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CompletedNCT04992767Updated Mar 20, 2025

Online Intervention to Promote Resilience to Traumatic Stress During Pregnancy

An interventional study of Sunnyside and SunnysideFlex in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Pregnancy Related, sponsored by University of Illinois at Chicago. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to female participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-03-20.

Sponsored by University of Illinois at Chicago · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
31
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
Female
01

Study summary

The investigators will design, construct, and pilot a prototype of a trauma-informed online intervention, which will be called "SunnysideFlex," that functionally integrates a web-based intervention targeting skills to decrease symptoms of PTSD and better manage mood during and after pregnancy. SunnysideFlex will build upon the previously IRB-approved "Sunnyside" intervention which targeted skills to manage mood through an interactive website with didactic material and tools. Women in weeks 16-28 of their pregnancy who self-report symptoms of PTSD will be randomized to one of three study groups: (1) SunnysideFlex, (2) the original Sunnyside intervention (active control), or (3) treatment as usual (TAU). The SunnysideFlex intervention will consist of 6 weeks of trauma-informed online lessons during pregnancy and booster sessions at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 6 weeks postpartum. Outcomes will be measured at baseline, post-intervention, 6 weeks postpartum, and 12 weeks postpartum. SunnysideFlex has the potential to provide a novel paradigm for improving maternal and child health outcomes in high-risk, trauma-exposed women.

02

Conditions studied

  • Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
  • Pregnancy Related
03

In context

Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

2,239 studies on the registry are indexed under Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; 553 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 31 is below the median of 70 across 1,856 interventional studies indexed under Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic.

Browse Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic studies →

Lead sponsor

University of Illinois at Chicago is the lead sponsor of 515 studies on the registry; 133 are open to participants now.

Of its 31 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 18 (58%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
Female
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • Female
  • 18 years and older
  • Pregnant and between 16-28 weeks gestation
  • Are currently engaged in prenatal care with a healthcare provider (OB/GYN, nurse, midwife, etc.)
  • Endorse a history of one or more potentially traumatic events meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 (DSM-5) Criterion A for PTSD (i.e., "exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence," American Psychological Association [APA], p. 271) that is interpersonal in nature (e.g., sexual or physical assault, child abuse/maltreatment, witnessing family violence)
  • Endorse a score of 33 or greater on the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5)
  • Have access to a broadband internet connection
  • Able to read and speak English

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnant with multiples
  • Have visual, hearing, voice, or motor impairment that would prevent completion of study procedures
  • Have been diagnosed with a psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder, dissociative disorder, substance use disorder, or other diagnosis for which participation in this trial is either inappropriate or dangerous based on self-report
  • Report currently being in an abusive or unsafe relationship
  • Currently receiving treatment (medication or psychotherapy), or have an intention to resume antidepressant medication after delivery (i.e., women who discontinued their medication during pregnancy)
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
31 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Sunnyside

    An online intervention to better manage mood during and after pregnancy.

    Behavioral: Sunnyside

  • Experimental
    SunnysideFlex

    An online intervention to treat symptoms of PTSD and better manage mood during and after pregnancy.

    Behavioral: SunnysideFlex

  • No intervention
    Treatment as Usual

    A control condition consisting of standard prenatal medical care, without provision of the SunnysideFlex or Sunnyside intervention

Interventions

  • BehavioralSunnyside

    The Sunnyside intervention is an online intervention(an interactive website with didactic material and interactive tools) targeting skills to manage mood during and after pregnancy. The Sunnyside intervention will consist of 6 weeks of online lessons during pregnancy and booster sessions at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 6 weeks postpartum. Each lesson takes approximately 10 minutes to complete.

  • BehavioralSunnysideFlex

    SunnysideFlex consists of 6 weeks of online lessons during pregnancy and booster sessions at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 6 weeks postpartum. SunnysideFlex has adapted the original Sunnyside intervention with revised, trauma-focused content that covers the impact of PTSD symptoms on the perinatal period and daily functioning, more broadly

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5)

    The PCL-5 is a well validated screening tool for assessing PTSD symptoms and probable PTSD diagnosis. the PCL-5 checklist assesses frequency of past 30-day PTSD symptoms in reference to an individual's self-identified worst traumatic event. A total score of 33 or greater represents a positive PTSD screen and is the cut-off employed in the current study.

    Time frame: Past 30 days

  2. Impact of Events Scale - Revised (IES-R)

    The IES-R assesses the past-week frequency of PTSD symptoms in reference to the participant's self-identified worst traumatic event

    Time frame: 1 week

  3. Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)

    Reflects overall functioning and impairment due to the depressive symptoms. PHQ-9 scoring interpretations are as follows: 1-4: minimal depressive symptoms; 5-9 mild depressive symptoms; 10-14: moderate depressive symptoms; 15-19: moderately severe depressive symptoms: 20-27: severe depressive symptoms.

    Time frame: 2 weeks

07

Study locations

1 site
  • University of Illinois Department of Psychology
    Chicago, Illinois 60607, United States
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Mar 20, 2025, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04992767
Lead sponsor
University of Illinois at Chicago
Responsible party
Jennifer Duffecy (Principal Investigator, University of Illinois at Chicago) — Principal investigator
First posted
Aug 5, 2021
Start date
Oct 21, 2022
Primary completion
Apr 19, 2024
Completion
Oct 2, 2024
Last update
Mar 20, 2025

Study contacts

Jennifer Duffecy, PhD
principal investigator · University of Illinois at Chicago

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Mar 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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