Written Exposure Therapy. [2022]

3. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Long-term treatment gains of a brief exposure-based treatment for PTSD. [2022]

4. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effectiveness of written exposure therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder in the Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare System. [2023]

5. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Written Exposure Therapy vs Prolonged Exposure Therapy in the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial. [2023]

6. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Brief Exposure-Based Treatment vs Cognitive Processing Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Noninferiority Clinical Trial. [2022]

7. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effect of Written Exposure Therapy vs Cognitive Processing Therapy on Increasing Treatment Efficiency Among Military Service Members With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Noninferiority Trial. [2022]