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Mechanisms of Written Exposure Therapy in Residential SUD Treatment

NCT07397507 · Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 108

Last updated 2026-02-09

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn how Written Exposure Therapy (WET), a brief treatment for PTSD, works among individuals with substance use disorders (SUD) engaged in residential SUD treatment and how biology may influence treatment. The main questions it aims to answer are:

* Does WET improve PTSD and substance use outcomes among individuals with SUD+PTSD?
* Does WET improve physiological responses and craving to trauma cues?
* Do sex hormones influence changes physiological responses and craving during treatment among women?

Participants will:

* Complete WET or a neutral writing in addition to their residential SUD treatment
* Complete two laboratory sessions before and after treatment
* Complete follow-up surveys and interviews at 1- and 3-months post-treatment

Conditions

  • PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • Substance Use Disorder (SUD)

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Written Exposure Therapy

Written Exposure Therapy (WET) is a five-session manualized treatment for PTSD. At the first session, psychoeducation about common reactions to trauma and PTSD are presented followed by a 30-minute written exposure. Following the exposure, a 10-minute check-in is completed, and individuals are instructed not to avoid any thoughts/feelings/ images related to the trauma between sessions. All subsequent sessions follow this structure: check-in on avoidance and feedback on writing, written exposure, and brief check-in post-writing about the writing process.

BEHAVIORAL

Neutral Writing

Participants will complete five writing prompts that are not intended to provoke emotional responses. Examples of these prompts include writing about the food they ate the day prior or what they did yesterday. Participants will be instructed to not discuss their thoughts and feelings regarding these topics. Neutral writing will provide control for time and clinician contact.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Mclean Hospital

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
55 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-06-30
Primary Completion
2029-12-31
Completion
2030-03-31

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07397507 on ClinicalTrials.gov