Effects of Narrative Writing Duration and Post-writing Processing Instructions on PTSD

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Clinical Trial

Official title:

Effects of Narrative Writing Duration and Post-writing Processing Instructions on PTSD

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT01773811
• Other study ID #: UMO-0004
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: January 18, 2013
• Last updated: May 14, 2014
• Start date: February 2012
• Est. completion date: May 2014

Study information

• Verified date: May 2014
• Source: University of Mississippi, Oxford
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: United States: Institutional Review Board
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The current study proposes to directly measure how processing after participating in written disclosure about a traumatic life event affects physical and psychological outcomes.

Description:

Previous research has established the potential for narrative writing about traumatic events to result in positive benefits for physical and psychological health. Research has also provided evidence that written disclosure may reduce post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Several mechanisms of action have been proposed to explain why written disclosure produces positive benefits, but all have focused on processes occurring during the writing session. It has been suggested, however, that additional processing may occur after the writing exercises are over, yet no research has studied the influence of this processing on outcomes. The current study proposes to directly measure how processing after participating in written disclosure affects physical and psychological outcomes.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 49
• Est. completion date: May 2014
• Est. primary completion date: May 2014
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: Both
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Experienced a traumatic life event (DSM-IV-TR Criterion A)

• Currently experiencing clinically significant levels of PTSD symptoms

Exclusion Criteria:

• Currently receiving psychotherapy

• On medication that is not stable (i.e. medication has been changed within the past 6 weeks)

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
• Stress Disorders, Traumatic

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Narrative Writing: Trauma-Assigned
Individuals will be writing about their most traumatic life event for 3 consecutive days for 20 minutes each. Those in the assigned group will be given instructions and weekly reminders to continue to think about their most traumatic event.
• Narrative Writing: Trauma-Spontaneous
Individuals will be writing about their most traumatic life event for 3 consecutive days for 20 minutes each. Those in the spontaneous group will be given no further instructions.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	The University of Mississippi	University	Mississippi

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Mississippi, Oxford

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Level of PTSD symptoms as measured by the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale		1 month after final writing session	No
Secondary	Physical health	Physical health as measured by the Pennebaker Inventory of Limibic Languidness (PILL)	1 month after final writing session	No