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Can writing about trauma in a virtual group help heal PTSD?

NCT ID NCT05553249

Symptom relief Sponsor: University of Manitoba Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026

Summary

This study tested whether Written Exposure Therapy, a treatment where people write about their traumatic experiences, can work when delivered virtually in a group setting. The participants were 29 military and police personnel with PTSD. The goal was to see if this approach is acceptable and practical, and whether it reduces PTSD symptoms and improves quality of life.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
Written Exposure Therapy (a behavioral intervention where participants write about their traumatic experiences)
What this could lead to
If successful, this could offer a convenient, virtual group therapy option for PTSD that is easier to access than in-person sessions.
What could go wrong
This is a small pilot study with only 29 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. It focuses on feasibility, not yet on proving effectiveness.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Participants

29 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Nov 2022

Finished

Mar 2025

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Who is studied

Actively serving and veteran members of the Canadian Armed Forces and RCMP, previously diagnosed by a psychologist or psychiatrist with PTSD or Other Specified Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorder (meeting PTSD Criterion A), who have been referred to the OSIC for psychological treatment of their trauma-related disorder.

Ages

18 to 70 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Referred for Written Exposure Therapy at the Occupational Stress Injury Clinic (OSIC) in Winnipeg * Able to speak, read, and write in English * Medication held at a stable dose for four weeks prior to beginning treatment and throughout the duration of treatment (if on a prescribed medication) Exclusion Criteria: * Current psychosis * Presence of another psychiatric disorder that requires prioritization over treating PTSD * Any cognitive, visual, or motor impairment that would prevent writing for 30 minutes

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

post-traumatic stress disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Post-traumatic stress disorder

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Deer Lodge Centre

    Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3J 0L3, Canada

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