Can music or writing help heal healthcare Workers' trauma?
NCT ID NCT04626050
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study aims to find helpful treatments for healthcare workers suffering from PTSD and distress due to work-related trauma. In the first phase, 120 participants will be randomly assigned to either a music-listening or a writing session over two weeks. Those who still have PTSD can then choose between two proven therapies: interpersonal therapy or exposure therapy. The study focuses on whether these brief interventions are feasible and acceptable, and whether they reduce symptoms.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Medical music, narrative writing, prolonged exposure therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could provide a practical, two-step treatment plan to reduce PTSD and distress in healthcare workers.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early feasibility study with only 120 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The interventions are brief and may not work for everyone.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Weill Cornell Medicine
RECRUITINGNew York, New York, 10065, United States
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