An interventional study of Written Exposure Therapy and Treatment as Usual in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Substance Use Disorders, sponsored by Potomac Health Foundations. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-06-29.
Sponsored by Potomac Health Foundations · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
The purpose of this pilot non-randomized, uncontrolled clinical trial is to test the feasibility and efficacy of written exposure therapy (WET) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as adapted for use within the context of residential substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. All participants meet criteria for PTSD and are in a short term residential SUD treatment program (target residential treatment duration = 28 days) regardless of the research. The main question the study aims to answer is: 1) Is the delivery of adapted WET feasible and acceptable in short term residential SUD treatment for individuals with severe SUD?
Exclusion Criteria:
Participants in this condition receive everything included in TAU plus 5 individual sessions of WET delivered by a therapist. WET has been adapted for delivery in a residential SUD setting according to expert feedback. Sessions average less than 60 minutes and primarily involve writing about the traumatic experience that is guided by the therapist.
Behavioral: Written Exposure Therapy · Behavioral: Treatment as Usual
Written Exposure Therapy is a brief, evidenced based intervention for PTSD. WET is generally delivered individually across 5 sessions in which the therapist guides the patient through writing exercises. Across exposure sessions, participants experience habituation so that their symptoms decrease by the end of treatment. WET has an established evidence base in general outpatient psychotherapy for PTSD, but has not been adapted or tested in residential SUD treatment settings. Further, the investigators have adapted WET for this setting based on stakeholder and expert feedback.
Treatment as Usual will include a variety of standard care services offered in short term residential treatment. For example, participants receiving TAU will participate in individual case management/general counseling sessions focused on substance use disorder and its consequences, group based psychoeducation sessions, group based counseling sessions (e.g., relapse prevention planning), individual services with a medical provider and pharmacotherapy (e.g., for withdrawal, relapse prevention, or co-occurring conditions)
PTSD symptom reduction
PTSD symptom reduction pre/post intervention by treatment arm as measured by the posttraumatic checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). The PCL-5 is a self-report questionnaire yielding scores ranging from 0-80 with higher scores indicating greater symptomology.
Time frame: Pre-WEST intervention; post-WEST intervention (approximately 14 days after randomization, but will vary based on when participants complete the intervention); 4-weeks post enrollment; 8-weeks post enrollment; 12-weeks post enrollment.
Feasibility of WET delivered in residential SUD treatment context
Percentage of participants in the WET arm who were able to complete the treatment (5 sessions) prior to discharge
Time frame: Up to 4 weeks, or until the participant discharges from residential treatment (whichever comes first).
Acceptability of WET delivered in residential SUD treatment context
Treatment satisfaction scores among WET participants as measured by the 2-part credibility/expectancies questionnaire (CEQ). The CEQ utilizes two scoring systems that range from 1-9 or 0%-100%. with higher scores indicating greater acceptability.
Time frame: Collected post intervention window (approximately 3 weeks from enrollment)
Plan to share: Yes — IPD may be shared with other researchers through a de-identified, secure, electronic data transfer as allowed by the IRB and other regulatory authorities.
This study is completed, as verified in Jun 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic→
Potomac Health Foundations