New hope for sexual assault survivors: short therapies may ease PTSD and drinking

NCT ID NCT04124380

Completed Symptom relief Sponsor: University of Washington Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study tested two brief, video-based therapies for women who experienced sexual assault and now struggle with PTSD and heavy drinking. One therapy focused on facing trauma memories, the other on building healthier drinking habits. The goal was to see if these short treatments could help reduce symptoms and improve recovery.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Imaginal exposure therapy and alcohol skills training
What this could lead to: If successful, these brief therapies could offer an early, accessible way to reduce PTSD and heavy drinking after sexual assault.
What could go wrong: This is a small, completed study with 82 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The therapies are short and may not work for all survivors.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

alcohol abuse alcohol dependence post-traumatic stress disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

ALCOHOL; USE, PROBLEM POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

Contacts and locations

Locations

University of Washington

Seattle, Washington, 98105, United States

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